As the 2025 ultrarunning season rolls through its final months, runners are scrambling to squeeze in a few more finishes, and in some cases their first ultras. That made the Nov. 7-9 weekend another busy one as New Englanders scattered from coast to coast. Here in Part I of this week’s two-part roundup, we highlight results from the West Coast where New Englanders raced in California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado.

Kessel Run Ultra

Peter Smith earned a memorable first ultramarathon finish when the 20-year-old from Framingham, Mass., took part in the fifth annual Kessel Run Ultra 50-mile, 40-mile and 50K races on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Fruita, Colo. Despite having never raced an ultra, Smith opted for the longest distance–the 50-miler–and proved he was up to the test.

Smith and his fellow runners took in views of the San Juan Mountains while running along desert singletrack trails, and he was one of 40 who finished the race within 13 hours. In fact, Smith narrowly missed cracking the top 10, placing 11th overall and eighth in the male field in 10:09:09. Ben Lefevre, 39, of Steamboat Springs, Colo., led all runners in 8:43:45, and top female Jade Irizarry-Swordy, 32, of Boulder, Colo., finished third overall in 8:55:25.

No New England residents were among the 19 finishers of the 40-mile race or the 95 finishers of the 50K race.

Thunder River 50K

Wiley Ordemann had a strong showing in his ultramarathon debut. Ordemann, 25, of Groton, Mass., was one of 70 runners who took part in the inaugural Thunder River 50K on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Cascade Locks, Ore. Sixty-six of those runners ultimately completed the mostly point-to-point course through the Columbia River Gorge, which included portions of the Pacific Crest Trail. Ordemann was among the fastest, finishing 16th overall in 5:34:45.

Peter Buckley, 25, of Portland, Ore., was the lone sub-4-hour finisher, winning in 3:48:44. Top female Ashley Figel, 34, of Corbett, Ore., was sixth overall in 4:53:54.

Pass Mountain

After two years of building her trail-running legs, Ashley Marchesseault took on her first ultramarathon at the 16th edition of the Pass Mountain Trail Race on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Mesa, Ariz. The event offered both 50-mile and 50K ultras, and Marchesseault, 30, of Gray, Maine, took on the 50K distance. She and her fellow runners raced along the trails of Usery Mountain Regional Park and neighboring Tonto National Forest. Ultimately, Marchesseault was one of 74 runners who completed the race within 12 hours. She finished 59th overall in 9:09:11.

Avinoam Maier, 34, of Scottsdale, Ariz., led all runners in 4:22:18. Ali Tanguay, 37, of Boulder, Colo., was the first female finisher and fifth overall in 5:17:29.

No New England residents were among the 30 finishers of the 50-mile race.

Rancho Hills Fall Trail Run

Michael Gillespie earned his first ultramarathon finish at the ninth edition of the Rancho Hills Fall Trail Run on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Morgan Hill, Calif. The event offered an assortment of sub-ultra distances in addition to the 50K, and all races took place on the trails of the Rancho Canada del Oro Open Space Preserve. Gillespie was one of just four runners to attempt the 50K, and the 35-year-old resident of Boston, Mass., ran the race side by side with 30-year-old Lance Adler of St. Petersburg, Fla., Adler and Gillespie finished together in 7:55:28 and 7:55:29. Rafael Cerioli, 39, of San Jose, Calif., won the race in 4:49:25, followed by 49-year-old Adriano Prado of Stanford, Calif., in 6:55:51.

Red Rock Canyon Ultra

A pair of Massachusetts men earned 50K finishes at the fifth annual Red Rock Canyon Ultra on Saturday, Nov. 8, in Blue Diamond, Nev. The event also offered a 100K distance, though no New England residents were among its 36 finishers.

Bay Staters Troy Giselson, 42, of Oxford, Mass., and Wesley Hutchinson, 45, of Millbury, Mass., were among the 69 fishers of the 50K. Giselson finished in 9:52:51, while Hutchinson followed in 10:53:10. Alan Carreno, 36, of Las Vegas, Nev., led all runners in 4:29:37 while top female Keelyn Colby, 35, of Henderson, Nev., was fifth overall in 5:38:29.

*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.