A year ago, Jason Baker returned to his native Massachusetts and delivered a dandy of a homecoming performance at the Womp Romp 50K, setting a course record and becoming the first person to break the 4-hour mark. On Saturday, Oct. 25, Baker returned for another romp through Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass., as the 27-year-old resident of Fort Collins, Colo., sought to defend his title.

The last time Jason Baker stepped to a starting line in Massachusetts, he was relatively new to trail-racing. It was 2021, and the then-23-year-old had just jumped into the sport with solid ultramarathon efforts at the Ragged 50K and Kilkenny Ridge 50-miler in New Hampshire, the Post Canyon 50K in Oregon. That October, he signed up for a new race in Massachusetts – the Womp Romp 10-miler – at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass.

The fourth annual Womp Romp Trail Races took place on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass. The event offered a 50K ultramarathon for the third straight year in addition to offering the event’s original 10-mile distance on rolling trails through the park.

HINGHAM, Mass. – Andrew Tidd squinted as he rounded the final turn and the finish line came into view. A steady rain blurred his vision, but through the drops he could see the race clock, the red arch and Race Directors Robert Jeffers and Matt Hoadley cheering him on.

The third annual Womp Romp 10-miler and second edition of the 50K took place on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass. Runners took on a 10.5-mile loop course on a mixture of surfaces – singletrack trails, doubletrack, fire roads, cross country grass, and pavement – either one or three times depending on the distance. Temperatures in the upper 50s made for comfortable running despite a light drizzle falling for the first four hours that eventually transitioned to a steady rain.

There’s something special about the trails of Wompatuck State Park.