As its name implies, the Sweltering Summer Ultra aims to test not only runners’ endurance, but also their tolerance for New England’s typical mid-summer scorching heat.

The event, which was put on for the sixth year on a row by the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) on Saturday, Aug. 11, challenged runners to circle a .355-mile dirt and cinder loop as many times as possible during an 8-hour period at Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass.

While the course and the objective were the same as in years past, one thing was different – rather than sweltering heat, this year runners instead endured soaking rain for much of the day. That created challenging conditions on a course that’s designed for sure-footed running and speed. For Greg Soutiea, that simply made for an intriguing plot twist at a race where he has set a high standard for performance. Continue reading Soutiea Builds on Big Year with Another Record-Setting Effort at Soggy Sweltering Summer →