News | Only One Hill | Only One Hill! Annual Road Race Up Mt. Washington

NE Delta Dental Road Race Hall of Fame honors Day-Lucore, Gutierrez, Teschek and Wyatt

Posted on April 23, 2013 by meg

Pinkham Notch NH-Two great champions from the Rocky Mountains, the race director who brought Mt. Washington into the modern era, and the World Mountain Champion from New Zealand will be honored this summer as the newest members of the Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame. In a ceremony at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road on Friday evening, June 14, the Hall of Fame will induct J’ne Day-Lucore and Simon Gutierrez, each of whom won the race three times; Bob Teschek, who directed the event for 29 years; and Jonathan Wyatt, the Mt. Washington course record-holder whom many consider the best uphill runner in history.

Formed in 2010, the Mount Washington Hall of Fame recognizes outstanding performers in this annual footrace to the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States. The Friday evening ceremony celebrates the folklore and history of the race while also serving as a welcome to some 1200 runners who will make the 7.6-mile ascent of the Auto Road the following morning in the 53rd running of the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race.

Votes by the Hall’s six committee members, plus the 11 honorees chosen in previous years, determined this year’s new members of the Hall of Fame:

J’ne (pronounced “Janey”) Day-Lucore, of Denver, Colorado, first ran Mt. Washington in 1992 and set a new course record for women in one hour 11 minutes 45 seconds. Already the record-holder for the Pike’s Peak Ascent in Colorado, she came back to the Granite State in 1993 to defend her title as Queen of the Mountain and reached Mt. Washington’s 6288-foot summit seven minutes faster than her nearest challenger. She won again in her third Mt. Washington appearance, 1995, before an injury restricted her running and she turned to triathlons. Even so, she returned to Mt. Washington in 1998 and finished second only to Sweden’s Magdalena Thorsell, who broke the course record that year. Returning in 1999 at the age of 38, Day-Lucore placed fourth, and in 2001 here she was ninth woman overall, second in the master’s division behind only Olympian Joan Benoit Samuelson.

Simon Gutierrez, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, first came to Mt. Washington in 1998 and impressed everyone with a third-place finish. The following year he finished fifth — two minutes faster than in his debut. Certain he could win Mt. Washington, Gutierrez returned in 2002 and placed first in that year’s weather-shortened race, defeating the hardcore New Englanders as well as then course-record holder and Hall of Famer Daniel Kihara of Kenya. To prove he could win the race at its full distance, Gutierrez ran away from the field in 2003, then won for a third time in 2005. He is also the race’s fastest over-40 runner of all time, having broken Hall of Famer Matt Carpenter’s master’s record in 2008 by finishing fifth overall in 1:01:34, and holding six of the nine fastest master’s times ever recorded at Mt. Washington.

Bob Teschek, of Newport, N.H., ran the Mt. Washington Road Race eight times, beginning in 1966. He became the race’s director in 1982 and turned the race into one of the best-organized events in the sport. His name is familiar to countless Mt. Washington runners, as well as to race directors across the region and farther afield who use his company, Granite State Race Services, to provide timing and finish-line management to several road races on most weekends of the year. He set his own excellent personal best time (1:15:52) for the Mt. Washington Road Race in 1977 and says he will run it again some year.

Jonathan Wyatt, of Wellington, New Zealand, first ran Mt. Washington in 2004, when he became the prohibitive favorite the moment he signed up. He had already won the World Mountain Trophy three times, was an Olympic marathoner, held course records in mountain races all across Europe, and was likely not merely to win at Mt. Washington but to break the course record. In fact he broke it by a minute and 40 seconds, running through damp fog and wind to reach the summit in 56:41, nearly seven minutes ahead of runner-up and U.S. national mountain champion Paul Low. Wyatt returned in 2007 and won again in 1:01:25, still well ahead of the field. He also won the World Mountain title three more times.

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race pits runners against one of the most challenging obstacles in road-racing anywhere. The Mt. Washington Auto Road rises at an average grade of 11.6 percent, the second half of the course being above the tree line and exposed to Mt. Washington’s notoriously capricious weather. The race has attracted Olympic athletes, Boston marathon champions, and many of the world’s great mountain running specialists, who compete in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along with numerous other runners from across the United States and abroad.

The Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame recognizes athletes whose exceptional accomplishments in the race have added greatly to the history and stature of the event. Inductees are chosen by a vote of the Hall of Fame committee and Hall of Fame members from a longer list of nominees compiled by December 31 of the preceding year. Anyone is welcome to nominate candidates for consideration.

The Friday evening Hall of Fame induction is part of the annual pre-race gathering for stories, brief speeches, information and advice about running up the mountain, and other tributes to the race. The ceremony will start at 6 p.m. in the large tent at the base of the Auto Road, on Route 16 just north of Pinkham Notch. The public is invited.

