A few new surprises were in store for runners at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) Free to Run Trail Races this year.
The event still raises funds to support Free to Run, Inc., a nonprofit organization that seeks to enable women and girls in conflict regions to engage in physical and outdoor activities. That part of the event was unchanged.
Continue reading Runners Conquer Revamped Course at Free to Run Trail RacesThe eighth edition of the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) Free to Run Trail Races took place Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, at Pittsfield State Forest in Pittsfield, Mass. This year’s event included a redesigned course and new distances. The traditional 50-miler remained, but the marathon and half marathons were replaced with 50K, 25K and 15K distances.
Continue reading Results: BURCS Free to Run Trail RacesWith 100 miles on his mind, Chris Rosol turned to the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s BURCS Race Series to help him prepare.
Continue reading Rosol Rolls at Sweltering Summer in Strong Javelina Tune-UpThe Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the 11th edition of the BURCS Sweltering Summer Ultra 8-hour and 5K races on Saturday, Aug. 12, at Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass. Runners raced on a .355-mile flat dirt and cinder loop course through the park.
Continue reading Results: BURCS Sweltering Summer UltraWINDSOR, Mass. – The range of emotions I’ve experienced during nearly 12 years of running trail ultramarathons runs the gamut from elation to extreme exhaustion, optimism to dread, confident and determined, to concerned and a bit scared, to almost always ending with a sense of fulfillment.
If you’ve been in this sport long enough then you’ve likely had your own run-ins with all of these and more. Heck, you may have experienced them all if you’ve run a single ultra, depending on the course, the conditions, the distance and countless other factors.
Still, as I lay on a mattress in the back of the Subaru on Saturday afternoon, July 8, knowing my run at the Notchview Ultra was likely finished, I felt something that I’ve never felt before at an ultra: I felt empty.
Continue reading From the Editor’s Desk: Reflections on Coming Up ShortIt seems that any time Justin Kousky steps to a starting line a course record may soon fall.
Continue reading Kousky Cruises to Course Record at Jug End Loop UltraThe Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the eighth annual Jug End Loop Ultra 6-Hour and 4.2-mile trail races on Saturday, July 29, at Jug End State Reservation in Egremont, Mass.
Continue reading Results: Jug End Loop UltraWINDSOR, Mass. – When Taylor Verville hobbled to her car after finishing the Notchview Ultra and braced herself for the three-hour ride home to Kingston, her body felt like it couldn’t give much more. She’d just run 216.6 miles in the 72-hour race and broke the previous overall course record by 15 miles.
Verville’s legs felt like concrete and her brain was fried from the lack of sleep. To say she was exhausted would’ve been the understatement of the year. It was July 11, 2022, and though her mind and body both needed rest, within just a few days Verville was already beginning to plot her Notchview sequel.
Continue reading Despite Downpour, Verville Delivers Multi-Day Masterpiece at NotchviewThe Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the eighth edition of the Notchview Ultra from July 7-10 at the Trustees of Reservations’ Notchview Reservation in Windsor, Mass. Runners tackled a 1.9-mile loop course for 100.7 miles (53 loops), or 72-hour, 48-hour, 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour time-based options. Those who ran the most days started their race with high humidity, sun and temperatures in the low 80s and finished their races with temperatures in the 70s and nearly 24 hours of rain.
Continue reading Results: Notchview UltraBy design, the Vegan Power 50K course presents ample opportunities to run a fast time on singletrack trails. The loop course with rolling hills and mix of technical spots and smooth sections is inviting – even tempting – for a trail-runner looking to throw down.
Continue reading Dunning Stunning in Ultra Debut at Soggy Vegan Power 50K
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