While many of Massachusetts’ ultrarunners were racing or volunteering or racing at the To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra on Saturday, March 24, in Westwood, Mass., a few ventured beyond the Bay State and took on races in New Jersey, Virginia, and Maryland. Most notably, a pair of women – Kehr Davis of Great Barrington and Amy Rusiecki of South Deerfield – brought home victories from tough mountain races. We have it all covered in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Mt. Tammany 10, Terrapin Mountain, Hat Run, and Greenbrier
All posts by Chris Wristen
Photos: To Hale and Back
The third annual To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra took place Saturday, March 24, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. The following photos are a small sample of the collection of pictures taken during the race. A full 278-photo gallery can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page. Continue reading Photos: To Hale and Back
Results: To Hale and Back
The Trail Animals Running Club’s third annual To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra and 5K races took place Saturday, March 24, 2018, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Continue reading Results: To Hale and Back
MassUltra Roundup: Badwater Cape Fear
With the exception of the Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K in January, the ultramarathon season has been quiet in Massachusetts so far in 2018. That will change on March 24 with the opening of the Trail Animals Running Club’s race series at Hale Reservation. In the meantime, one Bay State resident hit the road on the weekend of March 17-18 for an out-of-state ultra. Nantucket’s David Desnoyers traveled to North Carolina and hammered out a top-10 finish at the Badwater Cape Fear 50K. He gets this week’s roundup all to himself. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Badwater Cape Fear
MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Land Between the Lakes
Not many ultrarunners ventured beyond the Bay State borders to race during the weekend of March 10-11, but those who did fared quite well. Both Deanna Nappi of Jamaica Plain and Tyler Dion of Leominster delivered podium-worthy efforts at races in Virginia and Kentucky, making it a highly successful weekend for the Massachusetts ultra community. Their performances – Nappi at the Bel Monte 50K and Dion at the Land Between the Lakes 60K – are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Land Between the Lakes
MassUltra Roundup: The Dunes, Caumsett, Griffith Park, Naked Bavarian, and Way Too Cool
March opened with a flurry as Massachusetts ultrarunners took on courses as close as New York and as far away as Florida and California. Included among the notable performances were Dartmouth resident Brian Tjersland’s effort at the Dunes 100 where he was one of just seven finishers, and Boston resident Robert Lafranee’s top-five finish at the USATF 50K championships in New York. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: The Dunes, Caumsett, Griffith Park, Naked Bavarian, and Way Too Cool
New 100-Mile Race Coming to Western Mass
For ultrarunners seeking a 100-mile race in Massachusetts, 2017 was a lonely season.
The Bay State was home to a triple-digit solo distance run from 2013-2016 with the TARC 100, but the Trail Animals Running Club mothballed the event after struggling to attract sufficient interest. It seemed runners’ intensified focus on select races that serve as lottery qualifiers for some of the nation’s oldest and most prestigious 100s, combined with a surge of new 100-mile offerings nationwide, diluted interest in the event.
The website run100s.com maintains a listing of the 100-milers in North America. Currently, it lists 159 100-milers. Not included on that list is a new Massachusetts 100-miler that will make its debut in 2018 and has quietly garnered attention through social media. The inaugural Chesterfield Gorge Ultra will take place June 2-3 at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in Chesterfield, Mass. Continue reading New 100-Mile Race Coming to Western Mass
MassUltra Roundup: Mt. Mitchell, Cowtown, Antelope Canyon, and Sycamore Canyon
February came to a close for Massachusetts ultrarunners with races in North Carolina, Arizona, Texas and California, and a pair of local runners delivered particularly strong performances during their out-of-state races. Nick Curelop of Housatonic delivered a dandy of an effort at the difficult Mt. Mitchell Challenge and secured a top-five finish. Meanwhile, Rockland’s Michelle Ladonne pounded the pavement in Texas and earned a podium finish. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Mt. Mitchell, Cowtown, Antelope Canyon, and Sycamore Canyon
MassUltra Roundup: Black Canyon, Feebapple, Holiday Lake, Moab, Winter Beast, Virginia Beach, Dawn to Dusk, and Everglades
After a quiet start to 2018, the Massachusetts ultrarunning season kicked into high gear Feb. 17-18 as local runners traveled to eight ultras across the country. In doing so, they took on diverse, scenic terrain, and many turned in impressive performances. From fast times in Arizona, New Jersey and Virginia, to the scenic slickrock of Moab and jungle of the Everglades, runners scattered to six states for eight distinctly different races. In doing so, this week’s roundup is a novel. Grab a cup of coffee and get comfortable – there’s a lot to read this week. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Black Canyon, Feebapple, Holiday Lake, Moab, Winter Beast, Virginia Beach, Dawn to Dusk, and Everglades
MassUltra Roundup: Orcas Island 100
Lisa Rising gets this week’s roundup all to herself. The Cambridge resident made her 100-mile debut on a beastly course at the Orcas Island 100 in Washington, and she conquered the climbing and the cold along the way to crossing the finish line. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Orcas Island 100
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