Regularly updated information about the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame is available any time on Facebook (facebook.com/mwrrhof), Twitter (twitter.com/mwrrrecords) and the Hall of Fame blog (mtwashingtonrecords.blogspot.com). For further information email committee members Dave Dunham (dave.dunham@comcast.net) or John Stifler (jstifler@econs.umass.edu). For information about the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race, visit www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com.

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Lottery Opens for 53rd Mt. Washington Road Race

Posted on February 14, 2013 by meg

Pinkham Notch, N.H. – Runners hoping to compete this summer in the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race can register as soon as Thursday, February 14 for the online lottery that determines the field for this all-uphill footrace. This registration window opened on February 14 at 8 a.m. Eastern Standard Time and closes at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, March 14. Runners may enter the lottery by visiting the race web site, www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com.

Attracting many more would-be entrants than the 152-year-old Mt. Washington Auto Road can accommodate, the “Run to the Clouds” is filled each year partly by invitations issued to elite mountain runners but primarily by a computer-generated random selection process open to all comers. The lottery will be held on Friday, March 15, and all applicants will be notified the following day as to whether or not they have gained the opportunity to run 7.6 grueling miles to the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States.

The race web site provides all necessary information for registering. A runner may register individually or as part of a team. In the latter case the team’s captain registers the team as a unit, and the lottery then either accepts or rejects the entire team. The entry fee is $80 per person. Registrants enter their credit card numbers on line; the $80 fee is charged to the cards of all accepted applicants.

Increasingly popular despite – or perhaps because of – its ultra-steep grade and Mt. Washington’s notoriously bad weather, the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race is the premier uphill running event in the eastern U.S. It regularly attracts top American and international mountain runners along with a hard core of seasoned marathoners, track and cross-country runners, Nordic skiers, snowshoe racers, triathletes and others. Former six-time World Mountain Champion Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand holds the men’s course record, 56 minutes 41 seconds, set in 2004. The women’s record was set in 2010 by the young Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare, who made the ascent in one hour eight minutes 21 seconds.

Runners whose recent performances indicate that they may be contenders for top places, or whose past participation in the race has contributed particularly to the event’s charisma, can bypass the lottery and enter the race as invited runners. Entry is also guaranteed for runners who have completed the six other races in the New England “Mountain Goat” race series. All previous winners of the race may enter automatically, and the previous year’s age-group winners are entitled to bypass the lottery.

The race begins at the Auto Road base on Route 16 near Pinkham Notch and climbs to the 6,288-foot summit at an average grade of 12 percent and a net altitude gain of 4,650 feet. The runners battle not only each other but the sheer force of gravity and Mt. Washington’s famously severe winds.

Based in Concord, NH, Northeast Delta Dental has sponsored the race up the historic Mt. Washington Auto Road since 2001. The dental insurance company’s President & CEO, Tom Raffio, has run the race in a personal best of one hour 50 minutes and 51 seconds. On the occasion of the 2012 “Run to the Clouds,” Northeast Delta Dental increased its already strong support for the event, making it officially the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race.

Fifty percent of all proceeds from the race will be donated to the dental programs of the Coos County Family Health Services. Based in nearby Berlin, NH, this community-based organization provides innovative, personalized, comprehensive health care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

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$10,000+ Raised by NE Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race to Support Local Dental Program

Posted on November 1, 2012 by meg

PINKHAM NOTCH, NH—The 2012 Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race, which took place on June 16th on the Mt. Washington Auto Road, brought 1000 dedicated runners together to tackle the Northeast’s highest peak. While it was a stellar day marked by genuine athletic achievement, the benefits will be felt long into the future in the local community, as $10,600 was raised and just donated to the Coos County Family Health Services organization (CCFHS).

“These funds will really help expand the scope of dental services to our patients and community. We rarely get funding for oral healthcare for adults, so this will make a huge difference,” noted Adele Woods, CEO of CCFHS.

The CCFHS serves approximately 15,000 area residents annually by addressing dental care needs in the clinic rather than in a hospital emergency room it helps the entire community. This community-based organization provides personalized, comprehensive health and dental care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

Northeast Delta Dental has been the primary sponsor of the Mount Washington Road Race since 2001. Since 1995, the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation has funded over $45,000 to support the center’s school-based oral health education, fluoride rinse, and preventive dental services. The center’s status as the new beneficiary of the race is a reminder of the Auto Road’s and Northeast Delta Dental’s extensive ties to the region, and to the race’s commitment to the well-being of the larger community.

“Our sponsorship of this event and support of Coos County Family Health Services is all a part of Northeast Delta Dental’s commitment to the dental health and well being of North Country residents. Like the Mt. Washington Auto Road, we pride ourselves in being a part of this community and look forward to our collaborative and beneficial efforts in the future,” said Kathleen Walker, Director, External Affairs.

