Following a dynamite 2019 season in which he won at least four ultramarathons and was the runner-up at three others, Brian Burke kicked off 2020 in strong fashion, placing second at both the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K and the Wild Florida 120-mile trail race in January. At the time, it seemed another big year was in store for him. What followed was a 7 1/2-month wait for Burke before he returned to another starting line thanks to the COVID-19 global pandemic. That return performance came Saturday, Sept. 19, at the Firebird Trail Race 50K in Maine, and Burke proved he hadn’t lost his speed during the time off from racing. He brought home the victory in course-record time, holding off a fellow Massachusetts resident in the final miles. The race was one of at least three out-of-state ultras for Bay State residents last weekend, and it leads off this week’s roundup alongside the Forgotten Forest 9-Hour Ultra in Connecticut and the Pawling Trail Running Festival in New York.

In a normal year, it’s not unusual to have multiple roundups in a week this time of year as it’s typically the busiest season for ultramarathons. But in a pandemic year? We’ll take it! Four out-of-state ultras – the Pine Creek Challenge, Tunxis, the Boulder Field Ultra, and the Breaks – were highlighted on Tuesday. But there were additional in-person ultras held outside of Massachusetts on Sept. 12-13 that included runners from the Bay State and greater New England. Both the Macedonia 50K in Connecticut and the Megunticook 50K in Maine took place last weekend, so we’ve included them here in Part 2 of this week’s roundup.

The COVID-19 global pandemic hasn’t eased its grip on the United States, but in-person ultramarathons have gradually resumed during the past few months. The Sept. 12-13 weekend marked the busiest for the Roundup since April with four races attracting Massachusetts residents and several other New Englanders to starting lines in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Connecticut. Nobody had a bigger weekend than Cambridge resident Padraig Mullins who secured a hard-earned victory at 100 miles at the Pine Creek Challenge. Several other New England residents tallied top-10 finishes at Pine Creek and the other events. We have them covered in a busier-than-usual pandemic edition of the roundup.

In another of the rare in-person ultramarathons to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Massachusetts resident made his ultra debut and turned in a top-10 finish at the inaugural White Pine 50-Mile Backcountry Run in Utah. That performance by Boston’s Jack Murrel is featured in this week’s roundup.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has wiped out most of the trail ultras in New England this year, a few events have managed to happen. That now includes the Enchanted Forest 6-Hour Ultra, which postponed from its traditional April race date to August in hopes that the pandemic would subside. That hasn’t happened, but the race went on and is featured in this edition of the roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Enchanted Forest →