All posts by Chris Wristen

Founder and Editor of MassUltra.com
Current Events, TARC

TARC Spring Classic is Latest Race Canceled Due to COVID-19

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Michael McDuffie and Annie Gagliardi, co-Race Directors for the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Spring Classic, hoped their race on April 25 in Weston, Mass., would be able to avoid cancellation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they let runners know not to get their hopes up. Just days ago, McDuffie pegged the chances of the race taking place at “15.2 percent.”

On Wednesday evening, the percentage dropped to zero when McDuffie made the announcement that the race was canceled. Continue reading TARC Spring Classic is Latest Race Canceled Due to COVID-19 →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Everglades

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As COVID-19 increases its spread throughout the United States, the ultrarunning season is grinding to a halt. At least a dozen ultras in the US were canceled or postponed during the March 14-15 weekend. Only a handful of ultras took place in what might be the final week of racing for the foreseeable future. There weren’t many local results to report, but there were a handful of big performances turned in by Massachusetts residents during a mostly quiet race weekend. Amy and Brian Rusiecki led the way as the South Deerfield residents made one of their annual early-season trips to Virginia and brought home podium finishes at the Bel Monte 50-miler, Amy taking first in the women’s race and Brian second among the men. Additionally, Cambridge resident Simon Guerard secured a spot on the podium with a speedy performance at the Everglades Ultra in Florida. Both of those races are covered in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Everglades →

Current Events

Massachusetts Ultrarunning Groups Adjust as COVID-19 Situation Evolves

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Since its first documented cases in November 2019, the novel coronavirus — known as COVID-19 — has spread from China to the rest of the world. During that time, it has brought business, sporting events and many other aspects of everyday life to a halt.

New England has not been immune to the impacts of COVID-19, or its spread. Cases have been identified throughout the region, including 123 cases here in Massachusetts as of today, up from 15 on Thursday, most of them linked to a conference held by biotechnology company Biogen Inc. in downtown Boston. On Tuesday, March 10, Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts in response to COVID-19. A day later, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic, having infected more than 115,000 people worldwide, more than 4,200 of those cases resulting in death. Since then, both numbers have continued to swell. Continue reading Massachusetts Ultrarunning Groups Adjust as COVID-19 Situation Evolves →

Current Events, TARC

To Hale and Back Canceled in Precautionary Response to COVID-19

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The Trail Animals Running Club’s To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra and 5K, scheduled for March 22 at Hale Reservation, has been canceled as a precautionary measure due to COVID-19. The decision was made following discussions with the Westwood Board of Health. Continue reading To Hale and Back Canceled in Precautionary Response to COVID-19 →

Current Events

Trails in Motion Film Festival at Race-Mania Postponed Due to Coronavirus

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The Race-Mania Summit and Expo announced on Thursday, March 12, that the Trails in Motion Film Festival at Race-Mania has been postponed in response to the coronavirus.

The Film Festival, which was to take place at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 15, at Boston University’s Fit Rec Center as a part of the broader Race-Mania event, will be rescheduled for a later date, organizers announced via Facebook. Continue reading Trails in Motion Film Festival at Race-Mania Postponed Due to Coronavirus →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Mesquite Canyon and Way Too Cool

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After a quick start to the 2020 ultramarathon slate in Massachusetts with two fatass-style races in January and the TARCtic Frozen Yeti at the beginning of February, a period of relative quiet has settled over the local ultra scene. That will change in a few weeks when the Trail Animals Running Club plays host to the To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra, followed by a jam-packed April lineup. In the meantime, several runners have spent March heading out-of-state to race. That was the case on Saturday, March 7, when Easthampton’s Ethan Abeles traveled to Arizona to race the Mesquite Canyon 50K. Additionally, Cambridge resident Kai Hoeffner and Milford’s Martha Stapels took part in the massive Way Too Cool 50K in California. Both races are included in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Mesquite Canyon and Way Too Cool →

Plymouth

Plymouth’s First Ultra to be a ‘Long, Hard & Dirty’ Challenge at Myles Standish State Forest

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Ultrarunning has enjoyed massive growth across the country and around the world in recent years, and that boom has certainly been felt here in Massachusetts. Long-established races have experienced record turnout and new events have been added to the calendar yearly. Today, the number of ultras in the Bay State stands at more than 30, ranging from distance-specific races to time-based ultras, fatass-style gatherings and last-person-standing events.

This year, Plymouth will join in on the action when it plays host to its first ultramarathon with the inaugural Plymouth’s Long, Hard and Dirty Ultra on Saturday, April 18, at Myles Standish State Forest. The event was the brainchild of co-Race Director Kristen DeMeo Winger who saw the potential for a trail race to thrive in an area that has a robust road-running community. She pitched that idea to her friend, Anne Marie Winchester, and the idea soon turned into reality. Continue reading Plymouth’s First Ultra to be a ‘Long, Hard & Dirty’ Challenge at Myles Standish State Forest →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Merck Forest Snowshoe Ultra

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New England ushered in March with its first ultramarathon of the month on Sunday, March 1, at the Merck Forest Snowshoe Ultra 50K in Rupert, Vt. The event, which made its debut in 2019, challenged competitors with a four-loop course, more than 8,500 feet of vertical gain and numerous steep descents – all of it on snowy singletrack and doubletrack trails in the northern Taconic Mountains. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Merck Forest Snowshoe Ultra →

Roundup

MassUltra Roundup: Red Dirt, Sierra Vista, Save the Daylight, and Naked Bavarian

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The spring ultramarathon season isn’t yet upon us, so recent weeks have been light on racing for runners in New England. Leap Day was busy for a few runners from the region, however, with one making a long-awaited return to ultrarunning, one making an ultra debut, another setting a personal record for distance, and one making an annual pilgrimage to Pennsylvania for a popular race. From Louisiana to New Mexico, from Florida to Pennsylvania, we’re closing our February in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Red Dirt, Sierra Vista, Save the Daylight, and Naked Bavarian →