For more information and complete results of the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race visit the Auto Road online at www.mtwashingtonautoroad.com. For more information about the Coos County Family Health Services organization online: www.coosfamilyhealth.org

Pictured in photo: Howie Wemyss, General Manager of the Mt. Washington Auto Road and Kathleen Walker of Northeast Delta Dental present a check for $10,600 to Robert Pelchat, Adele Woods and Loretta Morrissette, representing Coos County Family Health Services. These funds were raised during the 52nd running of the Northeast Delta Dental Mt. Washington Road Race.

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Six-time World Champion Marco de Gasperi will Compete in this Years Race

Posted on May 18, 2012 by meg

Six-time world champion Marco de Gasperi will compete in this year’s race.

U.S. National Mountain Championship attracts deepest men’s field ever.

Dobson, Erholtz and Enman again lead women.

Pinkham Notch, N.H. -Italian mountain-running star Marco de Gasperi will come to the White Mountains of New Hampshire next month to make his first appearance in the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race. A six-time winner of the World Mountain Trophy, de Gasperi leads a men’s field that includes most of the strongest American men in the sport of mountain running, since this year’s run to the summit of Mt. Washington is the selection race for the U.S. national mountain running team that will compete in the 2012 World Mountain Championships in September in Italy.

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race is a 7.6-mile grind up the Mt. Washington Auto Road, which climbs 4650 feet to the top of the highest peak in the northeastern United States. Now in its 52nd year, the race will welcome a field of approximately 1200 runners to test themselves against the relentless grade of the historic road. Besides the severity of the climb – an average grade of 12 percent, with an extended stretch at 18 percent and a startling 22 percent slope at the finish – the race also challenges runners with the mountain’s unpredictable weather and famously high winds.

For several years, organizers of the race have dreamed of getting Marco de Gasperi to run Mt. Washington. Having won the world championship six times (1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2007, plus the juniors’ race in 1996) and having finished in the top ten on five other occasions between 2002 and 2011, de Gasperi is generally recognized as either the best mountain runner in the world or one of the best two – the other being Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand, who holds the Mt. Washington course record of 56 minutes 41 seconds. (Wyatt has been injured and will not compete this year.) De Gasperi recently confirmed that he can get enough time off from his training and work responsibilities in Europe to run both Mt. Washington and the Cranmore Hill Climb, which is held a week later in nearby North Conway NH.

While DeGasperi’s record elsewhere makes him the clear favorite here, the men’s race will be a fierce contest among all the Americans, whether they are trying to stay with de Gasperi or only to beat their countrymen to the top of the mountain and secure a place on the U.S. team.

Leading this large contingent is Mt. Washington’s defending champion Rickey Gates, of Woody Creek, Colorado. In 2009, Gates won here in 59 minutes 58 seconds, becoming only the fifth man to break the one-hour barrier on the Auto Road. Last year he won again, in one hour one minute and 32 seconds. Gates will have to contend with Tommy Manning of Colorado Springs, Colorado, who finished just ten seconds behind Gates last year after leading the race until the sixth mile.

Another threat comes from Max King of Bend, Oregon, the reigning world mountain champion. In 2010, King finished fifth at Mt. Washington, in his only appearance here, just behind Gates and a step ahead of Manning. Last September he beat de Gasperi and the rest of the men at the 2011 World Championships in Tirana, Albania, becoming only the second American world champion. (The first was Jay Johnson of Boulder, Colorado, in 1989.)

Others with a chance at making this year’s U.S. team include Matt Byrne of Scranton, Pennsylvania, who was third last year at Mt. Washington; three-time former winner Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa, Colorado; Joe Gray of Lakewood, Washington, who has earned a place on the national team in both his previous Mt. Washington efforts (2008 and 2010); Glenn Randall, of Mesa, Colorado, who finished fourth here last year; and several who have never raced here before but whose times in races elsewhere suggest that they may be in the thick of the contest next month.

The latest entry into the men’s field may be the biggest threat of all, at least among the first-timers. He is Tim Chichester, of Mount Morris, NY, who last month was the second American finisher (and eleventh overall) in the Boston Marathon. This will be Chichester’s first appearance at Mt. Washington.

The women’s field this year is not so large as the men’s, largely because the selection race for the U.S. women’s national team is later this summer -the Loon Mountain Race in Lincoln, NH, on July 8. Nevertheless, it may provide as good a race as the men’s contest, since it will feature the return of the top three finishers from last year – Kim Dobson of Denver, Colorado; Brandy Erholtz of Evergreen, Colorado, and Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vermont.

Last year Enman won the women’s world championships in Albania, as she became the first female American gold medalist in the sport and joined with King to produce a stunning double-gold victory for the U.S. team. Also returning this year, after missing the 2011 race, is Laura Haefeli of Del Norte, Colorado, who in 2005 led the American women’s team to their first-ever medal (bronze) at the world championships.

