Ultrarunning has enjoyed massive growth across the country and around the world in recent years, and that boom has certainly been felt here in Massachusetts. Long-established races have experienced record turnout and new events have been added to the calendar yearly. Today, the number of ultras in the Bay State stands at more than 30, ranging from distance-specific races to time-based ultras, fatass-style gatherings and last-person-standing events.
The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service kicked off its 2020 season with a new, virtual challenge: a treadmill ultramarathon and marathon. From Feb. 15-23, runners could select a 24-hour window to complete a marathon, 50K or – for just a little bit extra distance – a 50.1K, documenting their progress with time-stamped photos of the distance completed every time the treadmill stopped. Forty-two runners completed ultramarathon distances while another 49 completed a marathon on the treadmill. Continue reading Results: BURCS Treadmill Ultra and Marathon→
WESTWOOD, Mass. – As the minutes ticked down before the 8 a.m. start of the second annual TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-hour ultra on Feb. 1-2, a crowd of 115 runners made their way from the cozy confines of Powisset Lodge to the starting line just a few yards away.
The starting line was no fancy blow-up arch, just a temporary marking from a foot-drag along the frost-covered ground. Within a few hours, the line would disappear, lost to the warming temperature and the footsteps of runners passing by on multiple trips through the three mini loops that made up the 15-mile clover-leaf course on Hale Reservation’s winding trail system.Continue reading Runners Enjoy Mild Weather, Big Miles at the Frozen Yeti→
WESTWOOD, Mass. – The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the second annual TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra on Feb. 1-2, 2020, at Hale Reservation. The following are a representative sample of photos from the race taken by MassUltra editor Chris Wristen. A full photo gallery with more than 200 pictures can be found on the MassUltra Facebook page at this link. Continue reading Photos: TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra→
All was quiet on Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass., by the time the light snow began to fall on Saturday, Jan. 18. The scene had been far different just a few hours earlier. The beach was a hotbed of energy and activity on this frigid day as runners took part in the 14th annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K ultramarathon and 25K race on the sand.Continue reading Runners Handle the Cold, Beat the Snow at Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass→
The 14th annual Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K and 25K races took place Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, at Sandy Neck Beach in Barnstable, Mass. More than 90 runners took part in the event, including more than 30 who finished the 50K distance.Continue reading Results: Cape Cod Frozen Fat Ass 50K→
Runners endured the full spectrum of weather conditions during the first 20 years of the G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K, from bone-chilling temperatures far below freezing, to blizzard conditions, to rain, ice, sun and unseasonably warm temperatures.
The 21st annual event took place Saturday, Jan. 4, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass., and it featured a little bit of everything. Patches of snow and ice covered the 6.2-mile loop course, as did a fair amount of mud thanks to some thawing in the mid-40s temperatures and the rain that fell on and off during the race. The damp yet comfortable conditions were ideal for runners who sought several loops and didn’t mind having mud-coated calves and shoes.Continue reading Around 150 Runners Kick Off New Year at G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K→
The 21st annual G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K took place Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, at Bradley Palmer State Park in Topsfield, Mass. Around 150 runners took part in the classic New England ultramarathon to kick off the new year, with 30 completing five loops of the course for a 50K finish and another dozen completing a marathon.Continue reading Results: G.A.C. Fat Ass 50K→
For the past few years, the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) has kicked off its annual ultramarathon race series in mid-June. This year, the series will begin a few weeks sooner thanks to the introduction of a new race – the Alford Springs 6-Hour Ultra.Continue reading BURCS Series to Expand with Alford Springs 6-Hour Ultra→
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