WESTWOOD, Mass. – A few minutes into the pre-race briefing, TARCtic Frozen Yeti co-Race Director Surjeet Paintal turned the floor over to course-marking captain Chris Martin who had the honor of delivering the best news runners could hope for.
“The course is beautiful. You probably have the best conditions in the history of this race,” Martin told the nearly 100 runners gathered inside Powissett Lodge awaiting the start of the 30-hour ultramarathon at Hale Reservation.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the fifth edition of the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra and 15-Mile Night Race on Feb. 3-4, 2024, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners enjoyed some of the best weather in event history with with no precipitation, a temperature around 30 degrees at the start on Saturday, sunny skies and a high in the mid-30s, overnight temperatures in the mid-20s, and a sunny Sunday morning that crept above freezing for the final hours before reaching the upper-30s by the time the race ended on early Sunday afternoon. All photos in this gallery by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen (who was running the race and didn’t take many). To view a full photo gallery from the event, check out the great work by Garrett Simon who was out on the course and took nearly 500 photos.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the fifth edition of the TARCtic Frozen Yeti 30-Hour Ultra and 15-Mile Night Race on Feb. 3-4, 2024, at Hale Reservation in Westwood, Mass. Runners took on a 15+-mile clover-leaf style course consisting of three approximately 5-mile mini-loops. Runners enjoyed seasonably good weather with no precipitation, a temperature around 30 degrees at the start on Saturday, sunny skies and a high in the mid-30s, overnight temperatures in the mid-20s, and a sunny Sunday morning that crept above freezing for the final hours before reaching the upper-30s by the time the race ended on early Sunday afternoon.
The Trail Animals Running Club’s 2023 TARC Trail Series came to a close as it always does with runners tackling loops at the Middlesex Fells on Saturday, Dec. 2, in Stoneham, Mass., but this year’s event featured a few tweaks to the traditional format.
The Trail Animals Running Club (TARC) played host to the 12th edition of the TARC Winter Classic on Saturday, Dec. 22, at the Middlesex Fells Reservation in Stoneham, Mass. The event took on a bit of a new look this year as it varied from its traditional Fells Winter Ultra lineup. Gone was the five-loop 40-mile ultra, but the four-loop 32-mile ultra remained and a new one-loop 8-mile race was added to the lineup.
WINCHESTER, Mass. – It’s not unusual to see Mat Ridley ripping through the woods on singletrack trails, dodging rocks and dancing through roots while making it seem easy as the miles pile up. Ridley has been one of the fastest ultra-trail runners in the area for the past two years with multiple victories and several podium finishes to his credit.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the seventh running of the TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, Mass. Runners ran on the farm trails and the winding, technical singletrack of neighboring Whipple Hill on a 3.5-mile loop course and had six hours to complete as many loops as they wanted.
The Trail Animals Running Club played host to the seventh running of the TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra on Saturday, Nov. 11, 2023, at Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, Mass. Runners ran on the farm trails and the winding, technical singletrack of neighboring Whipple Hill on a 3.5-mile loop. The following are a small sample of the photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen during the event. A full gallery of 119 photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
IPSWICH, Mass. – Roger Martell Jr. gazed across the field behind Paul F. Doyon School and watched as runners emerged from Willowdale State Forest, dashed across the open field and crossed the finish line of the inaugural TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival.
Martell made the same journey minutes earlier when he finished his half marathon. Now, standing with hands on his hips and sporting a red running singlet with the initials G.A.C. emblazoned across the chest in white, Martell inhaled the cool, crisp morning air and soaked up the atmosphere while catching his breath. As his heart rate settled, the smile across his face grew wide.
The 22nd edition of the Stone Cat Trail Race and inaugural running of the event now known as the TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival took place Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023, at Willowdale State Forest in Ipswich, Mass. All photos in this gallery are by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full gallery from the race with 250+ photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
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