MassUltra

NEWBURY, Mass. – Cole Crosby squinted as he looked out across the Atlantic Ocean, the glittery reflection of the sun off the water burning his tired eyes on this nearly cloud-free day. His nostrils burned as he breathed in the cold ocean air, and his legs shivered in the 44-degree temperature and 15-mile-per-hour wind. The tastes of champagne and Modelo Especial were still fresh on his tongue, crisp celebratory palate cleansers after multiple days on the run.

It’s fair to say Crosby was on the verge of sensory overload as he stood on the edge of Newbury Beach just after noon on Saturday, Nov. 11, a few minutes removed from completing his fastest known time (FKT) effort on the approximately 230-mile long Bay Circuit Trail (BCT). Still, of all the feelings and emotions coursing through his weary body in that moment, one stood out from the rest.

“Fulfilled,” Crosby said matter-of-factly. “That’s the one word.”

Read on to learn more about Cole Crosby's Bay Circuit Trail FKT experience. Chaos Crewing Co. Aravaipa Running Fastest Known Time

Fueled by Community, Crosby Smashes Bay Circuit Trail FKT NEWBURY, Mass. – Cole Crosby squinted as he looked out across the Atlantic Ocean, the glittery reflection of the sun off the water burning his tired eyes on this nearly cloud-free day. His nostrils…

Results are up from last weekend's in Winchendon.

Results: Race for DFL Beast Coast Trail Running and Race Director Amy Rusiecki played host to the fourth edition of the Race for DFL last person standing event on Nov. 11-12 at the Kenty Farm in Winchendon, Mass. When b…

Results are up from the .

Results: TARCkey Trot 6-Hour Ultra 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 Wi******er, Mass. Runners ran on the farm trai…

After 27 hours and 112.5 miles, brothers Bill Tidd and John Tidd are the co-champions of the Race for DFL.

After 25 hours and 104.2 miles, Bryce Spare retired at the Race for DFL. One hour later, after 108.4 miles Jason Kaplan ended his race. Two runners remain and are on their 27th hour: Bill Tidd and John Tidd.

Four runners - Jason Kaplan, Bryce Spare, Bill Tidd, and John Tidd - have completed 24 hours and 100 miles at the Race for DFL in Winchendon and are now on their 25th hour. It is currently 29 degrees in Winchendon as the runners push on during the final Beast Coast Trail Running Series event of the year.

What. A. Day! After 12 hours on the road and three stops (Wi******er for the TARCkey Trot, Newburyport for the finish of Cole Crosby's Bay Circuit Trail FKT, and then on to Winchendon for the Race for DFL), I'm home for the night and ready to start editing photos, typing results, and drafting articles. There will be a ton of new content to come in the days ahead. Stay tuned!

This is the final weekend of in-person ultra coverage for the 2023 season (as there are only a couple events left in MA this year and I'll be out of town or have family obligations those days), so we're doing it big! I took a half-day of PTO from work today to catch up with Cole Crosby during his Bay Circuit Trail FKT attempt (follow his progress here: https://trackleaders.com/bctfkt23f.php and follow his crew from Chaos Crewing Co. on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/chaoscrewingco/ ). On Saturday I'll be at the in the morning in Wi******er and in the afternoon in Winchendon. I'll see you on the trails!

The busiest stretch of ultramarathon racing in New England came to a close during the Nov. 4-5 weekend with four ultra events throughout the region – the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival, the Richmond Trail Running Club’s RUTfest in Vermont, the Hamsterwheel in New Hampshire, and 8-Hours at the Farm in Connecticut. In addition, several runners traveled beyond the region to take on ultras in Alabama, Virginia, West Virginia and New York. Stone Cat is featured in a separate article and results aren’t yet posted from RUTfest, but we have all the others covered in this jam-packed edition of the roundup.

MassUltra Roundup: Hamsterwheel, 8 Hours at the Farm, Rim to River, Fall Back Into the Trails, Pinhoti, and Mountain Ma*****st The busiest stretch of ultramarathon racing in New England came to a close during the Nov. 4-5 weekend with four ultra events throughout the region – the Trail Animals Running Club’s TARC Stone Cat…

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.

If you’d told Martell a year ago – or even six months ago – that he’d be standing here, having just crossed the finish line at Stone Cat, he wouldn’t have believed you.

Read on for more about the revival and how is carrying on the tradition of this classic New England event started by more than two decades ago.

Saving Stone Cat: New Chapter Begins for a New England Classic 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 finis…

Results are up from yesterday's in Ipswich. A photo gallery from the race will be posted tomorrow, followed by an article recapping the event.

Results: TARC Stone Cat Trail Festival 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 Ipswi…

A red-hot October came to a close with just a handful of New England ultrarunners traveling to races, either close by at the Tunxis Trail Ultramarathon in Connecticut or bigger national events like the Javelina Jundred in Arizona and the new Canyonlands Ultra in Utah. We also tracked down results from the Oct. 21-22 Survival of the FI.T.test 30-Hour Ultra in Rhode Island where several New Englanders had strong showings – none stronger than Taylor Verville’s 100-mile victory. These races and more make for some light reading in this edition of the roundup.

