The 21st and likely final running of the Stone Cat Trail Race took place on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Mass. The event once again used the 50K distance that it debuted in 2019. Of the 233 starters of this year’s race, 157 finished within 9 hours. Men’s champion and overall winner Nicholas Lemon logged the second-fastest time in course history, missing the men’s course record by less than two minutes, while overall runner-up and women’s champion Lila Gaudrault smashed the women’s course record by 12 minutes.
Continue reading Results: Stone Cat 50KAll posts by Chris Wristen
By Popular Demand, Womp Romp Grows into 50K Ultra
There’s something special about the trails of Wompatuck State Park.
Continue reading By Popular Demand, Womp Romp Grows into 50K UltraMassUltra Roundup: Javelina, Kansas Rails-to-Trails, and Bimblers Bluff
A red-hot October for ultrarunners in New England came to a close with a somewhat quiet Oct. 29-30 weekend. Many runners were recovering from big races like Midstate Massive and Ghost Train while others were tapering before the upcoming Stone Cat 50K or the Hamsterwheel. Still, a few folks headed west to the Halloween party in Arizona known as the Javelina Jundred. Additionally, a few more traveled to Kansas to earn ultramarathon finishes at the Rails-to-Trails Extravaganza. Additionally, we caught up on the Bimblers Bluff 50K in Connecticut from the weekend before.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Javelina, Kansas Rails-to-Trails, and Bimblers Bluff
Double the Fun: After Successful First Year, Runners Tackle Tough 50K at Mt. Tom
When Amy Rusiecki organized the inaugural Mt. Tom Trail Race 25K and team relay in 2021, the Beast Coast Trail Running race director crafted a course that lulled runners in with a smooth, speedy road section warm-up before smacking them with a strong dose of rugged New England singletrack – much of it hidden under a blanket of leaves. The result was some blood and brutality, outshined by a whole lot of fun.
So much fun was had that Rusiecki doubled down on the event for 2022 and added a 50K ultramarathon to the lineup.
Continue reading Double the Fun: After Successful First Year, Runners Tackle Tough 50K at Mt. Tom
Ghost Train Celebrates 13th Year with Scary-Fast Performances, Ultra Spirit
BROOKLINE, N.H. – From the first hour to the final minutes, the Ghost Train Rail Trail Race featured a masterful mix of spooky Halloween ambiance and robust ultrarunning spirit at the 13th annual event on Oct. 15-16 on the Milford and Brookline Rail Trail.
Continue reading Ghost Train Celebrates 13th Year with Scary-Fast Performances, Ultra SpiritMassUltra Roundup: Farm to Farm, Bobcat, and Rhode Island Trail Classic
It has been a wild month for major local ultras with the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail and Ghost Train Rail Trail Race taking top billing for largest events. Those events on back-to-back weekends were followed by an Oct. 22-23 weekend that featured two more Massachusetts ultras – the Womp Romp 50K and Mt. Tom Trail Race 50K. Still, there were a handful of events in New England and beyond that attracted runners from the region during the second-to-last weekend of October. Included among them were the inaugural running of the Rhode Island Trail Classic, as well as the return of Maine’s Farm to Farm Ultra – which saw 20-year-old Lila Gaudrault deliver a stunning 50-mile debut performance that ranks among the best performances in North America this year. Read all about it in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Farm to Farm, Bobcat, and Rhode Island Trail ClassicResults: Womp Romp Trail Races
The second annual Womp Romp 10-miler and inaugural 50K took place Saturday, Oct. 22, at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass. The event took place on a 10-mile loop course with a mix of single- and double-track trails, rail trail and paved path that runners completed one or three times. Proceeds from the event benefited Friends of the Wompatuck.
Continue reading Results: Womp Romp Trail Races
Photos: Mt. Tom Trail Race
Beast Coast Trail Running’s second annual Mt. Tom Trail Race also played host to its first ultramarathon offering in 2022. Race Director Amy Rusiecki’s event offered 50K, 25K and 25K relay options on the trails of Mt. Tom Reservation while starting and finishing at New City Brewery in Easthampton, Mass. All photos in this gallery are courtesy of Jonathan Loyche and represent a small sample of his images from the race. Click here to view a full gallery of his photos.
Continue reading Photos: Mt. Tom Trail RaceResults: Mt. Tom Trail Race
Beast Coast Trail Running’s second annual Mt. Tom Trail Race also played host to its first ultramarathon offering in 2022. Race Director Amy Rusiecki’s event offered 50K, 25K and 25K relay options on the trails of Mt. Tom Reservation while starting and finishing at New City Brewery in Easthampton, Mass.
Continue reading Results: Mt. Tom Trail Race
MassUltra Roundup: Rogue Gorge, Centurion, and Oil Creek
The Oct. 15-16 weekend was all about Ghost Train in New England. Hundreds of runners flocked to Brookline, N.H., to race the 13th annual event. Still, there were a few folks who opted for other events. Some raced in Connecticut for 24-hours at the Centurion Ultra, while others ran 100 miles in Pennsylvania at Oil Creek State Park. Additionally, two Massachusetts women became first-time ultramarathon finishers in Oregon – while a familiar face took home the victory. We have it all covered in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Rogue Gorge, Centurion, and Oil Creek
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