The Oct. 15-16 weekend was all about Ghost Train in New England. Hundreds of runners flocked to Brookline, N.H., to race the 13th annual event. Still, there were a few folks who opted for other events. Some raced in Connecticut for 24-hours at the Centurion Ultra, while others ran 100 miles in Pennsylvania at Oil Creek State Park. Additionally, two Massachusetts women became first-time ultramarathon finishers in Oregon – while a familiar face took home the victory. We have it all covered in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Rogue Gorge, Centurion, and Oil CreekTag Archives: trailrunning
Results: Ghost Train Rail Trail Race
The 13th running of the Ghost Train Rail Trail Race took place Oct. 15-16 on the Milford and Brookline Rail Trail in Brookline, N.H. Runners took on the 7.5-mile long (15-mile round-trip) trail for up to 30 hours or opted for the 15-mile option. Runners completed ultra distances of 105, 100, 90, 75, 60, 45 or 30 miles.
Continue reading Results: Ghost Train Rail Trail Race
After FKT Faceoff, Kwasnik and Grip Duel at Midstate Massive
NEW IPSWICH, N.H. – Corin Kwasnik and Dan Grip hadn’t met prior to the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-miler, nor had they shared a race course, but they weren’t exactly strangers. In fact, they’d done battle before.
Continue reading After FKT Faceoff, Kwasnik and Grip Duel at Midstate Massive
Photos: Ghost Train Rail Trail Race 30-Hour Ultra
The 13th edition of the Ghost Train Rail Trail Race took place Oct. 15-16, 2022, on the Milford and Brookline Rail Trail in Brookline, N.H. The following are just a sample of photos taken by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full gallery of more than 350 photos can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page at this link.
Continue reading Photos: Ghost Train Rail Trail Race 30-Hour UltraMassUltra Roundup: Big Brad, Moab 240, Palmer Lake, and Canal Corridor
The Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail was the biggest ultramarathon show in New England during the Oct. 8-10 weekend, but it was far from the only event that attracted runners from the region to a starting line. Several headed to Maine for the challenging Big Brad Ultras at Bradbury Mountain State Park. Another half-dozen runners ran for days on end in Utah at the Moab 240. One Massachusetts man earned his first ultra finish in Colorado, while two more runners from the region cranked out 100 miles in Ohio at Canal Corridor. Midstate Massive will have its own recap story, but we have the others featured in this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Big Brad, Moab 240, Palmer Lake, and Canal Corridor
Results: Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail
The fourth annual Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-mile, 50-mile and 30-mile ultramarathons took place Oct. 8-9, taking runners on a journey from New Ipswich, N.H., to Douglas, Mass., or shorter variations along the Midstate Trail that crossed Massachusetts from north to south.
Continue reading Results: Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail
Village Ultra Raises Funds for Abortion Rights, Celebrates Running Community
Since its founding in 2017, the Village Ultra has supported a new organization each year with the goal of making a positive impact. It began with helping a family with a child needing medical treatment for Pediatric Acute-onset Neuropsychiatric Syndrome, and in later years raised funds for R.C. Mahar Regional Middle School and High School, the Swift River School in New Salem, the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (RAICES), and a LGBTQIA+ youth support organization called The Trevor Project.
When the U.S. Supreme Court in late June overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating abortion as a constitutional right and opening the door to states to completely ban the medical procedure, Village Ultra founder Carla Halpern knew what the 2022 event would support: the Abortion Rights Fund of Western Massachusetts.
Continue reading Village Ultra Raises Funds for Abortion Rights, Celebrates Running Community
Photos: 2022 Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail
The fourth annual Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-mile, 50-mile and 30-mile ultramarathons took place Oct. 8-9, 2022. Runners in the 100-miler started at the Windblown Cross Country Ski Area in New Ipswich, N.H., traveled across Massachusetts from north to south on the Midstate Trail, crossed into Connecticut and Rhode Island and then traveled to the finish line at Douglas State Forest in Douglas, Mass. The following are a select few photos from the race. A full photo gallery with 142 photos can be found on the MassUltra Facebook page at this link.
Continue reading Photos: 2022 Midstate Massive Ultra-TrailMassUltra Roundup: Bubba’s Backyard, Joe English, and Yeti 100
October arrived with cooler temperatures and a less crowded ultramarathon racing schedule for the Oct. 1-2 weekend, but plenty of New Englanders found opportunities to run long. In New Hampshire, runners ran from dusk to dark at the Joe English Twilight Challenge. In Virginia, several New Englanders ran through the night and into the next day on their way to 100-mile finishes at the Yeti 100-Mile Endurance Run. And in New Hampshire, runners ran all day, all night, all day and well into a second night for far beyond 100 miles at Bubba’s Backyard Ultra. It was once again a showdown between Ed Clifford and Brian Burke at Bubba’s, and that race leads off this edition of the roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bubba’s Backyard, Joe English, and Yeti 100
BURCS’ Free to Run Trail Races Return at Pivotal Moment, Amass Large Donation to FTR
When the United States military and NATO forces withdrew from Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban returned to power, the country was thrown into turmoil as its new leadership set about rolling back all sorts of rights people had gained and enjoyed in years prior. No group was more targeted than women and girls, as the Taliban sought to deny them access to education, freedom of expression and movement, and so much more. In a very real way the Taliban sought to deny women and girls their own identities.
Continue reading BURCS’ Free to Run Trail Races Return at Pivotal Moment, Amass Large Donation to FTR
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