As the 2019 ultramarathon season nears its close, the slate of races is shrinking in Massachusetts and beyond. With the TARCkey Trot 6-hour ultra on tap for Nov. 16, the Nov. 9-10 weekend was light on races. Three runners from New England hit the road for ultras beyond the region, though, with two earning belt buckles at the Tunnel Hill 100 in Illinois and another earning a finish at the Georgia Sky to Summit 50K. Both are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Tunnel Hill and Georgia Sky to Summit
‘Narrow Vision’ Highlights Robidoux’s Boundary-Pushing Run at Western States
BOSTON, Mass. — Kyle Robidoux’s running journey has been all about pursuing the uncomfortable, but he looked fully at ease as he stood in front of the crowd of runners who gathered to watch a screening of a short film about his adventure at the Western States Endurance Run. Continue reading ‘Narrow Vision’ Highlights Robidoux’s Boundary-Pushing Run at Western States
MassUltra Roundup: The Hamsterwheel, Pachaug, Farm to Farm, and the Cross-Connecticut Run for Mental Health Awareness, and Pinhoti
After several busy weekends of ultramarathons in Massachusetts, it was quiet in the Bay State on Nov. 2-3. There were still plenty of races nearby in New England, however, from the Hamsterwheel time-based ultras in New Hampshire, to the small and scenic Farm to Farm ultras in Maine, to two brand new events in Connecticut — the Pachaug 50-miler and the Cross-Connecticut Run for Mental Health Awareness. Beyond those regional races, several New Englanders headed south to Alabama and brought home finishers belt buckles from the Pinhoti 100-miler. All of those races are featured in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: The Hamsterwheel, Pachaug, Farm to Farm, and the Cross-Connecticut Run for Mental Health Awareness, and Pinhoti
A Stacked Field, a Spirited Race and a Smith Victory at Stone Cat
IPSWICH, Mass. – The friendly banter, the anxious smiles, the fidgeting and deep breathing… all were on display in the minutes leading up to the start of the Stone Cat 50K, foreshadowing what was about to happen.
Yes, the runners were chilly – it was just 31 degrees on this sunny Saturday morning – but they were also nervous. This day was going to hurt, especially for those who hoped to contend for the win. After 18 years of offering 50-mile and marathon distances, the Stone Cat organizers combined the two races into a single 50K offering this year. That meant the fastest fellas were all in one race, and they all knew it. Continue reading A Stacked Field, a Spirited Race and a Smith Victory at Stone Cat
Nawn Celebrates Return to New England with Stone Cat Victory
IPSWICH, Mass. – When Cori Nawn stepped to the starting line of the Stone Cat 50K on Saturday morning, she didn’t know what to expect of the competition around her. Then again, it wasn’t of much concern to her. She was just happy to be there.
“I recently moved back to the area from Texas,” Nawn said. “I lived in San Antonio for five years and I moved back up here after getting my Ph.D. I’m really happy to be back, and I just wanted to run a fall race because fall is my favorite season.” Continue reading Nawn Celebrates Return to New England with Stone Cat Victory
Photos: Stone Cat 50K
The 19th annual Stone Cat Trail Race and first running of the event as a 50K rather than a 50-mile/marathon event took place Saturday, Nov. 2, at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Mass. The following are just a handful of photos from the race. A full photo gallery with 163 photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page at this link. Continue reading Photos: Stone Cat 50K
Results: Stone Cat 50K
The 19th annual Stone Cat Trail Race took place Saturday, Nov. 2, at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Mass. While it was the 19th running of the event, it was also the first year that it has been a 50K race. In previous years Stone Cat has been a 50-mile and marathon event. The new distance meant course records were up for grabs, and more than 200 runners took part in this year’s race. Continue reading Results: Stone Cat 50K
100 Miles and More: Harper, McNally, Ung Go Beyond the Distance at Ghost Train
Runners have had the option of going beyond 100 miles for several years at the Ghost Train Rail Trail Races; it’s a time-based event, after all, rather than distance-specific.
A handful of participants have contemplated running bonus miles after finishing 100 during the 30-hour event in years past, but only three had done so — Byron Lane and Karna Hyman both ran 115 miles in 2012 and Alex Cabrera completed 105 miles in 2018. Continue reading 100 Miles and More: Harper, McNally, Ung Go Beyond the Distance at Ghost Train
From Behind-the-Scenes Star to 100-Mile Finisher, LeBlanc Goes the Distance
When it comes to ultramarathons, Jeff LeBlanc has typically been a behind-the-scenes guy. Sure, he has run his share of ultras – and he has run them quite well – but he also finds great enjoyment in supporting the efforts of others as they pursue their goals.
While you might find LeBlanc knocking out a 10-miler on a Sunday at the Middlesex Fells Reservation, you’re more likely to find the 33-year-old resident of Woburn, Mass., flipping quesadillas at an aid station, refilling water jugs and hydration packs, sweeping a course or offering witty comments and sharing helpful information on the Trail Animals Running Club’s Facebook page. Continue reading From Behind-the-Scenes Star to 100-Mile Finisher, LeBlanc Goes the Distance
MassUltra Roundup: Tussey Mountainback, Javelina, Kansas Rails-to-Trails, Nor’witch, and the IAU 24-Hour World Championships
After a few busy weeks of ultramarathon racing in New England, the Oct. 26-27 weekend had a lighter load of races. Still, a few runners from the region traveled to take on courses in new places. That included Tyler Andrews of Cambridge whose trip to Pennsylvania included a victory at the USATF 50-Mile Road National Championship at Tussey Mountainback. Several runners ventured to Arizona for the Javelina Jundred, including Brookline resident Davis Cutter who finished in the top 10 percent of the field at the massive race in the desert. Those performances and more are included in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Tussey Mountainback, Javelina, Kansas Rails-to-Trails, Nor’witch, and the IAU 24-Hour World Championships
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