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 OnTag Archives: Massachusetts
After 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 Adaptive
Frozen 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-19
After 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
Masks, Miles, and Major Performances at the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail
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.
Continue reading Masks, Miles, and Major Performances at the Midstate Massive Ultra-TrailMassasoit Trail Race 50K is 22nd MA Ultra Canceled Due to COVID-19
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.
Continue reading Massasoit Trail Race 50K is 22nd MA Ultra Canceled Due to COVID-19Lynn Woods 50K Canceled
The COVID-19 global pandemic has claimed another Massachusetts ultramarathon as a victim.
Continue reading Lynn Woods 50K Canceled
In-Person Racing Returns to Massachusetts with Village Ultra
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.
Continue reading In-Person Racing Returns to Massachusetts with Village UltraResults: Village Ultra 24-Hour, 12-Hour and Virtual Races
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.
Continue reading Results: Village Ultra 24-Hour, 12-Hour and Virtual Races
Hike Across MA Aims to Give Visibility to Marginalized Trans, Queer, Intersex Communities
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The rumble of the approaching freight train brought conversation to a momentary pause. The train, with at least 40 cars in tow, rolled past the Freight Yard Grill, its thunder reverberating off the walls surrounding the restaurant’s outdoor patio.
It was the loudest noise Su Mittra had heard all day.
After the train disappeared into the distance on its way to the nearby Hoosac Tunnel to continue its journey east, one of Mittra’s dinner companions inquired about climbing Mt. Greylock, the nearby 3,489-foot peak.
“I did that today,” Mittra said matter-of-factly. “Ten miles in I went up Greylock. That was fun!” Continue reading Hike Across MA Aims to Give Visibility to Marginalized Trans, Queer, Intersex Communities
