For the first two years of its existence, the Notchview Ultra was a 6-hour fatass-style event where the top mileage tallies were in the mid-30s. When the event added 12- and 24-hour options for 2017 and 2018, Dietmar Bago was the standard setter with 91.2 miles each time in the event’s longest offering.
In 2019, the Notchview Ultra entered new territory as race director Benn Griffin expanded the format into a multi-day distance fest that included a 72-hour race. In doing so, Griffin dared runners to dream of the endurance possibilities and discover what was possible on the 1.9-mile cross country ski loop at Notchview Reservation in Windsor, Mass. Ann Alessandrini was the first to set her sights on 200 miles, and she blasted through the distance barrier in the final hour to close out a 201.4-mile effort. It was the first time a runner would surpass 200 miles at Notchview, but not the last.
The inaugural 12 Hours of Lawrence Woods took place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, in the Lawrence Woods section of the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Medford, Mass. Runners had 12 hours to complete as many 4.5-mile trail loops through the Lawrence Woods as they wanted, all for an entry fee of just $12.
The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the 10th edition of the Notchview Ultra on July 11-14, 2025, at Notchview Reservation in Windsor, Mass. Runners took on a distance-specific 100.7-mile race or time-based 72-hour, 48-hour, 24-hour, 12-hour and 6-hour ultras on a 1.9-mile cross-country ski loop course.
Matt Pacheco began his 2025 ultrarunning season with a big victory at Beast Coast Trail Running’s Mt. Toby Trail Race in April. Following a gritty, hard-fought victory at the rain- and mud-soaked Riverlands 100 in May, Pacheco returned for some more Beast Coast fun at the second annual Edge Hill Trail Race on Saturday, June 21, in Ashfield, Mass.
When Katie Claiborne earned her first ultramarathon victory at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s (BURCS) 2024 Vegan Power 50K, she already was a force to be reckoned with in the Northeast. Since making her ultra debut in 2021, she has had at least 13 ultra finishes to her credit and several podium finishes.
In addition to topping the female field and finishing second overall at Vegan Power, Claiborne capped a stellar 2024 with a top-10 finish at the Vermont 100.
Claiborne opened her 2025 season in February with a trip to Arizona for the highly competitive Black Canyon Ultras 100K. Of the 1,002 starters, 776 finished within the 20-hour time limit. Claiborne was 167th overall and 49th in the female field that saw some of the biggest names in the sport do battle. After taking on a massive field at Black Canyon, Claiborne returned to more intimate racing for her next event: the BURCS Free to Run Trail Races.
The Humane Society for Greater Nashua has been close to Rob Fiero’s heart since childhood. A dog and five cats found their way into his family via the shelter through the years, and Fiero and his wife have volunteered at Humane Society events since 2006. When the organization announced plans to expand its building to enable it to provide more low-cost veterinary care, training, and adoption services to the community, Fiero saw an opportunity to combine two of his passions – animals and trail running – to support the cause.
Beast Coast Trail Running played host to the second annual Edge Hill Trail Race on Saturday, Jne 21, 2025, at the Edge Hill Conservation Area in Ashfield, Mass. Runners took on a 50K ultramarathon or 30K and 10K sub-ultra distances on the site of a former golf course that is being transformed into a grassland and shrubland habitat.
The inaugural Flat Rock Trail Race 6-hour and 5-mile races took place on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at the Arched Bridge Conservation Area in Dunstable, Mass. The event used a 5-mile loop course with around 600 feet of climbing per loop.
The Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) played host to the 10th edition of the Free to Run Trail Races on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Pittsfield State Forest in Pittsfield, Mass. This year’s event shifted from September to June, and it featured 50K, 25K and 15K distance opportunities on challenging singletrack trails.
Rain has been seemingly inescapable in New England this spring, and in Massachusetts it has rained almost every single weekend. In doing so, the weather has wreaked havoc on almost every ultramarathon in the Commonwealth. The Chesterfield Gorge Ultra was no exception.
MassUltra 