All posts by Chris Wristen

Founder and Editor of MassUltra.com

Runners Rewrite Record Boards on Wet Weekend at Chesterfield Gorge

The Chesterfield Gorge Ultra tested runners with some rain and a modified course that added a bit more mud and vertical gain. Rather than carnage, the result was a big year for course records at the eighth edition of the event on May 30-31 at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in West Chesterfield, Mass.

Seven course records were set – including four in the nonbinary division. Nonbinary runners set records for 100 miles, 50K and 11K distances and won two races outright, while the male 50-mile record was toppled. Additionally, course standards were set for male, female and nonbinary runners in the new 33K race.

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Redemption, Resilience On Display at Rain-Soaked Wapack and Back

The Wapack Trail has been known to dish out plenty of punishment to the healthiest of hikers and trail runners during the best of conditions. For those who are either injured or on the mend, it’s an intimidating place to be, especially on a rainy day.

For Rob Breckenridge and Jeff Johanson, the Wapack Trail was a place to face their fears and put their mended bodies to the test when they took part in the 18th edition of the Trail Animals Running Club’s Wapack and Back Trail Races on Saturday, May 9, in Ashburnham, Mass. 

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MassUltra Roundup: May 29-31 Weekend

May came to a close with several big ultramarathon efforts from New Englanders close to home and across the country. Some put up big miles at the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra in Massachusetts, which we will have covered in a separate recap. Others ran for up to 10 days straight at Infinitus in Vermont. Still others ventured to the rugged and remote trails of Pennsylvania for the Worlds End Ultra, and as far west as Oregon. While results of some events (such as Cayuga Trails in New York) weren’t available at the time of publication, we have plenty covered in this edition of the roundup.

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Results: Chesterfield Gorge Ultra

The eighth edition of Beast Coast Trail Running’s Chesterfield Gorge Ultra took place May 30-31, 2026, at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in West Chesterfield, Mass. Runners took on a 7.75-mile out-and-back course on jeep roads and doubletrack trail, racing for up to 30 hours for 100-mile, 100K, 50-mile, and 50K ultramarathon finishes, as well as 33K and 11K sub-ultra distances. Runners encountered rain early in the race before warmer temperatures and sunny skies arrived.

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MassUltra Roundup: May 22-24 Weekend

Memorial Day weekend was light on ultramarathon racing across the United States, but New Englanders found their way to several starting lines – including two in the region. The Drummer Hill Trail Races welcomed runners in New Hampshire, while the Trail Festival at Pineland Farms once again played host to a large endurance festival in Maine. We have both of those events covered, as well as a few others across the country in this edition of the roundup.

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MassUltra Roundup: May 15-17 Weekend

May 15-17 was a big weekend for ultramarathon running in New England with a pair of ultras in Massachusetts and a few more throughout the region. We will have the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s Tails & Trails State Forest Run and the Free Spirit 50K covered in separate recaps, but in this week’s roundup we catch up on other results from throughout the region, as well as across the country. New Englanders took part in at least 14 other ultras from coast to coast, and we have results from several of them included here.

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Uzzel is Repeat Winner at Tails & Trails State Forest Run

When Jeff Uzzel ran the inaugural Tails & Trails State Forest Run 50K in 2025, he dominated from the start and won by more than an hour. The defending champion returned for the second annual event on Saturday, May 16, in Pittsfield, Mass., and found himself under pressure throughout before finishing in a familiar position.

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Results: BURCS Tails & Trails State Forest Run

The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the second annual Tails & Trails State Forest Run on Saturday, May 16, 2026, at Pittsfield State Forest in Pittsfield, Mass. The event offered 50K, 25K and 5-mile trail races on rolling singletrack trails. Proceeds from the event benefitted three area nonprofit animal rescue organizations.

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