In-person ultras remain on hold in Massachusetts as the COVID-19 vaccine rollout slowly gains steam in the Bay State, but in-person racing continues to take place in several other states along the East Coast. Two of them were held last weekend and had Massachusetts residents among the finishers. Sutton’s Greg Wolodkin kicked off what he hopes will be a big year of racing with a trip to Georgia for the Yeti 7/11-Hour race, while Worcester’s Brenda Morris took part in a women-only race in Virginia. Both events are covered in this week’s roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Yeti 7/11 and No Man’s 50KTag Archives: Coronavirus
Vegan Power to be Virtual Again in 2021
When Alex Bancroft, Race Director for the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) Vegan Power 50K and 25K trail races, made the decision to make last year’s event virtual in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, she hoped it would be a one-year change with in-person racing returning in 2021.
Continue reading Vegan Power to be Virtual Again in 2021TARC Cancels 3 More 2021 Races as Pandemic Rages On
The Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) was forced to cancel nine of its 10 trail races in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in the United States. A massive spike in positive cases and hospitalizations tied to Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday gatherings and travel, coupled with a slow rollout of vaccines, made it clear that COVID-19 isn’t yet done ravaging the TARC Trail Series.
Continue reading TARC Cancels 3 More 2021 Races as Pandemic Rages OnFrom the Editor’s Desk: 2020 Reminded Us of Value of Community
It’s a little after 5 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 31, just a few hours until we officially kick 2020 to the curb and welcome in 2021 with hope and optimism for better days ahead.
Continue reading From the Editor’s Desk: 2020 Reminded Us of Value of CommunityCape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K Will Take Place in 2021 – With a Twist
Two early-season ultramarathons in Massachusetts have already canceled their 2021 races due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, but another is forging ahead. The Cape Cod Ultrarunning Society is going ahead with its plans to play host to 15th annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K/25K races.
Continue reading Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K Will Take Place in 2021 – With a Twist2021 G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K Canceled Due to Pandemic
The G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K is one of the longest running New England ultramarathons, as well as a favorite of many runners throughout the region. The classic event has kicked off the new year 21 times since 1998, with only the 2004 and 2018 events canceled due to inclement weather.
Continue reading 2021 G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K Canceled Due to PandemicFinal 2020 Virtual Trail Running Film Festival Set for Dec. 5
The Trail Running Film Festival is revving up for one last virtual show of 2020.
Continue reading Final 2020 Virtual Trail Running Film Festival Set for Dec. 5After VT100 Cancellation, Resilient RD Rusiecki Finds New Ways to Support Vermont Adaptive
Barely a month into the COVID-19 pandemic, Amy Rusiecki’s world as a race director began to crumble.
The first race of the 2020 season that she was slated to direct – the Mt. Toby 50K – was forced to cancel as orders from Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker restricted the size of public gatherings, schools were closed, and businesses statewide largely shut down or transitioned to work-from-home environments. A few weeks later, Rusiecki was forced to cancel the popular 7 Sisters Trail Race as the pandemic worsened. As the year wore on, her three remaining events all were canceled.
Continue reading After VT100 Cancellation, Resilient RD Rusiecki Finds New Ways to Support Vermont AdaptiveFrozen Yeti is First 2021 Ultra Canceled Due to COVID-19
The past two weeks have brought encouraging news regarding two COVID-19 vaccines potentially becoming available starting sometime in December for the most vulnerable of the population, with wider availability to the general public possibly by April 2021. Those same two weeks have also brought devastating news that the pandemic is taking its firmest grip yet on the United States with parts of the Bay State beginning to lock back down for the winter.
Continue reading Frozen Yeti is First 2021 Ultra Canceled Due to COVID-19After Postponement, Chesterfield Gorge Ultra Officially Canceled
When Race Director Amy Rusiecki postponed the Chesterfield Gorge 30-Hour Ultra from May to November, the COVID-19 pandemic had a firm grip on the Northeast. At the time, cautious optimism existed that the region – and the United States as a whole – would do what was necessary to get the pandemic under control and allow some semblance of normalcy to return.
Continue reading After Postponement, Chesterfield Gorge Ultra Officially Canceled