When Jeff Uzzel ran the inaugural Tails & Trails State Forest Run 50K in 2025, he dominated from the start and won by more than an hour. The defending champion returned for the second annual event on Saturday, May 16, in Pittsfield, Mass., and found himself under pressure throughout before finishing in a familiar position.

For most of the past 11 years, the Berkshire Ultra Running Community for Service has kicked off its BURCS Trail Series with the Vegan Power Trail Races at Pittsfield State Forest. For 2025, the BURCS decided to shake things up. They shelved Vegan Power, but maintained the event’s beneficiary and added a few more for a brand new event at Pittsfield State Forest: the Tails & Trails State Forest Run.