NEW IPSWICH, N.H. – Bob Keating crouched into a starting position as the final seconds counted down. Then, with the ring of the starting bell, the 73-year-old from Nashua, N.H., fired off the line with a strong knee-drive as though he were running a 100-meter dash.
But this was no sprint; far from it. This was the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-mile race, and there was a long way to go. After a few steps, Keating paused, had a quick laugh, turned and waved to the other runners.
The second annual Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail ultramarathons took place Oct. 10-11, traversing Massachusetts from north to south, starting at Windblown Cross Country Ski Area in New Ipswich, N.H., crossing Massachusetts into Connecticut and Rhode Island, and then back into Massachusetts to the finish line at Douglas State Forest.
In a bizarre year for ultrarunning where the COVID-19 pandemic has rocked the sport globally and led to the cancellation of 22 ultra events in Massachusetts alone, the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail has beaten the odds and will play host to its second annual 100-mile, 50-mile and 30-mile trail races this weekend.
After a one-year hiatus due to construction at Massasoit State Park, the Massasoit Trail Race 50K was slated to return in 2020 with a race date of Sunday, Oct. 25. The COVID-19 global pandemic threatened to keep that from happening, but race organizers from Northeast Race Management LLC held out hope for several months that the event would ultimately take place. They paused the processing of registration fees, allowing runners to continue signing up for the race while avoiding the hassle of a tedious refund process should that ultimately become necessary.
After a seven-month drought of in-person ultramarathons in Massachusetts due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, runners were finally able to gather for a socially-distanced, time-based race at the fourth annual Village Ultra on Sept. 5-6 on the Town Common in New Salem, Mass.
The fourth annual Village Ultra took place Sept. 5-6 on the Town Common in New Salem, Mass. The event offered runners the opportunity to see how many miles they could run in 24-hour or 12-hour timeframes, but also had a drop-in option where runners could run or walk for shorter amounts of time. Additionally, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic this year, the event was capped at 50 attendees (runners, walkers and volunteers), so a virtual race option was made available to encourage additional participation.
In-person ultras are still limited in New England due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a handful are taking place. In fact, two took place during the Aug. 7-9 weekend. The pandemic forced the cancellation of the 50K open race at the Ragged 75 Stage Race in New Hampshire, but the stage race itself took place over three days and three point-to-point spans of trail. Additionally, the Moosalamoo 36-miler was held in Goshen, Vt., with a scaled-down field but plenty of fast times. Both events are featured in this edition of the roundup.Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Ragged 75 Stage Race and Moosalamoo→
The inaugural running of Plymouth’s Long, Hard & Dirty Ultra was originally set to take place on April 18 at Myles Standish State Forest in Plymouth, Mass. The 50K race was set to be the inaugural trail ultramarathon in the town, and 30K, 10K, 8-hour and team relay options were also in the offering.Continue reading After Initial Postponement, Plymouth Ultra to be Virtual in October→
Eighteen ultramarathons in Massachusetts have been canceled and a few more postponed or turned into virtual events due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In fact, the last in-person ultra race in the state took place all the way back on Feb. 1-2 at the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra.
The wait for an in-state, in-person ultra may be almost over for runners in the Bay State. Carla Halpern, Race Director for the Village Ultra 24-Hour and 12-Hour Runs, recently received approval to conduct her event from 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5 through 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 6 on the Town Common in New Salem, Mass. Continue reading Village Ultra Receives Approval for September In-Person Running→