The women’s record at Mt. Washington was set in 2010 by the young Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare, a time of one hour eight minutes 21seconds.

Amare is not expected to return this year.

The 2012 World Mountain Championships will be held on September 2 in Ponte di Legno, in the Italian Alps. Six men and four women will make up the U.S. team. The U.S. junior team (runners under the age of 20) will include four male and three female runners.

NORTHEAST DELTA DENTAL
With its headquarters in the Granite State’s capital and its eyes on the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States, Northeast Delta Dental has been the primary sponsor of the Mount Washington Road Race since 2001, when the company first linked its professional interests in healthcare to one of New England’s most celebrated challenges to human fitness. The company’s President & CEO, Tom Raffio, made a very respectable ascent himself last year, reaching the 6288-foot high finish line in one hour 50 minutes and 51 seconds. On the occasion of the 52nd “Run to the Clouds,” Northeast Delta Dental has assumed a new level of commitment to the race, which now officially bears the company’s name as part of its title.

With this significant increase in support, this year the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race will contribute half of the race’s net proceeds to the Coos County Family Health Services in nearby Berlin, NH. This community-based organization provides personalized, comprehensive health and dental care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

Since 1995, the Northeast Delta Dental Foundation has funded over $45,000 to support the center’s school-based oral health education, fluoride rinse, and preventive dental services. The center’s status as the new beneficiary of the race is a reminder of the Auto Road’s and Northeast Delta Dental’s extensive ties to the region, and to the race’s commitment to the well-being of the larger community. The race expects that this year’s funding will be used especially to enhance the Coos County Family Health Services’ oral health programs.

The field for the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race is filled by means of an online lottery, with places reserved by invitation for elite runners.

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3rd Annual Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame Inauguration

Posted on April 27, 2012 by meg

Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race Mt Washington Auto Road Saturday, June 16, 2012- 9:00am.
3rd Annual Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame Inauguration
Friday, June 15, 2012 – 6:00pm.
Race’s Hall of Fame Honors Carpenter, Gareau, Maisto, and Woodward.

Pinkham Notch, NH-The world record-holder for marathons at extremely high altitudes, a Boston Marathon champion, a classics scholar who twice broke the women’s course record, and a veteran New England runner with decades of racing success have been selected as the four new members of the Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame. Formed in 2010 to recognize outstanding performers in this footrace to the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States, the Hall of Fame this year will pay tribute to the achievements of Matt Carpenter, Jacqueline Gareau, Christine Maisto and Keith Woodward in a ceremony at the base of the Mt. Washington Auto Road on Friday, June 15. The next morning, the 2012 Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race will start at 9 a.m., as 1200 runners make their way up the 151-year-old Auto Road.

The 2012 Mount Washington Hall of Fame inductees:

Matt Carpenter, of Manitou Springs, Colorado, first came to Mt. Washington in 1992 and handily defeated defending champion Derek Froude of New Zealand, who two years earlier had become the first person to run this 7.6-mile race in under one hour. Carpenter won again the following year and then, after four years away from the race, returned to win it a third time in 1998. In 1999, after leading nearly the entire way, he finished second to Kenyan Daniel Kihara. In that race, Carpenter also ran his fastest-ever time at Mt. Washington, 59 minutes 16 seconds, and joined Kihara as the only two runners to break one hour at Mt. Washington more than once. His 59:16 is also the fastest non-winning time ever recorded. Returning in 2005, Carpenter broke the existing record for masters runners, in 1:02:12, a mark that stood for three years. Widely known for his ability to run hard where the air is thin, Carpenter holds records in marathons and 100-mile races in the Rockies and Himalayas.

Jacqueline Gareau of Sainte-Adele, Quebec, made her Mount Washington Road Race debut in 1989, on a day so thick with fog that runners could barely see the road. She ran to the summit in one hour 13 minutes and 13 seconds – a new record for women in the race. She won again in 1994, on a scorching hot day, and once more in 1996. In those second and third victories, she was also the first female finisher over the age of 40. In 2000 she returned again and finished second – at the age of 47. She still holds the Canadian women’s record on Mt. Washington and has held course records here in the masters age group and the 50-54 years category. In the 2011 race, she set a new record for women in the 55-59-year-age group. A massage therapist, Gareau has been renowned in marathon running since 1980, when she won the Boston Marathon. She is the only woman ever to have won both the Boston Marathon and the Mt. Washington Road Race.

