Our journey through New Englanders’ ultrarunning exploits from the May 10-11 weekend continues in Part II of this week’s roundup as we work our way closer to home. After starting in the West, this edition highlights several events in the East, from North Carolina, New York and West Virginia, to Ohio and Pennsylvania, leading off with Massachusetts resident Samuel Cohen’s podium finish at the Hellbender 100.

Hellbender 100

Seven New Englanders secured hard-earned finishes at the seventh edition of the Hellbender 100 on May 9-10 in Old Fort, N.C., including one who earned a place on the podium.

Racing on an alternate course due to ongoing devastation from Hurricane Helene, runners still took on significant climbing and tough terrain on a mix of trails and roads in the Black Mountains.

Samuel Cohen made his 100-mile debut at the Western States Endurance Run in 2023, finishing 53rd in 21:51:12. A few months later, he earned a top-10 finish at the Grindstone 100 before going on to complete UTMB in 2024. Cohen built upon all of those experiences by putting together a dynamite performance at Hellbender. The 28-year-old from Orleans, Mass., was one of four runners to finish in less than 21 hours, placing third overall in 20:26:01. Sondre Stier Thorbergsen, 34, of Sogndal, Norway, won in 18:50:53, followed by 42-year-old Sam Haagenson of Asheville, N.C., in 20:20:17. Shannon Howell, 46, of Simpsonville, S.C., topped the female field and placed 10th overall in 22:33:53.

Joining Cohen among the New England finishers were Peter Keyo, Rick Leclerc, Brendan Gilpatrick, Amy Rusiecki, Danforth Sullivan and Keith Hoffman. Keyo, 42, of Canton, Conn., placed 25th overall in 26:05:11, followed by Leclerc, 41, of Sudbury, Mass., in 33rd place in 26:33:42. Gilpatrick, 41, of Waterville, Maine, joined them in the top 50, placing 42nd in 27:28:34. Fresh off of a strong finish at the Gorge Waterfalls 100K in Oregon in April, Rusiecki, 45, of South Deerfield, Mass., finished 59th overall and eighth in the female field in 28:28:58. Sullivan, 41, of Sudbury, Mass., followed a few seconds later in 28:29:08 for 60th place. Hoffman, 34, of Newtown, Conn., joined them at the finish line a little while later in 65th place in 28:56:46.

Of the 177 runners who started the race, 138 finished within 39 hours.

Mind the Ducks 12-Hour

Benn Griffin spends much of his time directing races and recognizing ultrarunners for their individual accomplishments as race director for many Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) events throughout the summer in western Massachusetts. On Saturday, May 10, it was Griffin’s turn to be recognized for a stellar performance when he took part in the Mind the Ducks 12-Hour Ultra in Webster, N.Y.

Griffin, of Pittsfield, Mass., was the lone New England resident among the 123 participants who took on a USATF-certified 1.01203-mile paved bike path at North Ponds Park area of Charles E. Sexton Memorial Park. Of those who logged mileage, 79 ran 27 miles or more and 15 broke the 50-mile mark. Griffin finished fifth overall and was the Men’s Open Division champion with 58.7 miles.

Lou Pauquette of Cambridge, N.Y., was the overall champion with 71.9 miles, followed by Men’s Veteran Division champion Olex Pidhainy of Toronto, Ontario, with 70.8 miles, and Men’s Master’s Division champion Nathan Price of Scottsville, N.Y., with 66.8 miles. Female champion Kim Conway of Rockville, Md., finished 60.7 miles.

West Virginia Trail Fest

A year ago, Adam Knight earned his first ultramarathon finish at the Watuppa 50K. Almost exactly one year later, Knight earned his second ultra finish and upped the distance slightly when he took on the 60K race at the West Virginia Trail Fest on Saturday, May 10, in Snowshoe, W.V.

Knight, 23, of Shrewsbury, Mass., was the lone New England resident at the event–which also offered a 100K ultra–and he was one of 32 who completed the 60K point-to-point course that took runners over two of West Virginia’s three highest peaks and amassed 7,400 feet of climbing. Knight placed 10th overall in 8:21:19. Drew Miller, 39, of Durham, N.C., led all runners in 5:39:26, while top female Allison Lee, 37, of Washington, D.C., finished third in 6:57:02.

Running with my Gnomies 50K

Jennifer Puzey delivered a strong performance in her ultramarathon debut at the sixth annual Running with My Gnomies 50K on Saturday, May 10, in Dover, Ohio. Puzey and her fellow runners had to complete two 25K loops on the trails of Camp Tuscazoar, and 39 ultimately did so within 10 1/2 hours.

Puzey, 21, was the lone New Englander in the field, and the native of Norwood, Mass., finished in the top half of the field and among the fastest females. Puzey placed 16th overall and fifth in the female field in 7:31:41.

Alec Cline, 28, of Canton, Ohio, led all runners in 4:22:05, followed by 27-year-old Brad Trexler of Stow, Ohio, in 4:33:26. Both Cline and Trexler broke the previous course record. Top female Karmell Ohlrogge, 39, of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, finished 10th overall in 6:31:36.

Dirty German Endurance Festival

A half-dozen New England residents earned ultramarathon finishes at the 15th annual Dirty German Endurance Festival on Saturday, May 10, in Philadelphia, Pa. Runners took on a mix of technical and nontechnical trails, with a mix of singletrack dirt, sandy patches, and gravel in Pennypack Park.

Four runners from the region were among the 98 who finished the 50-miler within 13 1/2 hours. Christopher Leforce, 46, of Colchester, Vt., led the way for the New England crew, placing 41st in 10:18:08. Melissa Brown, 55, of Londondeery, Vt., was next, placing 80th in 11:52:50. Savannah Blessis, 30, of Torrington, Conn., finished shortly after in 84th place in 12:01:50, while 63-year-old Damien Delaney of Boston, Mass., followed in 86th place in 12:07:37. John Drago, 30, of West Chester, Pa., dominated the race, winning by more than an hour in 6:18:25. Ashley Schuett, 32, of Philadelphia, Pa., topped the female field in 8:51:28.

Two more New Englanders were among the 176 finishers of the 50K distance. Michael Morris, 29, of Boston, Mass., placed 53rd in 6:00:55, and 57-year-old Michele Norman of Wellesley, Mass., followed in 68th place in 6:19:42. James McCue, 35, led all runners in 3:46:29, while top female Kaela Barna, 29, of Philadelphia, Pa., finished 10th in 4:48:31.

*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.