WESTWOOD, Mass. – Tension was high on the back deck of Powissett Lodge as race director Melissa Arnold, official timer Norm Sheppard, and about a dozen runners and volunteers peered out into the woods. Two runners were approaching, but would they make it in time?

The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the seventh edition of the TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra and 3.5-mile trail race on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. The following are a small sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen at the race; a full gallery of 72 photos can be viewed here. Additionally, professional wedding photographer Chris Arson was on the scene and captured images from the day with a full gallery available here.

The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the seventh running of the TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra and 3.5-mile trail race on Saturday, March 23, 2024, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners took on a 3.5-mile loop course on mostly singletrack trails on a cold, rainy early-spring day where temperatures ranged from 33 degrees at the start to the low 40s at the high. It rained for the duration of the event, and runners encountered plenty of mud along the way.