Traer Blazes to Runner-Up Finish at Cascade Crest 100

Fast times were to be expected at the Cascade Crest 100-Mile Endurance Run. After all, defending champion Jesse Lang was back for the race on Saturday, Aug. 27, in Easton, Wash., a year after recording the second-fastest time in course history.

Adding to the speed factor was that Scott Traer made the cross-country trip from Woburn, Mass., to tackle the mountain race with more than 22,000 feet of vertical gain. Throw in speedy Texan Paul Terranova from Austin – a top-20 finisher at Western States in June and the runner-up at the Rocky Raccoon 100 in February – and another Western States top-20 finisher, Benjamin Bucklin of Spokane, Wash., and the competition was stout. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Cascade Crest, ADK, and Tamalpa Headlands →

Caron Makes Gritty 100-Mile Debut at Eastern States

Patrick Caron has been running ultramarathons for just shy of a year, and he has quickly made his presence felt on the trails of New England.

For his 100-mile debut, however, he traveled to the Rust Belt to take on the rugged trails of north-central Pennsylvania at Little Pine State Park in Waterville. Rather than choosing more friendly terrain for his first 100, Caron elected to tackle the Eastern States 100 on course that is equal parts gorgeous and grueling with its stunning scenery and 19,000-plus feet of vertical gain. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Eastern States, Fat Dog, Summer Beast, and Six Hours in Paradise →

Lenane Dominant in Ultra Debut at Moosalamoo

On a day that was dominated by the ladies, Megan Lenane proved to be untouchable during her ultramarathon debut on Saturday, Aug. 6, at the Moosalamoo 36-Mile Ultra in Goshen, Vt. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Moosalamoo, Steep Rock, and Rainbow Bridge →

Pikes Peak Ultra 50-Mile

Teddy Nolan isn’t far removed from his days as a high school distance standout at North Attleboro High School, but the 19-year-old Massachusetts resident didn’t wait long to bump up his race distances from the 800 meters, mile, two-mile, or 5K. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Pikes Peak and the CandleLight Overnight Ultra →

Tahoe Rim Trail Endurance Races

Chalk up another successfully completed 100-mile trail race for Bill Howard.

Mountains, altitude, vertical – the Tahoe Rim Trail 100 had it all for Howard on Saturday and Sunday, July 16-17, in Carson City, Nev. The 67-year-old resident of Winchester, Mass., wasn’t deterred by the approximately 20,000 feet of vertical gain or the thin air offered by a course that resides entirely above 8,000 feet. Howard completed the course in 33:15:39 and placed 121^st overall. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Howard Takes on the Tahoe Rim Trail; Four Bay Staters Endure the Altitude of Silver Rush →

Hornbaker Embraces the Full Speedgoat Experience

Since the inaugural event in 2008, Speedgoat has earned a reputation as being a notoriously difficult 50-kilometer trail race up and down the mountains near the Snowbird Ski Resort in Alta, Utah.

The race’s altitude (all above 7,600 feet), steep, rocky terrain and more than 11,800 feet of vertical gain has humbled world-class ultrarunners as well as middle- and back-of-the-packers.

For Charles Hornbaker of Brighton, Mass., that wasn’t enough of the Speedgoat experience. Two additional events – a Vertical Mile and the downhill-only Quadbanger – were added in 2015, so Hornbaker signed up to race all three this year. That made for a busy weekend with a race each day July 8-10. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Speedgoat, Mt. Hood, Beaverhead, Golden Gate, and Finger Lakes 50s →