Ice and snow covered some of the trails in New England and – along with cold temperatures – provided appropriate seasonal challenges for runners in the region as they raced in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut. We have those events covered separately, including in Part I of this week’s roundup, but here in Part II we catch up on how New Englanders did at ultras beyond the region during the Dec. 6-8 weekend. They did mighty well, racing from South Carolina to Arizona, and from Georgia to Florida. Zach Medeiros kicks things off with a victory at the Last Chance 50K.

Last Chance Trail Run

Zach Medeiros closed out his 2024 ultramarathon racing season on a high note with a victory at the 13th edition of the Last Chance Trail Run 50K on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Moncks Corner, S.C. Racing on the mostly flat Palmetto Trail in the Francis Marion National Forest, Medeiros, 24, of Westfield, Mass., led a field of 24 finishers on the out-and-back course in 5:33:47, holding off his closest competitor by 3 minutes. For Medeiros, the race marked his third ultra and second podium finish. Samantha Norman, 32, of Charleston, S.C., was the first-place female and third overall in 5:38:51. 

Colossal-Vail 50/50

Annie Seekins began her ultrarunning journey in March when she traveled to Arizona to race the Old Pueblo 50-miler. On Saturday, Dec. 7, she returned to Arizona for another 50-miler, this time at the 10th edition of the Colossal-Vail 50/50 in Vail.

Seekins took on the trails of Colossal Cave Mountain Park and a course that took runners along the border of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts, along the ridgelines of the Santa Rita Mountains and on several miles of the Arizona Trail. Seekins, 33, of Searsport, Maine, had a strong day of running and earned a spot in the top third of the overall field. She placed 17th overall and fourth-place female in 9:53:08. She also notched a distance PR by nearly 90 minutes.

Candice Burt, 43, of Boulder, Colo., was the first-place female and seventh overall in 8:41:38. Peter Davidson, 39, of Tucson, Ariz., led all 65 finishers in 6:39:13 with the second-fastest time in course history.

Another 66 runners finished the event’s 55K race, though none were New England residents.

Festivus 50-Miler

James Ricci squeezed in his first ultramarathon just before the end of the year at the second annual Festivus 50-miler on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Middleburgh, Fla. Runners had 16 hours to complete 12 laps of a mostly flat 4.17-mile loop course. Twenty-nine runners ultimately finished, and Ricci was among the fastest.

Ricci, 25, of Fairfield, Conn., finished fifth overall and fourth in the men’s field in 10:08:36. Ethan Cohen, 33, of Charlotte, N.C., led all runners in 7:24:43. Katie Hoover, 43, of Ormond Beach, Fla., was the first-place female and second overall in 8:03:15.

Cloudland Canyon

Emily Brigham has spent plenty of time racing in Georgia this year. She opened the season by running a pair of ultras in the Peach State, first at the Southern Freeze 50K in January and then at the Fort Yargo Thrill in the Hills 50K in February. Brigham placed third at both events.

Brigham, 25, of Tiverton, R.I., squeezed in one last ultra in Georgia to close out the year when she raced the 11th edition of the Cloudland Canyon 50-miler on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Rising Fawn. The event took place on the trails of Cloudland Canyon State Park and offered plenty of big climbs, waterfalls, scenic views, and 7,500 feet of elevation gain.

Of the 95 runners who finished within 15 1/2 hours, Brigham placed 35th overall and ninth in the female field in 12:34:47. Lauren Wagner, 29, of Peachtree Corners, Ga., was third overall and the first-place female in 9:12:38. Lukas Burrer, 28, of Waldachtal, Germany, was first place overall in 8:35:35.

Another 176 runners completed the event’s 50K race, led by 36-year-old Timothy Ronan of Signal Mountain, Tenn. (4:45:54) on the men’s side, and 33-year-old Colleen O’Neil of Rockwood. Pa. (6:18:50) on the women’s side. No New England residents raced that distance.

McDowell Mountain Frenzy

Glenn Dorr ran his first ultra at the 2021 McDowell Mountain Frenzy. He returned to the event for his second ultra, but opted for a different distance.

Dorr, 59, of Manchester, Mass., previously raced the event’s 50-miler. He toed the starting line of the 50K at the 16th edition of the event on Saturday, Dec. 7, in Fountain Hills, Ariz. Dorr had a strong day of running on the rolling singletrack trails of McDowell Mountain Regional Park and the McDowell Sonoran Preserve and finished in the top half of the 199-runner field. He placed 88th overall in 6:49:13. Justin Grunewald, 39, of Boulder, Colo., and Devon Yanko, 42, of Howard, Colo., were the top male and female finishers in 3:39:19 and 4:24:09, respectively.

An additional 79 runners finished the 50-mile race; none were New England residents.

*Editor’s Note: Results are found on a variety of sites, including ultrasignup.com, UltraRunning Magazine, and official race websites. We do the best we can to find as many results as possible to report on and recognize the local ultrarunning community.