While out for a run on the Ware River Rail-Trail on Tuesday, March 31, Steve Levandosky encountered a sign that inspired him to stop, pull out his phone and snap a photo.
“Use of this trail is a privilege & not a right,” the sign read.
Since running her first trail ultramarathon in 2015, Marie Gryszowka has steadily pushed her limits, tackling more mileage, taking on bigger adventures, and never backing down from a challenge. The 2019 season was her biggest yet, with at least seven ultramarathon finishes – including her first two 100-milers.Continue reading With Ultras On Hold, Gryszowka Makes a Difference One Mask at a Time→
One of New England’s original ultramarathons, the Trail Animals Running Club’s ‘Don’t Run Boston’ Ultras, has been canceled due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading TARC’s ‘Don’t Run Boston’ Canceled→
Whether you first started reading the site this year or you’ve been following along from the beginning in early 2016, you likely came to MassUltra because you care about your local ultrarunning community. You’re here because you want to know the latest news, because you draw inspiration from the people around you, or because you simply want to feel a little more connected. It’s probably some combination of all of those reasons; in fact, all of them played a role in my decision to launch this site four-plus years ago, and they are why it continues today. Continue reading From the Editor’s Desk: Telling Stories While Our Sport Presses Pause→
Just weeks before the 2020 ultrarunning slate in New England was set to kick into high gear, the sport — and most of everyday life — is grinding to a halt thanks to the spread of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19.
Michael McDuffie and Annie Gagliardi, co-Race Directors for the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Spring Classic, hoped their race on April 25 in Weston, Mass., would be able to avoid cancellation in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but they let runners know not to get their hopes up. Just days ago, McDuffie pegged the chances of the race taking place at “15.2 percent.”
As COVID-19 increases its spread throughout the United States, the ultrarunning season is grinding to a halt. At least a dozen ultras in the US were canceled or postponed during the March 14-15 weekend. Only a handful of ultras took place in what might be the final week of racing for the foreseeable future. There weren’t many local results to report, but there were a handful of big performances turned in by Massachusetts residents during a mostly quiet race weekend. Amy and Brian Rusiecki led the way as the South Deerfield residents made one of their annual early-season trips to Virginia and brought home podium finishes at the Bel Monte 50-miler, Amy taking first in the women’s race and Brian second among the men. Additionally, Cambridge resident Simon Guerard secured a spot on the podium with a speedy performance at the Everglades Ultra in Florida. Both of those races are covered in this week’s roundup. Continue reading MassUltra Roundup: Bel Monte and Everglades→