All posts by Chris Wristen

Founder and Editor of MassUltra.com
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Massachusetts Runner DQ’d from Multiple Ultras, Suspected of Cutting Courses

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The temperature inched closer to 90 degrees as the noon hour approached at the East End Trail Races. It was Sunday, Aug. 5, and it was another scorcher.

Around 135 runners were taking part in the inaugural event at Borderland State Park in Easton, Mass., most of them in the 30K and 10K races. Seventeen runners toed the starting line of the 50K ultramarathon that muggy morning, armed with the knowledge that tough miles were ahead. They had to complete five trips around a “heavy” 10K loop that measured around 6.7 miles, making it a 33.5-mile race.

By 1 p.m., four of the ultramarathon runners had called it a day and 13 were still on the course. Charn McAllister was the frontrunner by a comfortable margin and appeared to have the overall victory in hand. The 35-year-old resident of Norfolk, Mass., was three minutes off the lead after the first loop, but he had moved to the front during his second trip around the course before steadily pulling away. McAllister faded a bit as the miles added up and the day got hotter, but not by much given the conditions. His closest competitor of all the runners – 30-year-old Billy Jenkins of Malden, Mass. – was more than 17 minutes back after four laps and losing ground. The third overall runner was almost six minutes behind Jenkins and trailed McAllister by more than 23 minutes.

Surprisingly, the third runner to finish four loops was the first to reach the finish line. Less than 58 minutes after starting her final loop, Maude Gorman crossed the finish line in 5:53:15. It appeared she had not only erased a hefty deficit, but also amassed a comfortable lead. McAllister finished eight minutes later in 6:01:18.

The timer called over the race directors from Northeast Race Management, LLC. Something didn’t seem right. Continue reading Massachusetts Runner DQ’d from Multiple Ultras, Suspected of Cutting Courses →

Northeast Race Management

Runners Feel the Heat at East End 50K

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The weather presented some unforgiving conditions for runners at Northeast Race Management, LLC’s inaugural East End Trail Races on Sunday, Aug. 5, at Borderland State Park in Easton, Mass.

More than 135 runners took part in the event, which offered three distances to runners, including a 50K ultramarathon. That race had the smallest field with just 17 runners taking on the challenge on a day where the humidity was high and the temperature climbed to 90 degrees.

Of the 17 who started the race, 13 would ultimately finish – with one being disqualified for apparently cutting the course (Editor’s Note: This is discussed in depth in a separate story). Continue reading Runners Feel the Heat at East End 50K →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Moosalamoo and the Summer Beast of Burden

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August opened with a lighter slate of national ultramarathons. That meant that just a handful of Massachusetts residents headed out-of-state to race, while a few others stayed close to home to tackle the East End Trail Races in Easton, Mass. (to be addressed in a separate article). Those who went beyond the Bay State didn’t venture too far. Neighboring Vermont and New York provided regional challenges – including an electrifying ultramarathon debut by Medford’s Gabriel Miller. The Moosalamoo 36-miler and the summer edition of Beast of Burden are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Moosalamoo and the Summer Beast of Burden →

Vermont 100

Soutiea, Swenson, Pandiscio, Lowe Lead Large Bay State Contingent at VT100

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It wasn’t exactly a changing of the guard, but two Massachusetts residents who have been mainstays in the top 10 at the Vermont 100 for most of the past decade opted to race the 100K instead of 100 miles in 2018. That meant the Bay State had new standard-bearers at the 30th annual Vermont 100 on July 21-22 in West Windsor, Vt. Continue reading Soutiea, Swenson, Pandiscio, Lowe Lead Large Bay State Contingent at VT100 →

Roundup

Roundup: Burning River, Never Summer, and Viaduct Trail

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Eighty-five runners stuck to the trails of Massachusetts to race during the July 28-29 weekend at the Jug End Loop Ultra in Egremont, but a handful of others ventured beyond the Bay State to tackle ultras on unfamiliar terrain. Christopher Russell was among them as the Littleton resident headed to Ohio for his first 100-miler. Meanwhile, Lakeville’s Shaun Daylor headed to Colorado, and a few others hit the road for a race in Pennsylvania. All are captured in this week’s roundup.

Burning River 100

Christopher Russell left the rugged terrain of New England to take on his first 100-mile race in the Rust Belt. Russell, 55, of Littleton, Mass., took part in the 12th annual Burning River 100 on July 28-29 in Willoughby Hills, Ohio.

The point-to-point race started at the North Chagrin Reservation in Willoughby Hills, connected to the South Chagrin Reservation, and then took runners through the Bedford Reservation on their way to the Ohio Canal Corridor Towpath Trail before winding through multiple other reservations on their way to the HiHo Brewing Company in Cuyahoga Falls. Russell successfully navigated the course and crossed the finish line in 26:44:52, good for 75th place out of 160 finishers within the 30-hour time limit. Ohio resident Jeremy Pope, 32, defended his home turf for the win in 17:13:08. He was followed closely by 29-year-old Shaun Pope of Black Mountain, N.C., in 17:15:25.

Never Summer 100K

The fourth annual Never Summer 100K took place Saturday, July 28, in Gould, Colo., taking runners on a journey between the Never Summer Mountains and the Medicine Bow Mountains. Runners crested multiple peaks on the scenic course with much of the race taking place in alpine regions. It also tossed a mixture of technicality at the runners, sometimes offering smooth dirt singletrack and other times rugged rocky sections.

The 2018 edition saw 263 runners complete the course within 24 hours, one finish just past the time limit, and another 77 whose race ended early. The one Massachusetts resident who took on the challenge earned a trip across the finish line. Lakeville resident Shaun Daylor, 39, finished in the top half of the field, placing 118th overall in 19:26:19.

The top overall spot went to 31-year-old Mark Marzen of Denver, Colo., who established a new course record with his winning time of 11:47:16. Runner-up Frank Pipp, 41, of Longmont, Colo., finished 24 minutes later. Longmont resident Addie Bracy, 31, was the women’s winner and fifth overall finisher in 13:10:39.

Viaduct Trail Ultramarathons

The 12th annual Viaduct Trail Ultramarathon took place July 28-29 in Lanesboro, Pa. Runners faced took on an out-and-back course that stretched 12.5 miles one way along a portion of the D&H Rail Trail. The race challenged runners to tackle four out-and-backs for 100 miles or two trips through the course for 50 miles.

Twenty runners took on the 100-mile distance, and 11 ultimately finished the race. One of them hailed from the Bay State. Kaylo Littlejohn, a 21-year-old Boston resident, finished the 100-miler in 30:12. The win went to 40-year-old Tsutomu Bessho, 40, of Glen Ridge, N.J., in 18:05, followed by 23-year-old Dimitri Kaliakin of Landenberg, Pa., in 19:41.

In addition to the 100-miler, 22 runners completed the 50-mile race, led by overall winner Laura Garcia Marshall, 22, of Barrington, R.I., in 9:19. She was followed by men’s champion Mike Randall, 50, of Towanda, Pa., in 10:09. A pair of Massachusetts men were among the finishers as 36-year-old Russell McAfee of New Bedford finished in 17:22 and 27-year-old Craig Fox of Woburn finished in 18:02.

*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.