When Jeff LeBlanc arrived at the Middlesex Fells Reservation on Saturday morning, Dec. 7, he knew a difficult but rewarding day awaited him. As race director for the Trail Animals Running Club’s Fells Winter Ultra, he was responsible for putting on one of Massachusetts’ original and toughest trail ultramarathons. Runners in the 40-mile race had to circle the reservation’s rocky, root-covered Skyline Trail five times; competitors in the 32-mile race had to complete four loops. Some would achieve their goals and others would come up short, but LeBlanc hoped to do everything in his power to enable them to succeed. Continue reading Volunteers, Runners Dig Deep at Frigid, Snow-Packed Fells Winter Ultra
Tag Archives: Massachusetts
Photos: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to its annual Fells Winter Ultra 40-mile and 32-mile trail ultramarathons on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. It was a cold, snow-packed event, and Jon McInerney and Jeff LeBlanc shared the following photos from the event. Continue reading Photos: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
After 8 Years, Morton and Slater’s Western States Wait is Over
Western States lottery day is cruel to most, and Tom Morton and Scott Slater know that feeling as well as anyone. Morton, 42, of Chicopee, Mass., and Slater, 41, of Guilford, Conn., were two of nine ultrarunners in the lottery for a record eighth consecutive year. Nobody has tried longer than them to gain a spot at the starting line of the Western States Endurance Run, the sport’s original 100-mile footrace. Continue reading After 8 Years, Morton and Slater’s Western States Wait is Over
Results: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to its annual Fells Winter Ultra 40-mile and 32-mile trail ultramarathons on Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. Runners in the 40-mile race tackled five eight-mile loops of the Skyline Trail, while runners in the 32-mile race had to complete four loops. Continue reading Results: TARC Fells Winter Ultra
Western States Dreams to be Decided in Lottery for 165 Ultrarunners from New England
The 47th annual Western States Endurance Run won’t take place until June 27-28, 2020, when 369 runners will once again toe the starting line of ultrarunning’s original 100-miler in Squaw Valley, Calif., and journey through mountains and over singletrack trails to the finish line on the Placer High School track in Auburn, Calif. The first round of excitement for the race always cranks up seven months early, however, with the lottery that will determine the fates of thousands of Western States hopefuls.
Continue reading Western States Dreams to be Decided in Lottery for 165 Ultrarunners from New England
Cold Takes a Toll on Runners, Coffee at TARCkey Trot
WINCHESTER, Mass. — Below-freezing temperatures took a toll on runners at the Trail Animals Running Club’s fourth annual TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Wright-Locke Farm, but the first casualty was the coffee. Continue reading Cold Takes a Toll on Runners, Coffee at TARCkey Trot
Photos: TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the fourth-annual TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra and 5K on the trails of Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, Mass., and neighboring Whipple Hill on Saturday, Nov. 16. The following are a small sample of photos from the day. A full gallery of 123 photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page at this link. Continue reading Photos: TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra
Results: TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the fourth annual TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra and 5K trail races on Saturday, Nov. 16, at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, Mass., and the trails of neighboring Whipple Hill. Runners had six hours to complete a 3.1-mile loop as many times as they could, with only completed loops counting. Continue reading Results: TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra
‘Narrow Vision’ Highlights Robidoux’s Boundary-Pushing Run at Western States
BOSTON, Mass. — Kyle Robidoux’s running journey has been all about pursuing the uncomfortable, but he looked fully at ease as he stood in front of the crowd of runners who gathered to watch a screening of a short film about his adventure at the Western States Endurance Run. Continue reading ‘Narrow Vision’ Highlights Robidoux’s Boundary-Pushing Run at Western States
A Stacked Field, a Spirited Race and a Smith Victory at Stone Cat
IPSWICH, Mass. – The friendly banter, the anxious smiles, the fidgeting and deep breathing… all were on display in the minutes leading up to the start of the Stone Cat 50K, foreshadowing what was about to happen.
Yes, the runners were chilly – it was just 31 degrees on this sunny Saturday morning – but they were also nervous. This day was going to hurt, especially for those who hoped to contend for the win. After 18 years of offering 50-mile and marathon distances, the Stone Cat organizers combined the two races into a single 50K offering this year. That meant the fastest fellas were all in one race, and they all knew it. Continue reading A Stacked Field, a Spirited Race and a Smith Victory at Stone Cat
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