Christine Maisto was a strong track and road runner when she came to Mt. Washington in 1985 and won decisively in 1:14:44, setting a new women’s course record for the Auto Road. In an event that had historically attracted far more men than women, that victory made Maisto the first woman to finish among the top 50 runners, as she placed thirty-first overall. She successfully defended her title in 1986, then finished second in 1987. After a three-year absence, she returned and won again in 1991 in a time of 1:12:16, taking the record back from Gareau. A longtime scholar of Latin and Greek, she followed her running career by earning a PhD in Classics. She now teaches at Monmouth College in Illinois.

Keith Woodward, of Stowe, Vermont, won the Mt. Washington Road Race just once, but no one has run this race more often or more consistently. Woodward won in 1983 with a time of 1:06:38, and 28 years later (2011) he set a new age group record for men 60-64, with a time of 1:21:29. Between 1973 and last year, he has completed the race 36 times, the most finishes by anyone ever. He has finished under 1:10 on sixteen different occasions, the second most in that category in the history of the race, and fifteen times in the top ten overall. His personal best was a 1:03:06 in 1985, when he finished second. In 1977, when he placed third in 1:08:15, he led the North Country Athletic Club team to the first sub-6 hour team finish (five runners’ combined times) at Mt. Washington.

The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race pits runners against one of the most challenging obstacles in road-racing anywhere in the world: the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road, which rises at an average grade of 12 percent to the 6288-foot Mt. Washington summit. The race has attracted Olympic athletes, Boston marathon champions, and the best mountain running specialists in the world to compete in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along with numerous other runners from across the United States and from sixteen other countries.

The Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame recognizes athletes whose exceptional accomplishments in the race have added greatly to the history and stature of the event. Inductees are chosen by a vote of the Hall of Fame committee from a longer list of nominees compiled by December 31 of the preceding year.

The public is invited.

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Northeast Delta Dental now Title Sponsor of Mt. Washington Road Race

Posted on March 12, 2012 by meg

Mt. Washington Auto Road announces Northeast Delta Dental as title sponsor.
52nd annual Mount Washington Road Race will benefit healthcare nonprofit.
Lottery registration is open through March 15.

Pinkham Notch, N.H. – March 10, 2012 With its headquarters in the Granite State’s capital and its eyes on the summit of the highest peak in the northeastern United States, Northeast Delta Dental now has its name on the premier running event in New Hampshire. This week, the dental insurance company has raised its already well-known support for the historic race to a new level, as officials at the Mt. Washington Auto Road confirm that the race to the top of Mt. Washington will now be called the NortheastDelta Dental Mount Washington Road Race.

Northeast Delta Dental has been the primary sponsor of the Mount Washington Road Race since 2001, when the company first linked its professional interests in healthcare to one of New England’s most celebrated challenges to human fitness. The company’s President & CEO, Tom Raffio, made a very respectable ascent himself last year, reaching the 6288-foot high finish line in one hour 50 minutes and 51 seconds. On the occasion of the 52nd “Run to the Clouds,” Northeast Delta Dental assumes a new level of commitment to the race, which every year attracts a thousand runners to the Auto Road and its relentless 12 percent grade.

With this significant increase in support, this year the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race will contribute half of the race’s net proceeds to the Coos County Family Health Services. Based in nearby Berlin, NH, this community-based organization provides personalized, comprehensive health and dental care and social services to everyone, regardless of economic status.

The 1000-runner field for the Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race is filled by means of an online lottery. Anyone wishing to compete in this year’s race can register for this lottery at www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com any time through 11:59 p.m. on March 15. The drawing of names in the lottery will take place on March 16. Notification of the results will go to all applicants by March 18.

Held three times in the 1930s, then organized on an ongoing basis in the 1960s, the footrace up the Mt. Washington Auto Road has a long history. Its popularity surged in the 1980s and has grown continuously since then, along with the global growth of the sport of mountain running. The 2012 race will serve as the qualifying event to select the six men who will make up the U.S. National Mountain Running men’s team that will compete in the World Mountain Championships in September in Ponte di Legno, Italy.

Originally called the Mt. Washington Carriage Road, the road to the summit of Mt. Washington was completed in 1861. Rising through several different climate zones, and offering stunning views of the White Mountains, Vermont, Maine and southern Quebec, the Auto Road is one of New England’s most spectacular attractions. The Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race begins at the Auto Road base on Route 16 near Pinkham Notch and climbs to the 6288-foot summit at an average grade of 12 percent and a net altitude gain of 4650 feet. The runners battle not only each other but the sheer force of gravity and Mt. Washington’s famously unpredictable weather. Former six-time World Mountain Champion Jonathan Wyatt of New Zealand holds the men’s course record, 56 minutes 41 seconds, set in 2004. The women’s record was set in 2010 by the young Ethiopian runner Shewarge Amare, a time of one hour eight minutes 21 seconds.

