WESTWOOD, Mass. – A few minutes into the pre-race briefing, TARCtic Frozen Yeti co-Race Director Surjeet Paintal turned the floor over to course-marking captain Chris Martin who had the honor of delivering the best news runners could hope for.
“The course is beautiful. You probably have the best conditions in the history of this race,” Martin told the nearly 100 runners gathered inside Powissett Lodge awaiting the start of the 30-hour ultramarathon at Hale Reservation.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the fifth edition of the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra and 15-Mile Night Race on Feb. 3-4, 2024, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners enjoyed some of the best weather in event history with with no precipitation, a temperature around 30 degrees at the start on Saturday, sunny skies and a high in the mid-30s, overnight temperatures in the mid-20s, and a sunny Sunday morning that crept above freezing for the final hours before reaching the upper-30s by the time the race ended on early Sunday afternoon. All photos in this gallery by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen (who was running the race and didn’t take many). To view a full photo gallery from the event, check out the great work by Garrett Simon who was out on the course and took nearly 500 photos.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the fifth edition of the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra and 15-Mile Night Race on Feb. 3-4, 2024, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners took on a 15+-mile clover-leaf style course consisting of three approximately 5-mile mini-loops. Runners enjoyed seasonably good weather with no precipitation, a temperature around 30 degrees at the start on Saturday, sunny skies and a high in the mid-30s, overnight temperatures in the mid-20s, and a sunny Sunday morning that crept above freezing for the final hours before reaching the upper-30s by the time the race ended on early Sunday afternoon.
TOPSFIELD, Mass. – In the days prior to the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K, concerns mounted about the possibility of a massive pileup of snow on the trails, in the parking lot, and on the roads leading to Bradley Palmer State Park.
The 24th running of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K took place on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Around 250 runners took part in running between one and five loops of the 10K course. Thirty-five runners finished five loops for a 50K, and another 15 runners earned marathon finishes.
The 24th running of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K took place on Saturday, Jan. 6, 2024, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Around 250 runners took part in running between one and five loops of the 10K course. The following are a sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. Additional photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
Matt Pacheco is still a relatively new face on the New England ultrarunning scene, having made his debut in 2022. Still, he made a quick impact, winning the 50K race at the Chesterfield Gorge Ultra that year. Pacheco has been even stronger in 2023 as he has gained more experience and confidence.
The Trail Animals Running Club’s 2023 TARC Trail Series came to a close as it always does with runners tackling loops at the Middlesex Fells on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Stoneham, Mass., but this year’s event featured a few tweaks to the traditional format.
The Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) played host to the 12th edition of the TARC Winter Classic on Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. The event took on a bit of a new look this year as it varied from its traditional Fells Winter Ultra lineup. Gone was the five-loop 40-mile ultra, but the four-loop 32-mile ultra remained and a new one-loop 8-mile race was added to the lineup.
WINCHESTER, Mass. – It’s not unusual to see Mat Ridley ripping through the woods on singletrack trails, dodging rocks and dancing through roots while making it seem easy as the miles pile up. Ridley has been one of the fastest ultra-trail runners in the area for the past two years with multiple victories and several podium finishes to his credit.
