As the 2019 ultramarathon season nears its close, the slate of races is shrinking in Massachusetts and beyond. With the TARCkey Trot 6-hour ultra on tap for Nov. 16, the Nov. 9-10 weekend was light on races. Three runners from New England hit the road for ultras beyond the region, though, with two earning belt buckles at the Tunnel Hill 100 in Illinois and another earning a finish at the Georgia Sky to Summit 50K. Both are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Tunnel Hill and Georgia Sky to Summit →

After several busy weekends of ultramarathons in Massachusetts, it was quiet in the Bay State on Nov. 2-3. There were still plenty of races nearby in New England, however, from the Hamsterwheel time-based ultras in New Hampshire, to the small and scenic Farm to Farm ultras in Maine, to two brand new events in Connecticut — the Pachaug 50-miler and the Cross-Connecticut Run for Mental Health Awareness. Beyond those regional races, several New Englanders headed south to Alabama and brought home finishers belt buckles from the Pinhoti 100-miler. All of those races are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: The Hamsterwheel, Pachaug, Farm to Farm, and the Cross-Connecticut Run for Mental Health Awareness, and Pinhoti →

After a few busy weeks of ultramarathon racing in New England, the Oct. 26-27 weekend had a lighter load of races. Still, a few runners from the region traveled to take on courses in new places. That included Tyler Andrews of Cambridge whose trip to Pennsylvania included a victory at the USATF 50-Mile Road National Championship at Tussey Mountainback. Several runners ventured to Arizona for the Javelina Jundred, including Brookline resident Davis Cutter who finished in the top 10 percent of the field at the massive race in the desert. Those performances and more are included in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Tussey Mountainback, Javelina, Kansas Rails-to-Trails, Nor’witch, and the IAU 24-Hour World Championships →

The Oct. 19-20 weekend was huge in New England as hundreds of ultrarunners took a ride on the Trail Animals Running Club’s 30-hour Ghost Train Rail Trail Races just across the border in New Hampshire. A few found other venues to run, however, and all turned in strong performances. From Kehr Davis winning the same race twice in one year in New York, to Garrett Simon’s runner-up finish at the Wawayanda Wonderful 50-miler in New Jersey, to Ryan Fecteau’s top-10 outing at the Moab 240, runners from the region represented it well. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Moab 240, Castle to River, and Wawayanda Wonderful →

The Oct. 12-13 weekend was a big one for ultramarathons – and not just in Massachusetts. Sure, several runners took part in the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail races and a few dozen more tackled the Race for DFL, but several runners ventured beyond the Bay State to race. From victories at the Ultra Trails Lake Tahoe 100-miler in California by Haroldas Subertas of Amesbury, Mass., and the Cloudsplitter 50K by Tyler Dion of Leominster, Mass., to a first-time ultra for Brian Bayness of Winchester, Mass., in New Jersey, to the Big Brad Ultras in Maine, the Muleskinner 50 in Pennsylvania and the Tesla Hertz ultras in New York, there was plenty of racing to go around. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Lake Tahoe, Batona, Cloudsplitter, Big Brad, Muleskinner, and Tesla Hertz →

Grindstone weekend is always a big weekend for New England ultrarunners, and this year was no different. Thirteen runners from New England spent Oct. 4-6 on the course in Swoope, Va., with six of them earning their first 100-mile finishes. Other 100-mile runners headed to Illinois for the Hennepin 100, while three Massachusetts residents went all the way to California to run the Cuyamaca 100K. Closer to home, a few runners took on the Blues Cruise 50K in Pennsylvania while several more took on a Last Person Standing race in New Hampshire. It all made for a jam-packed weekend of racing and we have it covered in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Grindstone, Cuyamaca, Bubba’s Backyard, Hennepin, and Blues Cruise →

Sept. 26-28 was a jam-packed weekend for ultrarunners in New England between the TARC Fall Classic in Massachusetts, the Vermont 50 and the Beebe Farm 48 – also in Vermont. The latter two are included in this week’s roundup, along with 100-mile races in Virginia and Utah, and a 50K in New Mexico. This intro is short, but this week’s roundup is long. There’s plenty to read, starting with Boston resident Lance Doherty’s win at the Yeti 100. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: The Yeti, the Bear, Vermont 50, Beebe Farm, and Mt. Taylor →

After a busy summer of racing, Sept. 21-22 was a relatively calm, quiet weekend for the New England ultrarunning community before the fall racing season ramps up beginning with the annual TARC Fall Classic. There were still a few races, however, including a new one on Cape Cod (see separate story on the Y-Not 50K) the always-popular Forgotten Forest 9-Hour Ultra in Connecticut and the new Firebird 50K in Maine that attracted runners from throughout the region. Both of those races, as well as the Yukon’s Gold Rush 50K in New Jersey are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Forgotten Forest, Firebird, and Yukon’s Gold Rush →

The White Mountains’ Kilkenny Ridge packed a punch last weekend, but several New England residents were up to the challenge for 50 or 25 miles, and a few others ventured to neighboring Vermont for 24 hours on a 3.5-mile loop in the Northeast Kingdom. Additionally, Miller’s Falls’ Daniel Grip of Millers Falls ascended to the top of the podium with a hard-earned win at Pisgah Mountain in New Hampshire, and a handful of other New Englanders took on a 50K course for the first time at Macedonia in Connecticut. All four events are captured in Part II of this week’s roundup: the New England-specific edition. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Kilkenny Ridge, Northeast Kingdom, Pisgah Mountain, and Macedonia 50K →

Prize money was on the line at the Run Rabbit Run 100-miler last weekend, and a former Massachusetts resident brought home the win in Steamboat Springs, Colo., leading the way for a few additional New Englanders who completed the challenging mountain race. Northwest of Colorado, another New Englander earned a big 100-mile finish as Woburn’s Samantha LeBlanc delivered a gritty performance at the IMTUF 100 in Idaho. Additionally, Cambridge, Mass., resident Jason Smith turned in a top-five finish at the Tahoe 100K, and New Englanders also finished the SRT Run/Hike in New York and the Boulder Field 100K in Pennsylvania. We have those five races covered in Part I of this week’s roundup. Coming tomorrow, Part II will showcase the non-Massachusetts New England races: the Kilkenny Ridge 50-miler, 24 Hours of Northeast Kingdom, Pisgah Mountain 50K and Macedonia 50K. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Run Rabbit Run, IMTUF, SRT, Boulder Field, and Tahoe 100K →