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Rocky Mountain Runners Dominate the Big Hill

Posted on June 20, 2011 by ryan

Pinkham Notch, NH—Runners from Colorado met the biggest mountain in New England today on more than equal terms, as Rocky Mountain runners Rickey Gates and Kim Dobson won the 51st Mount Washington Road Race, each by overtaking a home-state running rival. Gates, 30, of Woody Creek, Colo., was passed near the midpoint of the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road by 35-year-old Tommy Manning of Colorado Springs but took the lead back in the final two miles and went on to finish in one hour one minute 32 seconds, with Manning just ten seconds behind.

Meanwhile Dobson, 27, of Denver, followed two-time Mt. Washington women’s champion Brandy Erholtz for the first five miles, steadily closing Erholtz’s early gap, passing her at the five-mile mark and reaching the 6288-foot summit in 1:12:11. Erholtz, 33, of Evergreen, Colo., was a happy runnerup in 1:12:44.

Dobson, who was seeing Mt. Washington for the first time, fairly vibrated with enthusiasm. “This race is as amazing as its history tells it is. It’s so different from Colorado races. Those tend to be longer, but for a while you can enjoy the scenery, and then maybe in the last four miles it starts to hurt. This one starts to hurts about 30 seconds into the race. Brandy and I can really make each other suffer! ”

“I knew (Dobson) was going to be the toughest competition,” said Erholtz, who won this race in 2008 and 2009, then finished second last year to Shewarge Amare of Ethiopia, who did not return to defend her title. “Kim has had a phenomenal year, and she’s a natural climber.”

“There’s nothing in Colorado that compares with this,” said Gates, who won here in 2009 in 59:58. One of only five people ever to have broken an hour at Mt. Washington, he placed fourth here last year — “That can be bad for your ego!” he said — but he felt better prepared this time. “It sort of sounds cocky, but today I was sure I’d either win or drop out. I had a problem in my calf a week ago, and I had to take four days off to rest. Sometimes that can be good for you.”

The always unpredictable Mt. Washington weather provided rain just before the race, then cool and clearing conditions with moderate winds and shifting clouds. After a quick start by 24-year-old Glenn Randall, a former NCAA champion cross-country skier at Dartmouth College, Gates took the lead in the second mile and seemed to be in charge of the race.

A mile later, however, he said, “I looked back expecting to see anybody but Tommy.” Manning had overtaken Randall and Matt Byrne, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was coming steadily forward. By the time he passed the halfway mark in just under half an hour, he had opened a five-second gap on Gates.

Gates responded to the challenge, looked back once more to make sure no one was chasing him, and pressed ahead, giving Manning a friendly pat on the backside as he re-took the lead.

“This was a good race!” Manning said as the two congratulated each other at the finish. “Man, you killed me!”

Two minutes back, Byrne, 36, overtook Randall to finish third in 1:03:31 and break an otherwise all-Colorado set of prize-winners. Randall, 24, of Mesa, Colo., finished in 1:03:36, followed by 45-year-old Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa (1:04:33) and Peter Maksimow, 32, of Manitou Springs (1:04:45). Gutierrez, a three-time winner of this race, defended his title as the masters (over 40) champion and also set a new record for men ages 45-49.

Dobson and Erholtz left a gap behind them and the third female finisher, Kasie Enman, 31, of Huntington, Vermont, who arrived in 1:15:19. Fourth was Rachel Cuellar, 29, of Albuquerque N.M. (1:16:37), followed by Camille Herron, 29, of West Lafayette, Indiana (1:19:36) and Jessica Snyder, 27, of Rochester NY (1:20:00).

Just behind Snyder was 18-year-old Carolyn Stocker of Westfield, Mass., whose time of 1:20:40 took more than six minutes off the Mt. Washington junior (19 and under) record previously set by Evelyn Dong in 2003. Following Stocker was the first female master, Christin Doneski, 40, in 1:21:49. Doneski, of Hopkinton, N.H., also won the Crossan Cup, awarded to the first Granite State finisher.

The men’s Crossan Cup winner was Olympic cross-country skier Justin Freeman of New Hampton, N.H., in 1:06:28. Freeman, 34, finished in 8th place behind Ryan Woods of Boone, N.C. (7th in 1:06:16), and just ahead of two-time Mt. Washington winner Eric Blake of New Britain, Conn. (1:06:53) and Kevin Tilton of North Conway, N.H. (1:06:59).

Jacqueline Gareau, 58, of St.-Adele, Quebec, and the only woman ever to win both the Boston Marathon and the Mount Washington Road Race, won the age-graded prize for all female runners over 40, as her finishing time of 1:27:58 combined with her age to lead the field of older runners. Gutierrez won the men’s age-graded prize.

The 51st running of this race was part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. One of the most popular finishers was 54-year-old Tom Raffio of Bow, N.H., who is also the CEO of Northeast Delta Dental, the race’s primary sponsor. Raffio finished in 1:50:51, good for 443rd place.

