For runners looking to throw down a fast time or pursue a personal record in an ultramarathon, the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra is a prime location. Though not flat, the rolling hills and sure-footing on fire roads make the out-and-back course an ideal venue to push the pace and run with confidence. That’s exactly what happened at the fifth edition of the event on June 3-4 at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in West Chesterfield, Mass.
Continue reading Runners Deliver Numerous Record-Setting Performances at Chesterfield GorgeCategory Archives: Beast Coast Trail Series
Results: Chesterfield Gorge Ultra
Beast Coast Trail Running played host to the fifth edition of the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra on June 3-4 at the Chesterfield Gorge Reservation in Chesterfield, Mass. Runners had 30 hours to complete 50K, 50-mile, 100K and 100-mile ultra distances, as well as a 25K race, all on a 15-mile round-trip out-and-back course through the scenic gorge.
Continue reading Results: Chesterfield Gorge Ultra
Stimac Sets Course Record, Bonito Tops Men’s Field at Mt. Toby 50K
Samantha Stimac has been a force on the Midwest ultrarunning scene since making her debut at the 2019 Frozen Gnome 50K in Illinois as a 24-year-old. Stimac finished third that day, and it was just the beginning of what has been a successful series of ultras in the years that followed.
Continue reading Stimac Sets Course Record, Bonito Tops Men’s Field at Mt. Toby 50KResults: Mt. Toby Ultra and 24K
Race Director Amy Rusiecki’s Beast Coast Trail Running played host to the third running of the Mt. Toby Ultra and 24K trail races on Saturday, April 8, in Sunderland, Mass. More than 150 runners took part in either the 50K ultra or 24K races on the singletrack and doubletrack trails of Mt. Toby, with around 7,000 feet of climbing for the ultra and 2,700 feet of climbing for the shorter distance.
Continue reading Results: Mt. Toby Ultra and 24K
Burke Overcomes Frigid Temps, 72 Other Runners to be DFL Champion
WINCHENDON, Mass. – Two times Brian Burke tried his luck at Bubba’s Backyard Ultra, a last-person-standing event in New Hampshire. Twice he finished second to a master of the format, Ed Clifford, the event’s four-time champion and a winner of at least a half-dozen backyard ultras in his career.
Continue reading Burke Overcomes Frigid Temps, 72 Other Runners to be DFL Champion
Photos: Race for DFL
Beast Coast Trail Running’s third edition of the “Race for DFL” Last Person Standing event took place Nov. 19-20, 2022, at a farm in Winchendon, Mass. Seventy-three runners took part in the event, which used a mixed-terrain 4.1666-mile loop course. A new race started on the hour, every hour, until only one runner remained. The race lasted for 30 hours, most of it in below-freezing temperatures. The following are a small sample of photos from the event by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full gallery can be found at this link.
Continue reading Photos: Race for DFL
Results: Race for DFL
The third edition of Race Director Amy Rusiecki’s Race for DFL last-person-standing event took place Nov. 19-20, 2022, in Winchendon, Mass. Runners took on a 4.1666-mile loop course, starting a new loop on the hour, every hour, until one runner remained. Seventy-three runners took part in this year’s event, and two runners surpassed the 100-mile mark.
Continue reading Results: Race for DFL
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
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
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