The March 28-30 weekend was on the lighter side for New Englanders following a massive slate of events the week before, but it was still busy enough to entail a two-roundup week. We’ll close out in the Northeast, with ultras in Connecticut and New York, but here in Part I we turn to the results from the rest of the country, from Utah to Ohio, Virginia and Georgia.

Antelope Island Buffalo Run

Nathaniel Prete became New England’s newest 100-mile finisher when he completed the 20th annual Antelope Island Buffalo Run on March 28-29 in Syracuse, Utah.

Runners once again took on a 50-mile course through Antelope Island with more than 4,600 feet of climbing that 100-milers had to complete twice.

Of the 59 runners who started the race, 39 finished within 34 hours. That included Prete. The 26-year-old from Boston, Mass., finished 28th overall and earned his first 100-mile finish in 27:56:27. Prete was the lone New England resident in the field for that distance.

Ashley Paulson, 43, of St. George, Utah, set a new female course record and led all runners in 16:13:38. Five-time finisher and top male Matthew Van Horn, 54, of Salt Lake City, Utah, was a distant second in 17:17:50. Van Horn previously won the race in 2014.

In addition to the 100-miler, the event also offered 50-mile and 50K ultra distances. No New Englanders were among the 129 finishers of the 50K race, but two were among the 98 runners who completed the 50-miler. Benjamin Fiandaca, 48, of Peterborough, N.H., placed 47th in 10:54:53 in his latest tune-up race before the Western States Endurance Run 100-miler in June, and 34-year-old Jeffrey Taylor of Cottonwood Heights, Mass., placed 66th in 12:26:00 for his first ultramarathon finish. Alex Proctor, 24, of Salt Lake City, Utah, and Sara Morrison, 30, of Overland Park, Kan., were the top male and female finishers in 6:09:45 and 8:15:31, respectively.

Vernal Equinox

Ed Peters earned his first 100-mile finish of the year at the sixth annual Vernal Equinox 48-hour, 24-hour and 12-hour ultras on March 28-30 in Batavia, Ohio. The event once again used a 2-mile loop course through wooded trails and meadows at Majestic Farm. Peters, 73, of Norwalk, Conn., has been a mainstay on the multi-day, time-based racing scene for several years, and has amassed many 100-mile finishes along the way, though this was his first trip to Vernal Equinox.

Of the 42 runners who took part in the 48-hour race, 29 completed 100 miles or more, including Peters. Shane Cox, 49, of Lancaster, Ohio, led all runners with 158 miles, followed by Tom Amrine, 55, in Cincinnati, Ohio, with 150 miles.

Another 29 runners took part in the 24-hour race, including Seng-Lai Tan, 53, of Sudbury, Mass., who finished 50 miles and tied for 14th overall. Four runners completed 100 miles or more, led by Rick Hohman, 41, of Hudson, Ohio, and Charlene Badenhop, 54, of Mariemont, Ohio, with 103 and 102 miles, respectively.

Additionally, 35 runners took part in the 12-hour race, including 51-year-old Jason Haley of South Hamilton, Mass., who finished 11th overall and sixth in the male field with 47 miles. John Blasingame, 28, of Washington, D.C., led all runners with 66 miles, followed by 39-year-old Stephanie Bahrey of Cincinnati, Ohio, with 56 miles.

Hone Quarry Ultra

A trio of New Englanders earned their first ultramarathon finishes at the third annual Hone Quarry Ultra 40-miler on Saturday, March 29, in Dayton, Va. The race started and finished at Briery Branch in the Shenandoah Valley. In between, runners were treated to a trip through the winding mountain trails of the George Washington National Forest near the Hone Quarry Recreational Area, amassing around 8,000 feet of climbing along the way.

Aaron Jones, 37, of Roslindale, Mass., was the top finisher from the region, placing 26th out of 86 finishers in 9:48:58 for his first ultra finish. Brian Vandermark, 30, also of Roslindale, followed in 34th in 10:09:31. Additionally, 29-year-old Holly O’Hara of White River Junction, Vt., became a new ultrarunner with her 63rd-place finish in 11:44:28.

Jaroslav Candler II, 27, of Cumberland, Md., led all runners in 6:51:35 while top female Jessica Wingo, 32, of Charlottesville, Val., finished fourth overall in 7:22:57.

Georgia Death Race

Two New England residents gritted their way to hard-earned finishes at the 13th annual Georgia Death Race on March 29-30 in Blairsville, Ga. The course tested runners with 16,000 feet of climbing on the 74-mile course from Blairsville to Amicalola Falls State Park.

Of the 257 runners who started the race, 154 finished within 25 hours. Jim Ploof, 56, of East Middlebury, Vt., was the top New England finisher, placing 34th overall in 18:23:21. Elizabeth Faye also had a strong day of running. Faye, 42, of Randolph, Mass., placed 53rd overall and 11th in the female field in 19:57:14.

Anthony Fagundes, 35, of Fair Oaks, Calif., and Amy Ross-Johnson, 40, of Clayton, N.C., were the top male and female finishers in 12:45:27 and 13:58:14, respectively.

*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.