MILTON, Mass. – Howie Breinan gathered the crowd of runners near the starting line by Houghton’s Pond for the pre-race briefing. Breinan scanned the faces looking back at him and recognized a few, but most were a bit unfamiliar – at least at this starting line.
Continue reading Lost In the Woods: Large Crop of Newcomers Take On DRBTag Archives: Trail Animals
MacDonald Defends Title on Tough Day at Wapack
During the first 13 years of the Wapack and Back Trail Races only two runners won back-to-back titles in either the 50-mile or 43-mile distances – Josh Katzman during his 2012 and 2013 runs that remain the top two men’s 50-mile performances in event history, and Debbie Livingston’s winning performances in the women’s field in 2013 and 2014.
Continue reading MacDonald Defends Title on Tough Day at WapackResults: Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K and 50-Mile Ultras
The 27th edition of the Trail Animals Running Club’s original event, the Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K, took place on Saturday, April 16, 2023, at the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Mass. In addition, the 14th edition of the DRB 50-miler also took place. The 6 a.m. wave start enjoyed 50-degree temperatures, fog, and a little bit of light drizzle, and similar conditions greeted runners in the 8 a.m. start wave. The day was overcast throughout, humid and breezy with temperatures in the low- to mid-50s throughout the day.
Continue reading Results: Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K and 50-Mile UltrasResults: TARC Wapack and Back
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the 15th running of the Wapack and Back Trail Races on Saturday, May 13, 2023, in Ashburnham, Mass. Runners took on either a 43-mile out-and-back of the Wapack Trail, a 50-mile race that included the 43-mile out-and-back and an additional seven miles, or a 21.5-mile one-way journey through the course. Since its founding in 2007 by Bogie Dumitrescu, the event has been held annually with the exception of 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Continue reading Results: TARC Wapack and BackSpecial Moments Aplenty at TARC Spring Classic
WESTON, Mass. – Shortly after crossing the finish line at the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Spring Classic, Johnathan Charles settled into a camp chair to give his legs a break. Sweat glistened on his brow and his lungs still burned from the effort, though his breathing had settled into a comfortable rhythm. Tired and content, he sported a grin from ear to ear.
Charles had good reason to be smiling – he’d just completed his first trail race and longest run ever.
Continue reading Special Moments Aplenty at TARC Spring ClassicPhotos: TARC Spring Classic
The 11th running of the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Spring Classic took place on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Jericho Woods in Weston, Mass. Runners took on a variety of distances, from a 50K ultramarathon, to the marathon, half marathon and 10K races. The following are a sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen at the event. A full gallery of his photos can be viewed on Facebook in the 2023 TARC Spring Classic gallery.
Continue reading Photos: TARC Spring ClassicResults: TARC Spring Classic
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the 11th running of the TARC Spring Classic on Saturday, April 22, 2023, at the Jericho Woods in Weston, Mass. Around 300 runners took part in the various distance offerings, from a 50K ultra to marathon, half marathon and 10K distances.
Continue reading Results: TARC Spring ClassicPhotos: 27th Annual Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” Ultras
The 27th edition of the Trail Animals Running Club’s original event, the Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” 50K, took place on Saturday, April 16, 2023, at the Blue Hills Reservation in Milton, Mass. In addition, the 14th edition of the DRB 50-miler also took place, with runners completing the 50K course and then completing an additional 19-mile loop. All photos in this gallery are by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen.
Continue reading Photos: 27th Annual Trail Animals “Don’t Run Boston” UltrasGrip, Zhang, Taradash Have Big Days as TARC Returns to Hale
WESTWOOD, Mass. – When the Trail Animals gathered at Hale Reservation in early February, it was an unforgettably frigid affair as a historic cold snap plunged temperatures well below zero for the TARCtic Frozen Yeti. Seven weeks later, the Trail Animals returned to Hale on Saturday, March 25, for the sixth running of the club’s To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra, and the runners encountered a completely different experience.
Continue reading Grip, Zhang, Taradash Have Big Days as TARC Returns to HalePhotos: TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the sixth running of the TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra and “heavy” 5K on Saturday, March 25, 2023, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners took on a 3.5-mile loop course on mostly singletrack trails, and they were treated to some of the best weather conditions in the event’s history with dry trail conditions and temperatures in the mid-30s to low 40s with just a few sprinkles and some sleet near the end. This gallery includes a small sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen during the event. A full gallery of 83 photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
Continue reading Photos: TARC To Hale and Back 6-Hour Ultra