Durgesh Mankekar was still a relative newcomer to ultrarunning when he made his first appearance at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra in 2019.

For the past four years, Greg Soutiea had his speedy legs firmly planted on the top of the podium at the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service’s Sweltering Summer 8-Hour Ultra.

Soutiea dominated the race each year, always winning with at least 5 1/2 miles more than his closest competitor. The former resident of Quincy, Mass., now lives on the Maine coast, making the trip to Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass., a particularly long haul. As a result, after dominating the race from 2015-2018 when he secured the four biggest mileage totals in race history, Soutiea was absent from the seventh annual event on Saturday, Aug. 10. That meant a new champion would be crowned at the race around the .355-mile loop cinder track at Clapp Park.

And what a race it was. Continue reading New Champions Crowned at Sweltering Summer →

As its name implies, the Sweltering Summer Ultra aims to test not only runners’ endurance, but also their tolerance for New England’s typical mid-summer scorching heat.

The event, which was put on for the sixth year on a row by the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service (BURCS) on Saturday, Aug. 11, challenged runners to circle a .355-mile dirt and cinder loop as many times as possible during an 8-hour period at Clapp Park in Pittsfield, Mass.

While the course and the objective were the same as in years past, one thing was different – rather than sweltering heat, this year runners instead endured soaking rain for much of the day. That created challenging conditions on a course that’s designed for sure-footed running and speed. For Greg Soutiea, that simply made for an intriguing plot twist at a race where he has set a high standard for performance. Continue reading Soutiea Builds on Big Year with Another Record-Setting Effort at Soggy Sweltering Summer →

There’s a certain simplicity to time-based races that seems to have a magnetic pull on Greg Soutiea. From Arizona to New Jersey, from Tennessee to Massachusetts, the 33-year-old resident of Quincy, Mass., has traveled near and far to compete at timed events.

“I like having a very clearly defined ‘finish line’ and I like that all competitors are on the same course (often still visible) for the entire race,” Soutiea said. “I also really like that these races offer the ability to ‘shut off’ my brain and just focus on my stride, pace, nutrition, and heart rate. I don’t have to worry about where to turn, how many miles are left, how far to an aid station, where the other runners are, etc., the kind of things that other road or trail races make runners worry about. Literally all I have to think about is running in circles and focusing on how to make the steps in front of me more efficient.” Continue reading Soutiea Sizzles at Sweltering Summer Ultra →