Harry Mattison earned a sub-24-hour 100-mile belt buckle at the Rocky Raccoon 100, Patrick Upchurch turned in a strong showing at the Uwharrie Mountain Run, and Vanessa Desota rocked the San Diego 50. Read all about it in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Rocky Raccoon 100, Uwharrie 40, and San Diego 50
MassUltra Roundup: Winter Beast of Burden
Justin Fitzgerald used the 2016 Winter Beast of Burden 50-miler to jumpstart what proved to be a strong year of ultrarunning. The resident of Malden, Mass., completed at least eight ultras in 2016 – including the Ghost Train 100-miler in October in Brookline, N.H.
Fitzgerald is once again registered for the Ghost Train 100 in 2017, and he’s starting the new year in similar fashion. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Winter Beast of Burden
MassUltra Roundup: Big Bend and Snowdrop
Two ultras in Texas are featured in this week’s roundup: the Big Bend Ultra and the Snowdrop 55-Hour Race. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Big Bend and Snowdrop
Fourth Annual BURCS Race Series Offers Summer Ultras Out West
Ultramarathons are offered every month of the year in Massachusetts, and most of those events take place in the eastern part of the state. In the summertime, however, opportunities abound for runners to tackle ultras out west in the Berkshires thanks to the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) and its annual BURCS Badass Ultra Series.
Launched as a grassroots effort just a few short years ago, BURCS serves up a summer series that has grown to include five events with a variety of different distances, time limits and terrains.
“As each year goes by I continue to be surprised by the outpouring of support and the willingness of our runners to commit to multiple races throughout the summer,” said Benn Griffin, one of BURCS’ founders and a race director for multiple events. “I am anxiously looking forward to the fourth edition of the BURCS Badass Ultra Series this year and know it will be our biggest yet.” Continue reading Fourth Annual BURCS Race Series Offers Summer Ultras Out West
MassUltra Roundup: Bandera and Across the Years
Andover residents Will Swenson and Joe Loureiro made Massachusetts’ presence felt at the USATF 100K Trail National Championship at Bandera, and Brittany Ames of West Bridgewater started her 100-miler in 2016 and finished it in 2017. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bandera and Across the Years
A Snowy Start to the 2017 Ultra Season at the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
The 2017 ultrarunning season in Massachusetts opened under a winter storm alert on Saturday, Jan. 7, in Topsfield, Mass., as runners raced to complete 50 kilometers before a heavy dose of fluffy falling snow blanketed the area. Continue reading A Snowy Start to the 2017 Ultra Season at the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K
2017 TARC Trail Series Looks Familiar – Minus TARC 100
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
Luck, Longevity and Jeff List’s Love of the ‘Brutal Benchmark’ that is Hardrock
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
From the Editor’s Desk: One Year in the Books
Not many people read the inaugural post on this website.
In fact, as I’m writing this column, a quick look into the site’s metadata tells me that the first article on the site – a story about the screening of “Run Free: The True Story of Caballo Blanco” that was published on Jan. 22 – has been viewed just five times. At least one of those viewings was done by me, and another by my girlfriend.
Suffice to say, the site has come a long way since then. Continue reading From the Editor’s Desk: One Year in the Books
MassUltra Roundup: Desert Solstice, Devil Dog and Ancient Oaks
This week’s roundup looks back at the speedy track performances of Greg Soutiea and Padraig Mullins at Desert Solstice, as well as the Devil Dog 100-miler and the invitation-only Ancient Oaks race in Florida. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Desert Solstice, Devil Dog and Ancient Oaks
