When Steve Latour created the Ghost Train Trail Race in 2009, he couldn’t have envisioned what would happen 16 years later. The inaugural Ghost Train consisted of a single-distance, 15-mile round-trip run on the Granite Town Rail Trail between Brookline and Milford, N.H., and 27 runners took part.

The event has grown considerably in the years since, and the 16th edition on Oct. 18-19 saw more than 600 runners take part in a variety of race offerings, including a 30-hour ultra, 30-mile night race, 15-miler, and team relay options. More than 350 of them were in the 30-hour race, and a record 76 ran 100 miles or more on a weekend that offered near-perfect fall running conditions.

Included among the record number of 100-mile runners was another Ghost Train record: four runners completed 115 miles at this year’s event, bringing the all-time tally to nine. Only two runners have gone farther; Andy Godzinski and Scott Warren became the first runners to complete 130 miles at Ghost Train in 2024. Dirk Walther, Jason Geroux, Stephanie Stonebraker and Jason Kaplan all hit the 115-mile mark this year, and Walther’s effort was the fastest ever done at Ghost Train. Walther, 43, of Somerville, Mass., completed the distance in a sizzling 20:32:22, leaving more than nine hours on the clock. Geroux, 40, of Orrington, Maine, finished in 26:17:21, the third-fastest 115-mile performance ever at Ghost Train. Stonebraker, 42, of Fort Worth, Texas, was the top female performer in the field and completed her 115 miles in 27:41:59. Kaplan, 43, of Boston, Mass., followed shortly after in 27:52:35.

Walther turned out to be a double-winner. In addition to logging the most miles the fastest, he also was the first runner to hit the 100-mile mark and his time of 16:48:56 was the 10th-fastest by a male in event history. Shawn Mihill, 37, of Milford, N.H., was the second runner to do so, and he stopped after 100 miles and 17:50:01 of running. Not long after Mihill finished, the second and third overall female finishers raced back through Camp Tevya and across the finish line. Jenny Kenty, 43, of Medford, Mass., finished in 18:17:30, earning her sixth 100-mile finish at Ghost Train. Kenty was the overall winner in 2021 and female champion in 2022. Next to finish was Jade Bihua Zhang, 46, of Belmont, Mass., in 18:58:10, in her 100-mile debut. Kenty’s time was the sixth-fastest by a female in event history, and Zhang’s was 10th.

Other top performers in the 100-miler included Ansel Amanna, 27, of Lawrence, Mass. (20:22:28); Frank Farrell, 45, of Minot, Maine (20:57:34); Adam Dodge, 40, of Lake Park, Fla. (21:00:09); Erik Boyko, 40, of Woodside, N.Y. (21:03:28); Wayne Ball, 51, of Feeding Hills, Mass. (21:36:19); Kimberly Gordon, 43, of Holden, Mass. (21:56:09); and Galen August, 35, of Arlington, Mass. (22:34:46.

In addition to the triple-digit mileage markers, the 30-hour race recognizes ultramarathon results in 15-mile increments, beginning with 30 miles. Several notable performances were turned in among the various distance categories.

Four runners finished 90 miles, and 52-year-old Carita Wegner of Salem, Mass., set a new female record with her 22:18:01 performance. Rebecca Kadish, 69, of Hollis, N.H. (27:46:45) and Erin Abraham, 41, of Portland, Maine (28:45:47), secured the seventh and 10th spots on the female record board. Additionally, 24-year-old Liv Colombo of Kingston, Mass., set a nonbinary 90-mile course record in 28:53:50.

Thirty-two runners completed 75 miles, and the male course record was toppled by Ghost Train legend Alexander Jinks. The record-holder for 100 miles, Jinks broke his own 75-mile record of 11:34:39 as the 39-year-old from East Montpelier, Vt., completed five trips through the course in a snappy 11:07:38. Thomas Lyons, 36, of Phoenixville, Pa., was next to finish in 15:03:24, which earned ninth place on the male record board. Third to finish was top female Julia Plourde, 54, of Bartlett, N.H., whose time of 16:31:16 was the eighth-fastest by a female in event history.

Sixty-eight runners completed four out-and-backs through the course for 60-mile finishes, and a close battle played out at the front between Jack Scott and Chris Coughlin. Scott, 49, of Boston, Mass., took top honors in 11:06:03, and earned the seventh spot on the male record board. Couglin, 37, of Paxton, Mass., followed in 11:27:37, missing a top-10 all-time spot by eight minutes. Megan Serpa, 41, of Stoneham, Mass., was the top female finisher in 13:30:12, followed by Natasha Walth, 37, of Boston, Mass., and Brooke Wood, 46, of Brooklyn, N.Y., in 13:52:45 and 13:52:46, respectively. Two of the top nonbinary performances also were delivered. Nonbinary record-holder Alyssa Moskites, 32, of Medford, Mass., finished 14th overall and logged the second-fastest time in division history in 15:02:01, while Charles Whitmore, 47, of Boston, Mass., finished in 17:47:38, with the fourth-fastest mark.

