I’d lived in Massachusetts less than six months when I launched the MassUltra website in January 2016. I only knew a handful of people, a couple of local trails, and had yet to run a trail ultramarathon in the Commonwealth. I was the new guy in town and had so much to learn.

At the time, my hope was that by blending my love of journalism and running trails I could learn from the experts who know the scene best – all of you – by listening to you and sharing your stories. If all went well, I could educate myself about the community and the people who make it great, and also share it with you.

It’s hard to believe this column closes out year 10 of this journalism passion project. I had no idea it would last this long. I had no expectation that people would want to follow along each week, or that many folks would tolerate being bugged by me for interviews. The reception surpassed my wildest expectations, and it has fueled my fire to stay curious, keep reporting, and continue telling stories year after year.

How do you measure a decade? In terms of readership, what began with just two–me and my wife–gradually grew to double digits, then triple digits. Around 6,500 people visited the site by the end of year one; that tally grew to more than 27,000 this year as new members joined our community and veterans have continued to stay active. From a content standpoint, the decade is measured in the 1,278 pieces of local ultrarunning content – including 148 this year – from results and photo galleries to race coverage and recaps, to weekly roundups, to in-depth features and profiles.

More personally, I measure the decade by the miles shared with others during races and group runs; the countless conversations, be they interviews for articles or while simply catching up; and the amount of time spent with a community that brings me joy.

We’ve experienced a lot together during the past decade: races have come and gone; beloved classic events have been revived; group runs have expanded; thousands of new folks have joined us on the trails. We survived a pandemic. We ran a race on the coldest day in Boston in the past 50 years and had no injuries, weather-related or otherwise. We volunteered in the scorching sun, driving rain, and below-freezing temperatures to take care of each other. We gave tens of thousands of dollars to the local trails and charitable organizations who work to improve lives and make the world a better place. We celebrated each other’s accomplishments, learned from and found inspiration in each other. We became better people by being a part of this community.

It has been a tremendous privilege to share your stories, document our history, and chronicle the growth and evolution of our little corner of this sport for the past decade. I’ve learned so much, but what I’ve learned the most is that I still have so much more to learn. There are more people to meet, trails to explore, races to run, connections to make, and stories waiting to be told. Ten years in, I’ve barely scratched the surface – so come along with me for another year.

Year 11 of local coverage from MassUltra starts this weekend. I’ll see you on the trails again soon.

Top 10 Most Viewed Stories/Items of 2025 (148 pieces of local content in 2025)

1 – G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K will Continue Under TARC Leadership – 484 views

T2 – Photos: TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra – 374 views

T2 – G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K Discontinued for 2026 – 374 views

4 – Results: TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra – 358 views

5 – MassUltra Roundup: Riverlands, Blood Root, and Spring Fling – 326 views

6 – Historic Hundreds: Record Number of Runners Log Triple-Digit Miles at Ghost Train – 283 views

7 – Photos: TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra – 268 views

8 – Results: MetroWest Backyard Ultra – 262 views

9 – Photos: Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K and 50-Mile Ultras – 261 views

10 – Bauer Outlasts Everyone, Earns Race for DFL Victory – 254 views