Kousky Crushes the Course, Breaks Own Record at Jug End

The last time Justin Kousky took on the Jug End loop was in 2023. He dazzled that day with a record-setting 43.8-mile performance, toppling a record that had stood since 2016. Two years later, Kousky returned to do more damage at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) 10th annual Jug End Loop Ultra on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025 at Jug End Reservation in Egremont, Mass.

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MassUltra Roundup: Firebird Trail Races, Green Lakes, Midwest States, Continental Divide, and Winona Forest

The Aug. 22-24 weekend saw dozens of runners gather in Egremont, Mass., for challenging miles at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) Jug End Loop Ultra. We’ll have that covered in a separate recap, but here in this week’s roundup we catch up on results from the Firebird Trail Races in Maine, as well as the Green Lakes Endurance Runs in New York which saw New Englanders atop the podium. We then catch up on Midwest States in Wisconsin, the Continental Divide Trail Run in Colorado, and then return to New York to close out with the Winona Forest Backyard Ultra.

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Results: BURCS Jug End Loop Ultra

The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the 10th annual Jug End Loop Ultra on Saturday, Aug. 23, 2025 at Jug End Reservation in Egremont, Mass. Runners took on the traditional 4.2-mile loop course for 6 hours, using an abbreviated mini-loop for the final hour. A single-loop, 4.2-mile race also was offered.

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Familiar Faces, First-Timers Shine at TARC Summer Classic

MEDFIELD, Mass. – Rather than the typical mid-summer sauna, the TARC Summer Classic welcomed runners with remarkably pleasant conditions for the 14th annual event on Saturday, Aug. 16, at Noon Hill Reservation in Medfield. That’s not to say it was easy by any means; runners still had to overcome an uncomfortable mix of mosquitoes and humidity, but temperatures that ranged from the upper 50s to low 80s made for a mostly delightful day in the woods.

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MassUltra Roundup: Jigger Johnson, ALFC 50K, Shenipsit Striders 50th Fatass, Fabulous Fahnestock, and Tamalpa Headlands

The Aug. 15-17 weekend was a big one in New England. In addition to the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Summer Classic in Massachusetts (separate recap to follow), three additional ultras took place throughout the region. The gnarly Jigger Johnson Ultras once again pounded runners in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, while runners gathered for some more laid-back fun at the Aliza Lapierre Fan Club 50K in Vermont and the Shenipsit Striders’ 50th anniversary fatass 8-hour run in Connecticut. We have all of those covered – as well as Fabulous Fahnestock in New York and the Tamalpa Headlands 50K in California – in this week’s roundup.

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Ambitious Efforts Stand Out at BURCS’ Sweltering Summer

Jason Kaplan is an ambitious runner, and Wally Watermelon is an ambitious … well … watermelon. Both had big goals for the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Aug. 9, at Clapp Park in Pittsfield, and both delivered.

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Photos: TARC Summer Classic

The Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) played host to the 14th edition of the TARC Summer Classic on Saturday, Aug. 16, 2025, at Noon Hill Reservation in Medfield, Mass. Runners took on the traditional 40-mile and 50K distances, while a 10-miler was offered for the second year in a row. The following is a small sample of photos from the race by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full photo gallery can be viewed on the MassUltra Flickr page.

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MassUltra Roundup: Anchor Down, Lover’s Lane, Bigfoot 200, and Wy’East Trail Fest

The weather was unseasonably pleasant, but the summer ultramarathon racing heated up in New England and beyond during the Aug. 8-10 weekend. In Massachusetts, that meant the popular BURCS Sweltering Summer 8-Hour was the place to be in Pittsfield. We’ll have that covered in a separate recap. But here in this week’s roundup we begin in New England where runners ran into – and through – the night at Rhode Island’s Anchor Down Ultra, and also stop in Vermont for the Lover’s Lane time-based races. Then we head West where a teenager from New Hampshire dazzled at the Bigfoot 200, before closing out with the Wy’East Trail Fest.

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Results: BURCS Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra

The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the 13th annual Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Aug. 9, 2025, at Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass. Runners had eight hours to complete as many laps as they wanted on the .355-mile dirt and cinder track. Proceeds from the event benefitted the AYJ Fund, a non-profit organization in Berkshire County that provides support services for children battling cancer.

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