All posts by Chris Wristen

Founder and Editor of MassUltra.com

MassUltra Roundup: Laugavegur, Seek the Peak, Washington Yeti, and Tahoe Rim Trail

Yes, the July 15-17 weekend was Vermont 100 weekend in New England, and yes it was Hardrock 100 weekend, too. But there was so much more going on in the world of ultra-trail running, too – including for several New England residents who didn’t partake in those two historic events (which will be covered in separate recaps). For Boston resident Laura Ricci, that meant a trip to Iceland to race a difficult 55K. For others, like Weymouth’s Amanda Beucler-Rapos, it meant running – and winning – her first ultramarathon at Seek the Peak in New Hampshire. Other runners also headed west to race, such as Connecticut’s Andrew Orefice who earned a spot on the podium at the Washington Yeti 100-miler. Those races and more are included in this edition of the roundup.

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Current, Former New England Runners Among Hardrock Finishers in Record-Setting Year

A bright media spotlight was focused on the front of the pack at the 27th edition of the Hardrock 100 – and for good reason. On the men’s side, defending champion Francois D’Haene squared off against four-time champion Kilian Jornet, while the women’s side featured the dominant Courtney Dauwalter’s pursuit for redemption following a DNF in 2021.

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Big-Time Performances Abound at Notchview Ultra

Where to begin with the 2022 edition of the Notchview Ultra? Two women surpassing the 200-mile mark in the 72-hour race? A 13-year-old running 100 miles? An assortment of runners carrying a watermelon around the course for 74 miles? All of that and more played out at the seventh running of the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s Notchview Ultra on July 8-10 at Notchview Reservation in Windsor, Mass.

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Results: Notchview Ultra

The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the seventh running of the Notchview Ultra on July 8-10 at Notchview Reservation in Windsor, Mass. The multi-day event offered runners an assortment of ultramarathon options, including a 100.7-mile race and time-based events of 72 hours, 48 hours, 24 hours, 12 hours and 6 hours.

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MassUltra Roundup: ALFC 50K, Silver Rush, Silverton Alpine, Catoctin, and Siskiyou Out Back

The summer ultramarathon calendar continued to heat up during the July 8-10 weekend as 135 runners took on a 1.9-mile loop course for hours – and in some cases days – on end at the Notchview Ultra in Windsor, Mass., but plenty of New England residents were also busy racing beyond the Bay State borders. That included several who gathered in Vermont for the inaugural Aliza Lapierre Fan Club 50K, while more headed to Colorado, Maryland, and all the way to Oregon to tackle challenging courses. Those out-of-state races are featured in this edition of the roundup.

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MassUltra Roundup: Finger Lakes 50s, Ansonia, and Merrill’s Mile

July opened with a bang thanks to Iain Ridgway. After two runner-up finishes at the Finger Lakes 50s, 2022 was his year to ascend to the top of the podium. Additionally, other runners from New England gathered in Connecticut and Georgia to race, and we have those covered, too, but Ridgway’s dominant victory kicks off this edition of the roundup.

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Vegan Power Delivers Good Times, Big Donations at 9th Annual Race

Since the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s founding in 2013, the organization has been committed to using running as a means to build community and support a wide range of causes. The Vegan Power 50K/25K has been a mainstay in the BURCS’ lineup for nearly the duration, launching in 2014 as a fundraiser to support animal sanctuaries.

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MassUltra Roundup: 6 Days in the Dome, Manitou’s Revenge, Table Rock, Forbidden Forest, Catamount, and Gunstock

The eyes of the ultrarunning world were focused firmly on the Western States Endurance Run during the June 24-26 weekend, but the legendary race wasn’t the only ultra event of the weekend where runners from New England threw down – most notably Cambridge resident Jenny Hoffman whose bid for a spot on the US National 24-Hour Team took a big step forward with her performance at 6 Days in the Dome. Additionally, several runners from the region scattered throughout the Northeast to take on challenging events in New York, Connecticut, New Hampshire and Vermont. We catch up with the outcomes of those events in this edition of the roundup.

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