From ultramarathon debut performances to returning to the sport after time away, the Feb. 19-20 weekend saw Massachusetts ultrarunners turn in some memorable performances at races around the country. From West Virginia to Florida and Kansas, we have them covered in this edition of the roundup.

Scott Traer is no stranger to laying it all on the line at an ultramarathon. The resident of Woburn, Mass., has been among New England’s fastest ultrarunners and fiercest racers any time he toes the line. On Saturday, Feb. 12, he earned an opportunity to test his abilities against some of the best competition in the world in June when he earned a Golden Ticket entry into the Western States Endurance run by finishing at the podium at the Black Canyon 100K. Traer’s sizzling performance leads off this edition of the roundup.

A one-week postponement of the TARCtic Frozen Yeti meant that the Trail Animals Running Club’s cold-weather event took top billing for most New England ultrarunners who raced during the Feb. 5-6 weekend, but a handful sought warmer climate to race in places like Arizona, California, Florida and Texas. Two of the runners who traveled – Abby Hotaling of Oak Bluffs and Rachel Glazer of Needham – brought victories back home to Massachusetts. Their winning performances lead off this edition of the roundup.

The Trail Animals Running Club’s TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra was originally slated for Jan. 29-30 weekend, so the majority of New England ultrarunners looking to race selected that event as their primary objective for the weekend, though it was ultimately postponed by a week due to the massive Nor’easter that brought more than two feet of snow to much of the state. Several runners headed out-of-state to race, however, most of them escaped the storm’s clutches to run in warmer climates during the final weekend of January. Those races are featured in this edition of the roundup.

A first-time 100-mile finisher in Arizona and a 100-mile champion in Hawaii highlight this early-2022 edition of the roundup.

The 2022 ultramarathon racing season kicked off locally on Saturday, Jan. 8, with the return of the G.A.C. Frozen Fat Ass 50K. While around 100 New England residents took part in that classic event as it celebrated its 22nd running, a handful of runners from the region journeyed south to Texas to take part in the 100K and 50K ultras at the Bandera Endurance Runs. Included among the field was former Boston resident Joe McConaughy who made a fierce attempt to secure a Western States Golden Ticket before coming up just minutes short. McConaughy’s performance and those of the New England crew at Bandera are included in this week’s roundup.

A handful of New England residents were among the final runners to finish an ultramarathon in 2021 or the first to complete one in 2022. That was the case – as it has been for a few decades – for runners at Across the Years in Phoenix, Ariz. It was one of the few events to take place that overlaps the turning of a new year, and it kicks off the 2022 edition of the roundup.

The 2021 ultrarunning season is rapidly coming to a close. Days have grown shorter, and race calendars have, too. Only a handful of ultras remain on the slate between now and the new year. Light racing has taken place during the first few weekends of December, but a handful of runners from the region have made their way to starting lines around the country. That includes Cambridge resident Alexander Lenail, whose busy December included racing locally at the Fells Winter Ultra before heading to California and turning in a strong showing at the Woodside Ramble 50K. His performance leads off this edition of the roundup.

Winter is nearly upon us, and the 2021 ultramarathon season is rapidly coming to a close. The first weekend of December saw far fewer races than in recent months, and although most New England residents who raced during the Dec. 4-5 weekend opted to stay local at the Fells Winter Ultra in Stoneham, Mass., a handful headed out of state to race. That included Graham Simon who delivered a dandy of a performance in his first 100-mile race at the Devil Dog Ultras in Virginia. His strong performance leads off this week’s roundup.

November has been busy for ultras in Massachusetts, starting with the Stone Cat 50K and followed by both the Race for DFL and TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultras on Nov. 13-14. While those events attracted many runners from Massachusetts and greater New England, a handful of runners from the region still raced beyond the Bay State, including the inaugural offering of a 50K distance at the Bold Coast Bash in Maine. That race and more are featured in this week’s roundup.