No records fell in the 45-mile field, which saw 86 runners finish three passes through the course. Top overall performer Rachel Peck, 32, of South Portland, Maine, didn’t break the female record, but she did deliver the seventh-fastest time ever with her 7:42:16 victory. Overall runner-up Jessica Chevalier, 40, of Orford, N.H., followed in 8:55:16, and 61-year-old Teresa Firth of Fairhaven, Mass., rounded out the female podium and placed fourth overall in 9:08:34. Top male Brant Kaylor, 45, of Merrimack, N.H., was third overall in 9:03:25. He was joined on the podium by Robert Pritchard, 38, of Medford, Mass., and Jeff Herlicka, 47, of New Boston, N.H., in 9:55:21 and 10:26:12, respectively.

In the two-lap, 30-mile race, a female sweep of the overall top spots was led by Amy Bernard. The 47-year-old from Hampstead, N.H., threw down the fastest performance of the day and secured the seventh spot on the female record board in 4:26:50. Deirdre Lowe, 46, of Salem, Mass., followed in 4:44:15, with 41-year-old Emily Davis of Groton, Mass., third in 5:17:14. Top male William Cargill, 44, of Haverhill, Mass., was fourth overall in 5:24:42. He was joined on the podium by Kevin Breen, 55, of Hudson, Mass., (5:54:14) and Denis Skarep, 53, of Beverly, Mass. (6:15:17).

Griffiths Freaky-Fast in Haunted 30-Mile Victory

It’s spooky to think that someone might rip through the Ghost Train Haunted 30-Mile Night Race faster than Cole Crosby did in 2024, but that’s exactly what Jason Griffiths did. The 44-year-old former New Hampshire resident, now living Hubbard, Ore., made the return trip to New England and brought a scary-fast effort with him. By the time Griffiths completed his two trips through the course, Crosby’s record was gone by a full 10 minutes with Griffiths winning in 3:12:09. It was his second win this year; he was the Spaulding Woods 50K champion in July. Runner-up Ryan Pfenning, 28, of Boston, Mass., was the only other sub-4-hour performer, finishing in 3:49:34. Peter Guza, 44, of North Andover, Mass., was third in 4:04:19, followed by 40-year-old Justin Hetherington of Jamestown, R.I., in 4:08:02.

After finishing second in the female field for 100 miles at Ghost Train in 2022, Jennifer Boshco was victorious at 30 miles. The 41-year-old from Dover, N.H., placed seventh overall and first in the female field in 4:28:25. She was joined on the podium by Kuan Yu Hsieh, 32, of Danbury, Conn., and Kelly Snyder, 33, of Somerville, Mass., who finished in 4:36:23 and 4:43:44, respectively. Sara Tannenbaum, 32, of Concord, N.H., was fourth in 4:46:12.

One hundred twenty-two runners finished the race within 10 hours.

Hanlon Hammers 15-Mile Record Performance

The Ghost Train format has evolved through the years, but the 15-mile race dates back to the inaugural running in 2009. Given that history, Thomas Hanlon’s single out-and-back dash through the course holds particular significance. The 27-year-old from Waltham, Mass., opened up an early lead and never looked back, rolling to the overall win. His time of 1:27:32 clipped two minutes off of the course record of 1:29:38 that was set by Chris Dunn in 2017. Runner-up Jared Dybas, 25, of Groton, Conn. clocked the fifth-fastest time in course history with his 1:38:12 performance. Stephen Horaj, 37, of Atkinson, N.H., was third in 1:52:46, while 39-year-old Jason Roberge of Biddeford, Maine, followed in 1:58:12.

The final sub-2-hour finishers were the top two female runners. Lindsey Burkhardt edged Devin Richardson for the win, with Burkhardt, 43, of Dublin, N.H., crossing the finish line in 1:58:44 and Richardson, 35, of Hartford, Conn., following just behind in 1:59:34. Kathy Maddock, 60, of Wilton, Conn., rounded out the podium in 2:04:01 and finished seventh overall. Andrea Tanner, 52, of Silver Spring, Md., set a nonbinary course record in 3:14:30, followed by Corey Farwell, 34, of Brooklyn, N.Y., in 3:49:39. Eighty-four runners finished the race within six hours.