MassUltra Roundup: Hellgate and Beast of the East

The 2023 ultrarunning season is quickly nearing its conclusion. Ultras are fewer to find throughout the United States, and especially in New England. Just a handful of runners from the region raced during the Dec. 9-10 weekend, but we have them covered. One runner you can always count on to be racing in early December is Jerry Turk. The Connecticut resident was back at the Hellgate 100K for the 21st straight year, and his consistent effort landed him in the lead-off position for this edition of the roundup.

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MassUltra Roundup: Ray Miller, Anza Borrego Cuyamaca, and San Joaquin River Trail

The first weekend of December saw ultrarunners from New England go global, with two runners from Massachusetts taking on the IAU 24-Hour World Championships in Taiwan, while many others toed starting lines throughout the United States. We featured several of those events from the Dec. 1-2 weekend in a separate roundup, but this one catches up with the New England residents who tackled three separate courses in California. Welcome to the West Coast in this edition of the roundup.

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MassUltra Roundup: IAU 24-Hour World Championships, Krampuslauf, Freight Train, Lake Norman, and PPTC Endurance Fest

It was a strong start to December for ultrarunners from New England. Runners took part in at least 10 ultra events, most in the United States but one all the way in Taiwan. Massachusetts resident Jenny Hoffman – fresh off of her transcontinental world record run – represented Team USA at the IAU 24-Hour World Championships, as did Bay State native Scott Traer. We lead off with their efforts before returning closer to home at the Krampuslauf 9-Hour Ultra in New Hampshire, and then head to Virginia, North Carolina and New York for more results from the Dec. 1-2 weekend. Additionally, several runners from the region headed west to California and took part in a trio of ultras. We’ll have those captured in a separate roundup tomorrow.

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Results: TARC Winter Classic

The Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) played host to the 12th edition of the TARC Winter Classic on Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. The event took on a bit of a new look this year as it varied from its traditional Fells Winter Ultra lineup. Gone was the five-loop 40-mile ultra, but the four-loop 32-mile ultra remained and a new one-loop 8-mile race was added to the lineup.

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181 New Englanders Await WSER Lottery

Hopes may be high, but the odds will once again be stacked against entrants in the Western States Endurance Run’s lottery on Saturday, Dec. 2, as 9,389 runners from around the world vie for 250 of the race’s 369 spots. The remaining positions in the 2024 race field will go to those who placed in the top 10 in 2023, earned a Golden Ticket, or secured a spot in the field provided by a sponsor.

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MassUltra Roundup: Fountain City 5

Thanksgiving weekend was primarily reserved for turkey trots and limited ultramarathon racing, but one New England resident found his way to the start of an ultra. Michael Pereiro of Shelton, Conn., took on the Fountain City 5 50K in Georgia for the second straight year and had another speedy performance. He gets this edition of the roundup all to himself.

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The Tireless Mr. Ridley: TARCkey Trot Victory is Latest Highlight of Racing Streak

WINCHESTER, Mass. – It’s not unusual to see Mat Ridley ripping through the woods on singletrack trails, dodging rocks and dancing through roots while making it seem easy as the miles pile up. Ridley has been one of the fastest ultra-trail runners in the area for the past two years with multiple victories and several podium finishes to his credit.

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MassUltra Roundup: Fall Fling, Dead Horse, Fire Fest, Swamp Fox, and JFK 50

Ultrarunners from New England feasted on trails one final time before Thanksgiving during the Nov. 17-18 weekend with runners taking on ultra events from Connecticut to Nevada and points in between. Some gathered in Southington, Conn., for the seventh annual CT Trailmixers Fall Fling 400, while many more headed south to Maryland for the latest edition of the JFK 50. Other ultras where New Englanders toed the starting line included the Swamp Fox Ultra in South Carolina, Dead Horse in Utah, and Fire Fest in Nevada. We have it all covered in this edition of the roundup.

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Going beyond the marathon in Massachusetts