Category Archives: TARC

Features, TARC

‘The Trails Are Free’ Brings TARC, Ultrarunning Culture to the Big Screen

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Lindsey Topham didn’t have filmmaking on her mind when she first connected with the Trail Animals Running Club in 2009. Instead, the Boston University graduate student was looking to photograph ultrarunners for a multimedia assignment. Additionally, having recently moved to Massachusetts from California, she hoped to make some new friends who could introduce her to the local trails.

Nearly eight years later, there is excitement in Topham’s voice as she reflects on her early interactions with TARC, how her connection to the organization blossomed both behind the camera and as a runner, and where her journey ultimately led. Continue reading ‘The Trails Are Free’ Brings TARC, Ultrarunning Culture to the Big Screen →

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2017 TARC Trail Series Looks Familiar – Minus TARC 100

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The 2017 edition of the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Trail Series looks mighty similar to the 2016 offering, with one major exception.

Absent from the 2017 lineup is the TARC 100, which has been the most high-profile event of the Trail Series for the past four years. The decision to put the event on indefinite hiatus was announced in August. That said, there are still plenty of options for runners to choose from. The 2017 Trail Series will challenge new and longtime runners with 10 events – nine of them offering ultramarathon distances – so there’s plenty to look forward to, said Josh Katzman, a race director and longtime member of TARC’s leadership. Continue reading 2017 TARC Trail Series Looks Familiar – Minus TARC 100 →

Features, TARC

Luck, Longevity and Jeff List’s Love of the ‘Brutal Benchmark’ that is Hardrock

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Jeff List didn’t spend Hardrock lottery day with his eyes glued to Twitter.

Instead, on Saturday, Dec. 3, while the social media feed informed the world exactly who among the nearly 2,000 entrants into the Hardrock 100 lottery had been selected for 145 spots at the starting line, List was doing what Hardrock veterans do best – running long miles on rugged trails. Continue reading Luck, Longevity and Jeff List’s Love of the ‘Brutal Benchmark’ that is Hardrock →

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Tough Trails, Tougher Runners at the Fells Winter Ultra

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STONEHAM, Mass. – For those unfamiliar with the Middlesex Fells Reservation, the course description for the Trail Animals Running Club’s sixth annual Fells Winter Ultra might come across as a race director’s attempt to tease runners with a tantalizing portrayal of trail conditions that couldn’t possibly be as daunting as described.

“A nightmarish course of rocks and roots with a bit of elevation thrown in,” the description says of the eight-mile loop of the Skyline Trail, which 32-mile competitors circle four times and 40-mile competitors get to enjoy a fifth time.

Still, the Middlesex Fells resides just six miles north of downtown Boston and is surrounded by suburbs. How tough could the course really be?

Plenty tough, actually. Continue reading Tough Trails, Tougher Runners at the Fells Winter Ultra →

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TARC Serves Up Pre-Thanksgiving Trail Feast at Inaugural TARCkey Trot

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WINCHESTER AND LEXINGTON, Mass. – The newest addition to the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Trail Series was, in a way, a feast before the feast.

The inaugural TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra, which took place Saturday, Nov. 19, was scheduled to give runners an opportunity to feast on technical trails, burn some extra calories, and chew up some extra miles before chowing down on smorgasbords of food five days later on Thanksgiving. Continue reading TARC Serves Up Pre-Thanksgiving Trail Feast at Inaugural TARCkey Trot →

Features, TARC

Scary-Fast: Caron Haunts Ghost Train Record Book with Sub-15-Hour 100-Miler

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BROOKLINE, N.H. – The faint glow of a flashlight beam shook in the distance with each smooth, deliberate swing of Patrick Caron’s left arm.

Flanked by his pacer, Michael Franzino, who had just run the past 15 miles with Caron, the pair cruised into Camp Tevya, the official start/finish point for each out-and-back of the Ghost Train Rail Trail Races on Oct. 22-23. Caron was 90 miles into his 100-mile race, and far ahead of course-record pace. Continue reading Scary-Fast: Caron Haunts Ghost Train Record Book with Sub-15-Hour 100-Miler →

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Andover’s Swenson Delivers Record-Setting Performance at TARC 100

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WESTWOOD, Mass. – The first few miles didn’t go according to plan for Will Swenson at the TARC 100 on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hale Reservation. As it turned out, that set the tone for a masterpiece of a performance as Swenson dominated the race in course-record time.

“My expectation of the race was that I was just going to see how it went and take what I could get,” he said. “If I found myself in position to be competitive then I certainly wanted to take that and see what I could do.” Continue reading Andover’s Swenson Delivers Record-Setting Performance at TARC 100 →

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Telus, Brinkert Notch 100K Course Records at TARC 100

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WESTWOOD, Mass. – When Marek Telus made his 50-mile debut in May at Pineland Farms in Maine, he went out too fast, hit the wall and bonked hard.

Telus finished that race – and posted a still speedy time of 7:47:38 – but he wasn’t satisfied. He tucked away the experience as a lesson learned, and he brought the knowledge gained with him to the starting line of his 100K debut at the TARC 100 on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hale Reservation.

“I wanted to go out conservatively at first, just to make sure I’m not going to crash in the later miles. I didn’t want to do that again,” said Telus, 41, of Hopkinton, N.H. “If people were ahead of me, I didn’t worry about it much. I thought I’d just do my best, and it just happened to be my day today.”

Boy did it ever. Continue reading Telus, Brinkert Notch 100K Course Records at TARC 100 →

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Cutter Perseveres for TARC 50-Mile Victory

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WESTWOOD, Mass. – The 50-mile race at the TARC 100 presented runners with a unique challenge on Saturday, Oct. 8, at Hale Reservation.

By starting the race in the early afternoon, runners would have to cover most of the second 25-mile loop after dark.

Nine runners toed the starting line; four finished. Davis Cutter got it done first. Continue reading Cutter Perseveres for TARC 50-Mile Victory →