While blizzard conditions and ice ravaged much of the United States spanning from Kansas to Washington, D.C., ultrarunners in New England only had to brace themselves for cold temperatures as they kicked off the 2025 ultrarunning season.

Make no mistake, it was mighty cold at the 25th edition of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K on Saturday, Jan. 4, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. It was a frosty 25 degrees and cloudy with a 15-mile-per-hour wind that made it feel closer to a bitter 13 degrees at the start of the run. Though the sun soon appeared and the temperature rose to 29 degrees, winds eventually whipped at up to 20 miles per hour, making it feel-it-in-your-bones cold for anyone not running or insufficiently layered.

But these are New Englanders, after all, so around 200 undeterred runners showed up for the 9 a.m. start despite the numbing conditions. As is tradition at the event hosted by Gil’s Athletic Club, runners and walkers were invited to complete as many laps as they wanted of the 10K loop course through the state park, up to five for a 50K finish. Some ran or walked a lap or two and socialized with friends, while others used the event as a glorified training run for a future race. Of those who took part, 39 earned their first ultramarathon finishes of the year by completing a 50K and another 17 earned marathon finishes for running four loops plus a bonus out-and-back.

The mostly flat, mostly nontechnical course and its rolling hills provided an ideal opportunity for runners to push for a fast time if that was their goal; five loops added up to just 2,500 feet of climbing and the course was dry. A few runners took full advantage, led by 36-year-old Natty Montoya of Manchester, Mass., who pushed hard for the win in 3:54. Todd Callaghan, 55, of Beverly, Mass., was second in 4:01 following a fourth-place overall finish in 2024 and third-place finish in 2023. Benjamin Niebla, 27, of Manchester, N.H., rounded out the top three in 4:18, just ahead of 35-year-old Bryn Clark of Danvers, Mass., who was fourth in 4:20. Abaseen Afghan of Natick, Mass., 36, of Natick, Mass., rounded out the overall top five in 4:29. As has been the case for numerous ultrarunners in New England during the past quarter-century, the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K was Afghan’s first ultramarathon finish.

In the women’s field, familiar faces were among the fastest finishers. Laura Ricci, 41, of Boston, Mass., led the way with a first-place finish in 4:56. It was a 54-minute improvement upon her fifth-place finish in 2024. Sarah Zarnowski, 38, of Concord, N.H., was second in 4:58, improving upon a fourth-place finish at the 2023 race (5:42). Emma Dixon rounded out the top three women. Following a fourth-place finish in 2024 (5:36), the 29-year-old resident of South Boston, Mass., improved by one place and 37 minutes, finishing third in 4:59.

In the marathon field, 37-year-old Eric Bowden of Newton, Mass., finished first overall in 3:44. A trio of runners tied for second overall with Michael McKie, 57, and Abby McKie, 46, both of Boxford, Mass., finishing alongside G.A.C. regular Kristen Smith, 39, of Danvers, Mass., in 4:14.