MassUltra Roundup: Tunxis, Survival of the F.I.T.test, Javelina, Canyonlands, and Fonta Flora A red-hot October came to a close with just a handful of New England ultrarunners traveling to races, either close by at the Tunxis Trail Ultramarathon in Connecticut or bigger national events like…

BROOKLINE, N.H. – The demons were there lurking in the darkness, just like they always do at Ghost Train.

Some of those demons were present day and night, such as the statues and hand-crafted decorations carefully created and placed along the Granite Town Rail Trail that stretches for 7.5 miles between Brookline and Milford, N.H. Others were the demons that lurk inside the minds of runners as the miles pile up and they push late into the night and – for some – the following day.

Read on for more about what went down at 2023. And a big thanks to David Metsky and Julia Magnusson for sharing their photos to help capture this story.

Runners Rise Above the Demons, Earn Milestone Finishes at Ghost Train BROOKLINE, N.H. – The demons were there lurking in the darkness, just like they always do at Ghost Train. Some of those demons were present day and night, such as the statues and hand-crafted decor…

Happy Halloween from MassUltra HQ!

More than 100 runners assembled at the starting line at Millside Park across the parking lot from New City Brewery where the post-race party would take place that afternoon. Most were there for the 25K solo race or relay, but 16 of them wanted to attempt to tackle two loops for a 50K. For them, 7,000 feet of climbing and a hearty dose of technical, leaf-covered trails within the reservation awaited them.

Read on for more from this year's Trail Race from the Race Series. Special thanks to Jonathan Loyche for the photos!

Grip Clips Course Record with Victory at Mt. Tom Trail Race There is never an “easy time” to run the trails of Mt. Tom State Reservation. They’re steep, rocky and rough every month of the year. When Race Director Amy Rusiecki added an October race at Mt. To…

HINGHAM, Mass. – Andrew Tidd squinted as he rounded the final turn and the finish line came into view. A steady rain blurred his vision, but through the drops he could see the race clock, the red arch and Race Directors Robert Jeffers and Matt Hoadley cheering him on.

Tidd pushed with every last ounce that he could muster and dashed across the finish line as the winner of the 50K at the third annual Womp Romp on Saturday, Oct. 21, at Wompatuck State Park.

Read on for more from what went down at .

Womp Romp Champ Tidd Savors Victory at “Special Place” HINGHAM, Mass. – Andrew Tidd squinted as he rounded the final turn and the finish line came into view. A steady rain blurred his vision, but through the drops he could see the race clock, the…

Hey everyone, just a heads up that work has been busy and my dad is in town visiting so I'm a bit behind on stories from the recent local races - but I haven't forgotten about them. Articles from Ghost Train, Womp Romp, and Mt. Tom are all in the works and will be up in the next few days.

New England ultrarunners took to the trails in both eastern and western Massachusetts during the Oct. 21-22 weekend for the Mt. Tom Trail Race 50K in Easthampton and the Womp Romp 50K in Hingham, but those popular events weren’t the only racing destination for runners from the region. A few took on a road ultra in Maine at Farm to Farm, and others toed the starting line at Bimblers Bluff in Connecticut. Several more tackled up to 30 hours at Survival of the F.I.T.test in Rhode Island, though official results of that event aren’t yet available. Many more ventured beyond the region to places as far south as Florida and as far west as California, and places in between, to take on tough courses. Several races have yet to post their results, but we’ve caught up with as many as we can in this edition of the roundup.

MassUltra Roundup: Bimblers Bluff, Farm to Farm, No Business, Gate2Gate, Patapsco Valley, Pumpkin Holler, Lake Sonoma, and Moab 240 New England ultrarunners took to the trails in both eastern and western Massachusetts during the Oct. 21-22 weekend for the Mt. Tom Trail Race 50K in Easthampton and the Womp Romp 50K in Hingham, b…

Photographer Jonathan Loyche was on the scene with camera in hand at last weekend's Mt. Tom Trail Race, and he shared his photos with us. Here's a sample of his images from the day, and the link below includes a link to his full gallery. Check it out!

Photos: Mt. Tom Trail Race Beast Coast Trail Running played host to the third annual Mt. Tom Trail Race and second edition of its 50K offering on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Easthampton, Mass. The race started and finished at Mill…

Results are up from last weekend's Mt. Tom Trail Race 50K and 25K, part of the Race Series.

Results: Mt. Tom Trail Race Beast Coast Trail Running played host to the third annual Mt. Tom Trail Race and second edition of its 50K offering on Saturday, Oct. 21, in Easthampton, Mass. The race started and finished at Mill…

Results are now up from yesterday's 50K and 10-miler at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham.

Results: Womp Romp The third annual Womp Romp 10-miler and second edition of the 50K took place on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023, at Wompatuck State Park in Hingham, Mass. Runners took on a 10.5-mile loop course on a mixtu…

On the road to Wompatuck State Park this morning. See you soon at .

Results from are up!

Results: Ghost Train Trail Race The 14th edition of the Ghost Train Trail Race took place Oct. 14-15 on the Granite Town Rail Trail between Brookline and Milford, N.H. In addition to the event’s traditional 30-hour and 15-mile ul…