The oldest finisher was 91-year-old George Etzweiler of State College, Pa., a retired Penn State professor who completed the race this year in 2:48:25. Another 15 people, ranging in age from 17 to 85, finished behind him.

The youngest finisher was Hannah Heinrich, 15, of Wolfeboro, N.H., in 1:54:58. In all, 893 runners – some of them doing quite a bit of walking – finished.

TOP MEN
1 Rickey Gates 30 Woody Creek CO 1:01:32
2 Tommy Manning 35 Colorado Springs CO 1:01:42
3 Matthew Byrne 36 Scranton PA 1:03:31
4 Glenn Randall 24 Mesa CO 1:03:36
5 Simon Gutierrez 45 Alamosa CO 1:04:33
6 Peter Maksimow 32 Maintou Springs CO 1:04:45
7 Ryan Woods 32 Boone NC 1:06:18
8 Justin Freeman 34 New Hampton NH 1:06:28
9 Eric Blake 32 New Britain CT 1:06:53
10 Kevin Tilton 29 North Conway NH 1:06:59

TOP WOMEN
1 Kim Dobson 27 Denver CO 1:12:11
2 Brandy Erholtz 33 Evergreen CO 1:12:44
3 Kasie Enman 31 Huntington VT 1:15:19
4 Rachael Cuellar 29 Albuquerque NM 1:16:37
5 Camille Herron 29 West Lafayette IN 1:19:36
6 Jessica Snyder 27 Rochester NY 1:20:00
7 Carolyn Stocker 18 Westfield MA 1:20:40
8 Christin Doneski 40 Hopkinton NH 1:21:49
9 Liz Gottlieb 35 San Rafael CA 1:22:18
10 Amber Ferreira 29 F Concord NH 1:22:37

Complete Results

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Field Set for Mount Washington Road Race

Posted on June 14, 2011 by ryan

Pinkham Notch, NH—Defending champion and course record-holder Shewarge Amare has withdrawn from this year’s Mount Washington Road Race. Amare, the 24-year-old Ethiopian woman who last year smashed the course record by running up the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road in one hour 8 minutes 20.4 seconds, reportedly lost her passport and other papers on a recent trip to race in Brazil. The problems of reinstating her travel and residence status have occupied so much of her time that she could not be sure of being able to travel or compete in the U.S. this month, and she has conveyed her regrets to the race organizers.

The race to the 6288-foot summit of the highest peak in the northeastern U.S. will take place this year on June 18 without either the women’s or the men’s defending champion. Chris Siemers, of Arvada, Colorado, who last year won a wire-to-wire duel with two-time former winner Eric Blake, of New Britain, Conn., determined several weeks ago that he must have surgery to correct a persistent hip injury he sustained last winter.

MEN’S FIELD
Blake, who won the race in 2006 and 2008, will return this year, along with 2009 winner Rickey Gates of Boulder, Colo.; three-time Mt.Washington champion (2002, 2003, 2005) Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa, Colo.; Matt Byrne of Scranton, Penn. (6th in 2008, 4th in 2009); and Tommy Manning of Colorado Springs (7th in 2009, 6th last year). First-time contenders who could present a serious challenge to the veterans include Glenn Randall of Mesa, Colo., who last year won the Vail Hill Climb, the Mt. Evans Ascent and the Pikes Peak Ascent (ahead of Gates and Blake) in Colorado; Ryan Woods of Boone, N.C., who has won the Squaw Valley 3.6-mile ascent and the Bear Run in Linville, N.C., and who trains on a hill that gains 1000 feet of altitude in 1.1 miles; and Cole Crosby of Norman, Oklahoma, a former University of Oklahoma track and cross-country standout.

WOMEN’S FIELD
With Amare out, the presumed women’s favorite is two-time winner (2008, 2009) Brandy Erholtz of Bailey, Colo., who was third last year and whose other recent successes include winning the 2010 Vail Hillclimb. Her strongest competition should come from Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vermont (2nd in 2008); Amber Ferreira of Concord, N.H. (7th last year); Jennifer Campbell, of Newmarket, N.H. (3rd in 2009, 9th last year); and Camille Herron of Lafayette, Indiana, who placed 6th here in 2008 and who, following a period of injury, has won four marathons in the past six months – Dallas, Birmingham (Alabama), Napa Valley and Fargo. First-time Mt. Washington challengers include Kim Dobson of Denver, Colo., who set the women’s course record last year in the Mt. Evans Ascent in Colorado, and Cindy Harris of Indianapolis, who has won the Empire State Building Run-up in New York City four times.

