As the saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder. To put that theory to the test, the Trail Animals Running Club brought back a popular distance at the TARC Winter Classic to close out the 15th edition of the TARC Trail Series on Saturday, Dec. 6, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham.

Prior to rebranding as the Winter Classic in 2023, the event was known as the Fells Winter Ultra and offered 40-mile and 32-mile ultramarathon distances, consisting of five and four loops of the reservation’s rock- and root-covered 8-mile Skyline Trail. In fact, those distances predate the creation of the TARC Trail Series as the Fells races were created by Bogie Dumitrescu in 2009, and brought under the TARC umbrella in 2011 when Steve Latour was the RD. In 2023, the rebranding included dropping “ultra” from the name and replacing the 40-mile distance with an 8-mile race, turning what had previously been an ultra-only event into an opportunity for those interested in a variety of distances to take part.

With new race director and veteran ultrarunner Michelle Boland at the helm, the 2026 edition of the Winter Classic once again offered 32- and 8-mile distances but also brought back the traditional 40-miler. Twenty-three runners accepted the challenge of the five-loop course and its more than 6,000 feet of climbing, including familiar faces like Michael Latham and Taylor Verville who had prior 40-mile finishes to their credit, Latham in 2016 and 2019, Verville in 2018. Those 40-mile veterans were joined by some savvy newcomers, most notably Matt Pacheco, who has amassed several ultra victories while racing heavily in western and central Massachusetts during the past few years.

Pacheco’s season already included victories at the Mt. Toby 50K, Riverlands 100-miler, Edge Hill 50K and Notchview 12-Hour, and the 40-year-old from South Hadley, Mass., added one more title courtesy of a strong showing at the Winter Classic.

Pacheco started fast and quickly moved to the front. He held a 6-minute cushion by the time he completed his first 8-mile loop in 1:13. Another 1:13 split on loop two saw his advantage grow to nearly 20 minutes. From there, he continued to expand his lead while other runners either faded into the distance or dropped from the race. Pacheco went on to win in 6:31:34, more than an hour ahead of his closest competitor. Runner-up Tilman Dette, 38, of Boston, Mass., followed in 7:33:47 for his first Winter Classic 40-mile finish. He placed fourth in the 32-mile race the year before. Two-time 32-mile finisher Graham Simon, 31, of Concord, Mass., rounded out the male podium with his first 40-mile finish in 7:33:53. Adam Bellatreche, 30, of Salem, Mass., was a distant fourth in 9:02:05, while Latham, 38, of Brockton, Mass., was fifth in 9:07:52.

Verville was the lone female finisher of the 40-miler. She placed sixth overall in 9:07:58. Shortly after, final finishers Maxwell Decker, 21, of Hadley, Mass., Ryan Rogers, 25, of Weymouth, Mass., and Jonathan Symons, 25, of Northborough, Mass., followed in close succession in 9:10:44, 9:11:05, and 9:11:29, respectively.

Perozek, Murphy Earn Wire-to-Wire Victories in 32-Mile Race

The 32-mile race marked the Winter Classic debut for both Max Perozek and Caitlin Murphy, but both event newcomers handled the course like veterans and led the male and female fields nearly from start to finish.

Perozek, 26, of Cambridge, Mass., followed up his third-place finish at the rugged Kilkenny Ridge 50-miler in September in New Hampshire by earning a victory at the Fells. He built a three-minute lead during the first lap through the 8-mile loop, and gradually added to his lead during the three laps that followed, ultimately winning in 4:47:29. Christopher Stivers, 39, of Medford, Mass., was second in his Winter Classic debut in 5:06:05, while event veteran Matthew Carbone rounded out the male podium in 5:28:49. It was Carbone’s fifth time finishing the 32-miler and second straight year placing third.

In the female field, Murphy also earned a wire-to-wire win. The runner-up at the Kilkenny Ridge 25-miler, Murphy also handled the Fells’ punchy climbs, rocks and roots with ease and gradually expanded her lead with each lap. Ultimately, the 26-year-old from Lebanon, N.H., finished fourth overall and first place in the female field in 5:40:48. Her performance narrowly missed toppling Evelyn Needham’s female course record of 5:36:00 from 2024. Bonnie Lathrop, 34, of Amherst, Mass., was second in 5:59:01, less than two months removed from winning the NipMuck Trail Marathon in Connecticut. Emily Knowlton, 30, of Somerville, Mass., completed the podium in 7:12:11.

Of the 54 runners who started the 32-miler, 39 finished within 10 hours. Additional top performers included Christopher Leininger, 33, of Malden, Mass., who was fifth overall in 5:50:15; Michael Feeney, 35, of Dorchester, Mass., who was seventh overall in 6:05:48; David McIntyre, 29, of Cambridge, Mass., who placed eighth overall in 6:06:49; Dave DiLorenzo, 53, of Arlington, Mass., who finished ninth overall in 6:18:26; and Dave Lane, 38, of Haverhill, Mass., who rounded out the overall top 10 in 6:30:44.

Caron Lowers 8-Mile Course Record with Dominant Run

Two years ago, Patrick Caron set the standard for the 8-mile race at the TARC Winter Classic when he won the inaugural offering in a speedy 55:53. After a year off from the event, Caron returned to tackle the single-loop race and was once again victorious with a record-setting run. The 28-year-old from Needham, Mass., hammered the loop in a sizzling 54:30 and won by more than nine minutes. Samuel Cohen, 29, of Cambridge, Mass., was a distant second in 1:03:44, followed by 34-year-old Michael Sage of Charlestown, Mass., in 1:05:41.

In the female field, 25-year-old Sidney Swearingen of Boston, Mass., led the way in 1:19:32, finishing first but missing Kimberly Slade’s course record of 1:17 from 2024. She was joined on the podium by Sarah Innes-Gold, 32, and Kristin Hohenstein, 26, both of Somerville, Mass., who finished seconds apart in 1:23:44 and 1:23:51, respectively.

Sixty-six runners completed the 8-mile race within 3 1/2 hours.