A trio of Massachusetts residents squeezed in one last ultramarathon before the holidays when they traveled to races in California, Tennessee and Pennsylvania to explore new trails on Saturday, Dec. 14. Those races – the Rodeo Beach 50K, the Bell Ringer 50K and the Naked Nick 50K – make for light reading in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Rodeo Beach, Bell Ringer, and Naked Nick
All posts by Chris Wristen
Volunteers, Runners Dig Deep at Frigid, Snow-Packed Fells Winter Ultra
When Jeff LeBlanc arrived at the Middlesex Fells Reservation on Saturday morning, Dec. 7, he knew a difficult but rewarding day awaited him. As race director for the Trail Animals Running Club’s Fells Winter Ultra, he was responsible for putting on one of Massachusetts’ original and toughest trail ultramarathons. Runners in the 40-mile race had to circle the reservation’s rocky, root-covered Skyline Trail five times; competitors in the 32-mile race had to complete four loops. Some would achieve their goals and others would come up short, but LeBlanc hoped to do everything in his power to enable them to succeed. Continue reading Volunteers, Runners Dig Deep at Frigid, Snow-Packed Fells Winter Ultra
MassUltra Roundup: Daytona, Brazos Bend, Devil Dog, and the McDowell Mountain Frenzy
Only a handful of racing opportunities remain as the 2019 ultramarathon racing season nears its conclusion. New England residents seized on a few of those opportunities on the Dec. 7-8 weekend, with some racing 100-milers in Florida, Texas and South Carolina, and others racing 50 miles or 50K in Arizona. The warm weather fueled some fast performances, but none were better than Lynnfield resident Lori Mitchener’s victory at the Daytona 100. Her trip to Victory Lane leads off this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Daytona, Brazos Bend, Devil Dog, and the McDowell Mountain Frenzy
Photos: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to its annual Fells Winter Ultra 40-mile and 32-mile trail ultramarathons on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. It was a cold, snow-packed event, and Jon McInerney and Jeff LeBlanc shared the following photos from the event. Continue reading Photos: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
After 8 Years, Morton and Slater’s Western States Wait is Over
Western States lottery day is cruel to most, and Tom Morton and Scott Slater know that feeling as well as anyone. Morton, 42, of Chicopee, Mass., and Slater, 41, of Guilford, Conn., were two of nine ultrarunners in the lottery for a record eighth consecutive year. Nobody has tried longer than them to gain a spot at the starting line of the Western States Endurance Run, the sport’s original 100-mile footrace. Continue reading After 8 Years, Morton and Slater’s Western States Wait is Over
Results: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to its annual Fells Winter Ultra 40-mile and 32-mile trail ultramarathons on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. Runners in the 40-mile race tackled five eight-mile loops of the Skyline Trail, while runners in the 32-mile race had to complete four loops. Continue reading Results: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
MassUltra Roundup: Delirium and Bosque Bigfoot
Thanksgiving weekend always features a light ultrarunning calendar in the United States with just a handful of ultras scattered around the country. Two of those events included New England representation, however, and one of them saw a Massachusetts man finish on the podium. Woburn’s Roy Van Buren secured a third-place overall finish in the 12-hour race at Delirium in South Carolina to highlight the weekend, while Cambridge’s Matthew Smith raced to a top-10 finish at the Bosque Bigfoot 50K in New Mexico. Those races provided for some light reading in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Delirium and Bosque Bigfoot
Western States Dreams to be Decided in Lottery for 165 Ultrarunners from New England
The 47th annual Western States Endurance Run won’t take place until June 27-28, 2020, when 369 runners will once again toe the starting line of ultrarunning’s original 100-miler in Squaw Valley, Calif., and journey through mountains and over singletrack trails to the finish line on the Placer High School track in Auburn, Calif. The first round of excitement for the race always cranks up seven months early, however, with the lottery that will determine the fates of thousands of Western States hopefuls.
Continue reading Western States Dreams to be Decided in Lottery for 165 Ultrarunners from New England
MassUltra Roundup: JFK, Dinosaur Valley, and Icarus UltraFest
With Thanksgiving just a few days away, several ultrarunners from New England sought out opportunities to burn a bunch of calories prior to the big holiday feast. Most headed to Maryland for the classic JFK, and two Massachusetts women, Somerville’s Sarah Aponte and Boston’s Kate Mingle earned top-10 finishes, as did Vermont’s Alexander Jinks. Additionally, Eric Despres of Gardner, Mass., earned his second straight podium finish at the Dinosaur Valley 100 in Texas, and Westminster’s Will Bradley tallied 200 miles in Florida at the Icarus UltraFest. All of those feats are highlighted in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: JFK, Dinosaur Valley, and Icarus UltraFest
Cold Takes a Toll on Runners, Coffee at TARCkey Trot
WINCHESTER, Mass. — Below-freezing temperatures took a toll on runners at the Trail Animals Running Club’s fourth annual TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Wright-Locke Farm, but the first casualty was the coffee. Continue reading Cold Takes a Toll on Runners, Coffee at TARCkey Trot
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