Running 100 miles is nothing new to Anthony Bauer. He has two hard-earned belt buckles as proof of his ability to go the distance, one from the 2023 Indiana Trail 100 and another from the 2024 Idaho Mountain Trail Ultra Festival 100, better known as IMTUF.

Still, neither the rolling trails of Indiana nor the mountains of Idaho carried the same psychological challenge that Bauer had to overcome for his latest triple-digit mileage adventure when he competed at the sixth annual Race for DFL on Nov. 8-9 at the Kenty Farm in Winchendon, Mass. It was Bauer’s first time at a last person standing event. Rather than a typical race where runners decide what pace they need to run to reach the finish line within the time limit, this race had no time limit and no predetermined stopping point. Instead, runners had one hour to complete a 4.17-mile loop course through the farm’s wooded trails, along a nearby rail trail, and on a rocky farm road, and then return to the starting line to begin another loop on the hour, every hour, until just one runner remained.

Some of the 83 runners in the starting field had experienced the format before, but it was Bauer’s first try. The 30-year-old from Somerville, Mass., showed patience and discipline during the early hours, settling into the rhythm of the event on a mild day that began with temperatures in the upper 47s before warming to the mid-50s with a breeze and sunny skies.

All runners lasted for at least two laps before the field began to shrink. Sixty-five runners completed at least seven laps and surpassed the marathon distance, and most went at least one more lap for 33.3 miles and a “heavy” 50K ultramarathon which was the goal for many of the participants. The field continued to whittle away with each passing hour.

Thirty runners lasted at least a half-day, completing 12 laps for 50 miles and finishing in the dark. That was the stopping point for eight of them, including top nonbinary competitors Daniela Ramos, 22, of Miami, Fla., and Mark Wing, 22, of Chugiak, Alaska. Hour 13 saw seven more runners stop, followed by three more at the end of hour 14, shrinking the remaining field to just a dozen runners.

Bill Warner, 31, of Hopkinton, Mass., stopped after 15 hours and 62.5 miles, earning a solid 100K for his effort. One hour later, 58-year-old Tom Page of York, Maine, stopped after 66.67 miles, trimming the field to just 10 runners. Mari Engelhardt was the next to conclude her run. After 17 hours and 70.839 miles, the 46-year-old from Marshfield, Mass., was done, leaving just one female among the nine remaining runners for the midnight start of lap 18. Bolstered by a strong support crew in his tent, Bauer stayed on top of his nutrition and firmly in contention for the win.

The midnight lap was the final one for three of the remaining runners. Nigel Bates, 31, of Waterbury, Vt., along with 24-year-old Justin Jiang of New York, N.Y., and 50-year-old Robert Lynch of Sharon, Mass., stopped after 75 miles of running. As they moved to the sidelines, the field dwindled to just six. Two hours later, the last female in the field concluded her race as 27-year-old Livvy Weld of West Springfield, Mass., stopped after 20 hours and 83.34 miles.

For the next four hours, remaining runners James Boeding, Eric Rice, Aaron Gott, Max Taylor, and Bauer stepped to the starting line at the top of the hour, completed their lap within the time limit, and returned to the line to go again. They watched the sun rise while running, and kept on going. All five completed the 24th hour, marking the first time that five runners have completed 100 miles or more at the Race for DFL. For Gott, 17, of Sharon, Mass., and Taylor, 39, of Amherst, Mass., that was enough. It was the first 100-mile run ever for Gott, whose previous record had been 100K at both the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra and the 2025 MetroWest Backyard Ultra. It was Taylor’s second time running 100 miles – and second time this year. He completed his first 100-miler at the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra.

Rice stopped following the 25th hour, and the 41-year-old from Worthington, Mass., ended his race after a personal-best 104.175 miles. Like Taylor, Rice finished 100 miles earlier this year at the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra.

With the field reduced to two, Bauer and Boeding continued onward for a few more hours, taking their own approaches with Boeding cranking through faster and Bauer taking his time. On lap 29, the men ran together and spent the lap chatting about the experience they’d endured. Then they returned to the start/finish, and Boeding was done. The 33-year-old from West Hartford, Conn., stopped after 29 hours and a personal-best 120.843 miles of running and added the Race for DFL assist to a 2025 resume that includes victories at the Traprock 50K, Ragged 50K and Ragged 75 Stage Race.

Bauer was the only runner to begin lap 30. He needed 55:36 to complete his final lap and officially earn the title of Dead Freaking Last and winner of the Race for DFL with 125.01 miles.

In addition to the last person standing race, three time-based options were offered along with a fastest lap competition. The 24-, 12- and 6-hour options used the regular loop course, as well as a separate mini loop so runners could tack on additional mileage if they wanted to while time remained on the clock. Two runners opted for the 24-hour race, with 39-year-old Jennifer Howard of Sunderland, Mass., completing 50 miles and 48-year-old Mary Howell of Three Rivers, Mass., logging 45.8 miles. Five runners took part in the 12-hour race, with 22-year-old Saeed Luetje of Millis, Mass., and 51-year-old Sean Libey of Deerfield, Mass., leading the way with 50 miles apiece and 65-year-old Sam Farnsworth of Stow, Mass., completing 33.3 miles. Nine more runners tackled the 6-hour race, with 51-year-old Brent Vanni of Yarmouth, Maine, leading all runners with 34.3 miles, followed by 50-year-old Katja Fink of Cambridge, Mass., with 33.3 miles, and 40-year-old Kristen Smith of Danvers, Mass., with 30.2 miles.

Nearly 100 runners logged times for the fastest lap competition, but nobody scorched the loop faster than 38-year-old Lindsay Smith of South Hadley, Mass., who hammered the 4.17-mile course in 24:05. Mark Chen, 26, of Somerville, Mass., was second in 37:16, followed closely by Charles Seiss, 56, of Old Greenwich, Conn., in 37:21, Pria Parker, 22, of Hingham, Mass., in 37:21, and Michael Hoffman, 38, of Clinton, Mass., in 37:24.