IPSWICH, Mass. – Roger Martell Jr. gazed across the field behind Paul F. Doyon School and watched as runners emerged from Willowdale State Forest, dashed across the open field and crossed the finish line of the inaugural TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival.
Martell made the same journey minutes earlier when he finished his half marathon. Now, standing with hands on his hips and sporting a red running singlet with the initials G.A.C. emblazoned across the chest in white, Martell inhaled the cool, crisp morning air and soaked up the atmosphere while catching his breath. As his heart rate settled, the smile across his face grew wide.
The 22nd edition of the Stone Cat Trail Race and inaugural running of the event now known as the TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival took place Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Mass. All photos in this gallery are by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full gallery from the race with 250+ photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
The 22nd edition of the Stone Cat Trail Race and inaugural running of the event now known as the TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival took place Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Mass. Founded in 2001 by Gil’s Athletic Club (GAC) in Topsfield, GAC played host to the event every year except 2020 when it was canceled due to the COIVID-19 pandemic. GAC played host to it for the final time in 2022, and the Trail Animals Running Club welcomed Stone Cat under its umbrella of trail races for the first time in 2023 to keep the beloved New England classic alive. This year’s event brought back Stone Cat’s original 50-mile and Marathon distances, but also added 100K, half marathon, 10K and a youth fun run to the lineup. This year’s event had a capacity of 550 runners and sold out well in advance of race day.
CARLISLE, Mass. – Thunderstorms and fallen branches forced a delayed start to the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Fall Classic as wind gusts littered the trail in debris and knocked down power lines that blocked roads to the trailhead.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the 11th edition of the TARC Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle, Mass. The following are a small sample of photos from the day taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full gallery of 325 photos can be viewed here.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the 11th edition of the TARC Fall Classic on Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023, at Great Brook Farm State Park in Carlisle, Mass. Runners took on the traditional Fall Classic distances of 50 miles, 50K, half marathon and 10K, as well as two new additions to the lineup this year – a 20-mile run and a 1/2-mile free youth fun run. The event had a huge turnout with 436 runners toeing the starting line at the various distances.
The 12th edition of the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Summer Classic trail races took place Saturday, Aug. 19, 2023, at Noon Hill Reservation in Medfield, Mass. Runners took on 40-mile and 50K ultramarathons or the second edition of the Summer Classic 10-miler, all of which used the same 10-mile trail loop course.
MILTON, Mass. – Howie Breinan gathered the crowd of runners near the starting line by Houghton’s Pond for the pre-race briefing. Breinan scanned the faces looking back at him and recognized a few, but most were a bit unfamiliar – at least at this starting line.
During the first 13 years of the Wapack and Back Trail Races only two runners won back-to-back titles in either the 50-mile or 43-mile distances – Josh Katzman during his 2012 and 2013 runs that remain the top two men’s 50-mile performances in event history, and Debbie Livingston’s winning performances in the women’s field in 2013 and 2014.
The 27th edition of the Trail Animals Running Club’s original event, the Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K, took place on Saturday, April 16, 2023, at the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Mass. In addition, the 14th edition of the DRB 50-miler also took place. The 6 a.m. wave start enjoyed 50-degree temperatures, fog, and a little bit of light drizzle, and similar conditions greeted runners in the 8 a.m. start wave. The day was overcast throughout, humid and breezy with temperatures in the low- to mid-50s throughout the day.
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