Athlete Highlights
Every athlete's journey looks different — some chase Boston, some chase first finishes, a new distance, big PR's or their next mountain. They all matter equally, and the full list of athlete results lives on the main results page.
But with that list rapidly approaching a thousand entries, folks have asked for a curated highlights page. This page includes some highlights across road, trail, mountain and ultra, as well as just a few highlighted long-term improvement arcs.
Long-Term Improvements
True long-term development doesn't happen in a single 16-week build. It happens across years of work: consistent training woven through real life, with all its bumps and detours. The athletes below each represent just a few of many multi-year journeys, and what's possible when you stay patient and keep showing up.
Bill J
Bill joined when staying uninjured through 3 mile runs was the primary goal. Year by year, he progressed from 5Ks to marathons to 50ks to 100k's — each step earned through consistent work and patient progression.
The big life goal was realized at South Downs Way 100: sub-24 hours and the coveted One Day buckle, on his first try at the distance. It's just proof that with smart training and a steady dose of self-belief, even the biggest goals can come into reach.
Now? Bill's still getting faster at shorter distances, ready to reach yet another level at his next ultra.
Jennifer M
Years ago, Jennifer's dream was to race the Superior 100, but it felt far out of reach.
She built toward it the patient way: 35 minutes carved off her marathon across three years of steady PRs, from 3:59 (already a 30-minute PR from her first marathon) down to 3:24, a first step up to the 50-mile distance, then that Superior dream made real with her first 100-miler in 2024.
The capstone came in 2025 at the West Highland Way 100 — ten hours faster than her first hundred, and 10th woman overall. The goals that feel impossible today are often just a few years of consistent work away.
Alyssa A
Alyssa came in as a self-described hobby jogger in her 40s... and within two years was running a 3:00:44 debut marathon for a NH Masters state record.
From there she stepped into territory that was completely new: a full season of mountain racing that ended with her winning the USATF-NE Mountain Circuit, followed by the ultra world with two top-10 finishes at JFK50 against international-level competition. After that, it was back to the marathon to break the state single-age record for 48-year-olds by thirty minutes.
Few athletes are willing to start an entirely new sport in their 40s, and even fewer excel everywhere they go.
Marisa P
Marisa races at the top end of some seriously punishing mountain and trail ultras, and across a remarkable range of distances.
In just a few years she stepped up to her first 200-miler at Bigfoot (4th overall), won the Orcas Island 50mi within minutes of her own course record, and stacked podium finishes at 100-milers from the Cascades to Bryce Canyon.
Just as telling: when illness compromised a big race, she had the wisdom to pull the plug rather than dig a hole... then came back for Bryce Canyon 100 just five weeks later to finish 2nd.
Knowing when to push and when to back off is exactly what keeps her at the front, year after year.
Eli B
Eli came in with unique experience: years of self-supported adventures, hiking and ultras. So we switched gears temporarily: a first marathon where he grabbed a Boston qualifier despite running it with a cold.
That served as a foundation for what came next: back-to-back unsupported FKTs across Iceland and the length of Rhode Island, a return to the roads for a marathon PR and an age-group podium, and then the big one: the Grand Slam of Ultrarunning, four 100-milers in just 14 weeks. Few runners cover this much ground this well, and Eli keeps finding new edges to push.
Brian D
Brian races everything — and somehow keeps getting better at all of it.
A monster PR at JFK50 in 2023 set the stage, then he proceeded to win a 5k and a 50k in the same year.
From there he's only widened the range: a hot, muddy, storm-battered Burning River 100, a road half PR on a hilly course, and a sub-6 finish at the mountainous Hyner 50k with 6,400+ feet of climbing.
Few athletes look this comfortable shifting from a 5k to a 100-miler and back, and Brian keeps finding new edges to push at every distance.
Road Highlights
From debut marathons to BQ's and PRs, age-group wins to state records, runners are chasing all kinds of goals on the roads. Each one is its own story; together, they're a snapshot of what's possible!
Trail & Ultra Highlights
Trails, mountains, and ultras: from a first 50k to multi-day adventure runs, from podiums to dream races finally finished. Different distances, different terrain, but all represent a willingness to step into something hard.
