All posts by Chris Wristen

Founder and Editor of MassUltra.com
Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Grindstone, Cuyamaca, Hennepin, Joe English Twilight Challenge, Oregon Coast, No Name, and NipMuck

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More than 50 ultramarathons across the United States made Oct. 6-8 the busiest weekend of racing in 2017. Although there were no ultras in Massachusetts, plenty of Bay State runners took on the trails in other states on plenty of challenging courses. Multiple runners earned 100-mile finishes – including a second-place performance by Brian Rusiecki at Grindstone in Virginia, and many runners logged their first 100-mile finishes – including Scot DeDeo at the Hennepin Hundred in Illinois.

This week’s roundup features five races from the past weekend – and there are plenty more results we’re still tracking down (looking at you, Bromont, Farm to Farm, and Tesla Hertz). Additionally, we tracked down local results from the NipMuck “Heavy” Trail Marathon from Oct. 1.

Happy reading! Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Grindstone, Cuyamaca, Hennepin, Joe English Twilight Challenge, Oregon Coast, No Name, and NipMuck →

TARC

Ready to Ride: Lowe, Caron Primed for Ghost Train After Record-Setting Runs at Fall Classic

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Deirdre Lowe is just a few short weeks away from having her legs take her into unknown territory when she tackles her first 100-mile ultramarathon, the Ghost Train 100, on Oct. 21-22 in Brookline, N.H.

Patrick Caron knows the Ghost Train experience plenty well. He delivered an electrifying performance at the 2016 race when he finished 100 miles in less than 15 hours – one of the year’s fastest efforts by an American runner at that distance. Not satisfied with his frighteningly fast time, Caron will join Lowe at the starting line for another ride on the train.

Both Lowe and Caron will head to Ghost Train with momentum at their backs and confident performances on their legs thanks to dominant efforts at the TARC Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 30, at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle, Mass. Caron ran away from the field, defended his title and in doing so broke his own course record with a winning time of 6:58:11. Lowe raced to a third-place overall finish, earned first place among the women and established a new women’s course record with a time of 8:51:50. Continue reading Ready to Ride: Lowe, Caron Primed for Ghost Train After Record-Setting Runs at Fall Classic →

Cape Cod

Ste. Marie Wins Inaugural Fall 50 Ultra on Cape Cod

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The Fall 50 has been a staple in the Wisconsin ultrarunning community for more than a decade, but the event made its Massachusetts debut on Sunday, Oct. 1, on Cape Cod. In doing so, the Bay State edition of the event crowned its first champion – Mark Ste. Marie of Charlestown, Mass. Continue reading Ste. Marie Wins Inaugural Fall 50 Ultra on Cape Cod →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Vermont 50, Stagecoach, and TNFEC-Utah

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A former Massachusetts resident returned to New England and dueled one of the Bay State’s most dominant ultrarunners of the past decade at the Vermont 50 while Cambridge’s Sarah Burke secured a victory in the 50K. Additionally, Trail Animals Running Club legend Chris Haley nabbed a 100-mile belt buckle in Arizona, and a pair of local runners took on the Wasatch Mountains in Utah. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Vermont 50, Stagecoach, and TNFEC-Utah →

BURCS

Spirit of Free to Run on Display at 2017 Race

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When the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service played host to the inaugural Free to Run Trail Races in 2015, co-race directors Michael Menard and Jake Dissinger hoped the BURCS could play a small role in helping the Free to Run non-profit organization advance its mission “to use running, physical fitness and outdoor adventure to empower and educate women and girls who have been affected by conflict.”

The BURCS’ little race has come a long way toward fulfilling the running club’s service-oriented mission and that of Free to Run in three short years. Menard and Dissinger need look no further than two of their event’s runners and Free to Run benefactors, Zahra Arabzada and Farahnaz. Both ran the half marathon in 2015, and then Farahnaz again ran the half marathon with sizeable improvement in 2016 while Arabzada bumped up to the marathon distance.

On Saturday, Sept. 16, at the third annual event at Pittsfield State Forest, both Farahnaz and Arabzada joined the ranks of ultrarunners as they completed their first 50-mile races. Continue reading Spirit of Free to Run on Display at 2017 Race →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Pisgah, Forgotten Forest, Boulder Field, and SRT

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Local ladies secured the top three places at Pisgah in New Hampshire, Southborough’s Brian Butterfield won the Forgotten Forest 9-Hour in Connecticut, and Bay State residents also took on the Boulder Field 50K in Pennsylvania and SRT 50K in New York during the Sept. 16-17 weekend. All four races are included in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Pisgah, Forgotten Forest, Boulder Field, and SRT →