A massive snowstorm struck New England during the Jan. 24-25 weekend, but that didn’t stop a handful of runners from the region from escaping to warmer climates to earn early-season ultramarathon finishes in Arizona and Florida. Nobody had a better weekend than Connecticut resident Sarah Connor who raced to victory at the Pemberton Trail 50K, and her strong performance leads off this edition of the roundup.

Pemberton Trail 50K

Sarah Connor has enjoyed her share of success racing trail ultramarathons. The 36-year-old from New Haven, Conn., has earned six ultra victories, beginning with her ultra debut at the Forgotten Forest Ultra 9-Hour in 2017 and most recently at the 28th annual Pemberton Trail 50K on Saturday, Jan. 24, in Fountain Hills, Ariz.

Connor was the lone New Englander in the field for the race on the trails of McDowell Mountain Regional Park, and she was among the frontrunners throughout the day. By the time the race was done, Steven Terry, 46, of Tucson, Ariz., had topped the field of 34 finishers with a winning time of 4:08:10, but Connor wasn’t far behind. She ultimately placed third overall and first in the female field with a winning time of 4:23:23. Her closest competitor, 28-year-old Samantha Harding of Scottsdale, Ariz., followed seven minutes later in 4:30:30 and was fourth overall.

Connor will return to Arizona in February to race the Black Canyon 100K.

Monroe Cross Trail 50

Chandler Crans kicked off the new year in style by finishing his first ultramarathon. Cross, 30, of Bath, Maine, did so at the fifth annual Monroe Cross Trail 50 on Saturday, Jan. 24, in Debary, Fla. He was one of 34 runners who successfully finished the point-to-point 50-mile race within the 13-hour time limit. Cross placed 18th overall in 10:06:31. Addie Green, 46, of Port Saint Lucie, Fla., led all runners in 7:09:50 while top male Preston Berryman, 23, of Johns Creek, Ga., placed third overall in 7:56:23.

The event also offered a 50K race, but no New Englanders were among the 18 finishers of that distance.

This Ain’t Your Mother’s 50K

A pair of New England women earned early-season ultramarathon finishes at the fifth annual This Ain’t Your Mother’s 50K on Sunday, Jan. 25, in Middleburg, Fla. Kim Luciano and Katherine Macgregor were among the 44 runners who completed the out-and-back course on the singletrack Pioneer Trail in Jennings State Forest within the 11-hour time limit. Luciano, 60, of Colebrook, Conn., finished 26th in 7:39:02, and Macgregor, 44, of Middletown, R.I., placed 34th in 8:14:18. Brian Sharbono, 43, of Port Orange, Fla., and Tania Riske, 53, of Eau Claire, Wisc., topped the male and female fields in 4:11:31 and 5:33:38, respectively.

Both women will look to build upon their performances at upcoming ultras. Macgregor will take on the Swamp Fox 50K in March in South Carolina, while Luciano will head to Utah in April to run the Zion Ultras 60K.

*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.