BROOKLINE, N.H. – The goal seemed audacious, but that was precisely the point.
Friendships take on all sorts of forms. Some are rooted in childhood connections; others may grow out of work, book clubs, or other shared interests. For Scott Warren and Andy Godzinski, theirs is a brotherhood built on lofty dreams, big adventures and bold efforts.
Continue reading Warren, Godzinski Dream Big, Raise the Bar with Record-Setting Run at Ghost TrainBROOKLINE, N.H. – Ever since Ghost Train Trail Race founder Steve Latour turned the event from just a 15-mile race into an ultramarathon in 2011, it has been the venue of choice for many New Englanders to run their first ultra, fastest ultra, or take a first crack at running 100 miles. The 7.5-mile-long Granite Town Rail Trail offers easy running with a bit of technicality, but it also presents an enticing opportunity for runners seeking to deliver a big-time performance.
There was no shortage of big-time performances at the 15th edition of the event on Oct. 19-20, and the biggest of those performances were downright stunning. There was the astounding effort of good friends Andrew Godzinski and Scott Warren who became the first runners in Ghost Train history to complete 130 miles. And then there was the eye-popping performance by Lila Gaudrault as she annihilated the women’s 100-mile course record with one of the fastest performances in North America this year.
Continue reading Two 130-Mile Efforts, Gaudrault’s Historic 100 Highlight Ghost TrainThe fourth annual Womp Romp Trail Races took place on Saturday, Oct. 26, 2024, at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass. The event offered a 50K ultramarathon for the third straight year in addition to offering the event’s original 10-mile distance on rolling trails through the park.
Continue reading Results: Womp Romp Trail RacesThere were a few things you could always count on during the first five years of the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-mile, 50-mile and 30-mile ultramarathons. The course would be challenging, the fall foliage would be spectacular, and both Dane LeBlanc and Joe Loureiro would be on the starting line for the 100-miler.
Continue reading Loureiro’s Presence Felt, Memory Honored at Midstate MassiveThe 15th edition of the Ghost Train Trail Race took place Oct. 19-20, 2024, in Brookline, N.H. Around 700 runners gathered and took on a variety of options, from a 30-hour ultra, to a 30-mile night race, a 15-mile race, and team relays on the 7.5-mile-long rail trail.
Continue reading Results: Ghost Train Trail RaceAround 700 runners – mostly New Englanders – gathered in southern New Hampshire during the Oct. 19-20 weekend for the 15th edition of the Ghost Train Trail Race 30-hour ultra, 30-mile night race, 15-mile race and team relay. It seems hard to believe, but there were still several New Englanders who sought out ultra adventures in other places across the United States. They raced at the Patapsco Valley 50K in Maryland, the Call of the Wilds 50K in Pennsylvania, the Tecumseh Trail Challenge in Indiana, the California Fall Classic, and the New Orleans Ultramarathon. New Englanders also toed the starting line at the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd in Oklahoma, the Palo Duro Trail Run in Texas, the Man Against Horse 50-Miler in Arizona, and BadgerPalooza in New Jersey, though results from those races were unavailable at the time of publication. We’ll highlight several of last weekend’s events in this edition of the roundup, but we lead off with a race from the previous week where Massachusetts resident Tom Flummerfelt earned a top-20 finish at the grueling Moab 240-miler in Utah.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Moab 240, Patapsco Valley, Call of the Wilds, Tecumseh Trail Challenge, California Fall Classic, and the New Orleans UltramarathonThe 15th edition of the Ghost Train Trail Race 30-hour ultra took place Oct. 19-20 in Brookline, N.H. Runners once again took on a 7.5-mile out-and-back rail trail between Brookline and Milford on a course decked out in fall foliage and Halloween decor. The following are a small sample of photos by MassUltra Editor Chris Wristen. A full gallery can be viewed on the MassUltra Facebook page.
Continue reading Photos: Ghost Train Trail RaceAfter kicking off this week’s roundup with a look at Northeast races from the Oct. 11-13 weekend, here in Part II we look to the Midwest and West where New Englanders raced in Oregon, Illinois, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. Included among those efforts were a podium finish for Maine’s Eli Nixon at the Angel’s Rest 50K, and a fourth-place showing for Boston’s Aadi Khasgiwala at the Des Plaines River Trail 50K to lead off Part II of this week’s roundup.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Angel’s Rest, Des Plaines, Sage Burner, Canyon de Chelly, and Cactus to CloudThe ever-popular Ghost Train Rail Trail Race looms next weekend, and the Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail saw a huge field of runners during the Oct. 11-13 weekend in New England. Still, that didn’t mean it was a light weekend of ultramarathon racing at other venues for runners from the region. In fact, the scene was hot in the Northeast, with runners racing in at the Big Brad Ultras in Maine and Devil’s Den in Vermont, as well as at the Tesla Hertz Ultras on Long Island in New York. We have those events covered here in Part I of this week’s roundup. In Part II, we’ll head to the Midwest and West.
Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Big Brad, Devil’s Den, and Tesla HertzThe sixth annual Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail 100-mile, 50-mile and 30-mile ultramarathons took place Oct. 12-13, 2024, beginning at the Windblown Cross Country Ski Area in New Ipswich, N.H., and finishing at Douglas State Forest in Massachusetts.
Continue reading Results: Midstate Massive Ultra-Trail
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