EXTREME ATHLETES
While some of the top entrants at Mt. Washington are widely accomplished road-racers, others are better known for accomplishments in different endurance sports. One notable example is Amber Ferreira, who last winter won the Granite State snowshoe racing series and then went on to win the senior women’s race at the Snowshoe National championship. Two more are brothers Justin Freeman and Kris Freeman, both of whom have competed on the U.S. Olympic cross-country ski team. Kris, of Thornton, N.H., finished 15th in the 2010 Mount Washington Road Race, two places ahead of older brother Justin, who lives in New Hampton, N.H. Kris is also the first person with Type 1 diabetes to earn a place on the U.S. Nordic team.

Among the strongest runners in the senior division of this year’s race is Peter Gagarin of Sunderland, Mass. Now 66 years old, Gagarin is a five-time U.S. national champion in the sport of orienteering, in which each entrant navigates with map and compass to a series of checkpoints in unfamiliar and usually wooded terrain. At the masters level he is regarded as perhaps the best non-European competitor in the sport.

And then there’s Tim Mather. Mather, 46, of Marlborough, Conn., is competing this year in all five of the races up the Mt. Washington Auto Road. He raced in the annual Ski To the Clouds in March; he’ll run the footrace on June 18; the following week he’ll be back at the Auto Road for the Climb To the Clouds, a revival of the popular automobile hillclimb; on July 9 he’ll ride his bicycle in Newton’s Revenge, the first of two bicycle races up the Auto Road each summer; and he’ll compete in the other bike race, the older and better-known Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb, on August 20. A week before that final bicycle hillclimb, Mather will also ride in the 24 Hours of Great Glen, a day-and-night endurance event for off-road bicycles on the Great Glen Trails, adjacent to the Auto Road.

UPHILL BACKWARD
Frequently the Mount Washington Road Race includes an entrant or two who are simultaneously running the race and publicizing a worthy cause, usually related to health. This year, Don Davis of Reading, Mass., plans to make the ascent by running up the Auto Road backward, as part of an effort to qualify for the Guinness Book of World Records. At the same time, he’ll be striving to raise awareness of Donate Life New England, a non-profit organization based in Waltham, Mass., that promotes organ and tissue donation.

HALL OF FAME
On Friday, June 17, at the pre-race gathering at the foot of the Auto Road, the Mount Washington Hall of Fame will induct three new members, all former champions in the “Race with Only One Hill.” These include Mike Gallagher of Vermont, who competed on three U.S. Olympic cross-country ski teams and won the Mount Washington Road Race four consecutive years (1968-1971); former New Zealand Olympic marathoner Derek Froude, who in 1990 became the first person to run up Mt. Washington in under one hour (59:17); and Kenyan mountain runner Daniel Kihara, who set a then-course record of 58:21 in his 1996 Mt. Washington debut and won again in 1999, 2000 and 2001.

Froude, who now lives in Tampa, and Gallagher will be present for the induction ceremony. Kihara will be inducted in absentia. The Friday evening presentation begins at 6 p.m. in the big tent next to the starting area of the race, just off Route 16 between Jackson and Gorham, N.H.

SPONSOR AND ANNIVERSARIES
The principal sponsor of the Mount Washington Road Race is Northeast Delta Dental, which this year is celebrating its 50th anniversary, just as the Auto Road is celebrating its 150th. In recognition of the occasion – and to see whether or not he can improve on his time from last year’s race — Northeast Delta Dental CEO Tom Raffio will run on Saturday wearing race number 50. Race director Mary Power and Auto Road general manager Howie Wemyss will present Raffio’s number to him as part of the Friday evening festivities.

This year’s Mount Washington Road Race is part of the summer-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Completed in 1861 and originally called the Mt. Washington Carriage Road, the twisting, windswept road to the top of the Presidential Range is the oldest man-made tourist attraction in New England. The Mount Washington Road Race was first held three times in the 1930s, then again in 1961 on the Auto Road’s centennial, in 1962, and continuously since 1966.

The race pits 1000 runners against one of the most challenging obstacles in road-racing anywhere in the world. In its 7.6 miles, the Mt. Washington Auto Road gains 4727 feet in altitude with no downhill break. The final 70 yards rises at a 22 percent grade to the finish line beside the old weather station, where a wind speed of 231 mph. was recorded in 1934. (The average wind speed at the summit is 35 mph.) The race has attracted Olympic athletes, Boston marathon champions, and the best mountain running specialists in the world, along with numerous other runners from across the United States and from 18 other countries.

LIST OF ENTRANTS
This year’s Mount Washington Road Race will start at 9 a.m. – an hour earlier than in previous years. Click here for the list of entrants in the 2011 Mount Washington Road Race, where it can be sorted by state, hometown, etc.

For a colorful description of running the race, see Todd Balf’s article “Because It’s Steep” in the June 2011 issue of Runner’s World.

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Field Forms for Mount Washington Road Race

Posted on May 24, 2011 by ryan

Pinkham Notch—For next month’s Mount Washington Road Race in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, the news up front is mixed. Shewarge Amare, the 24-year-old Ethiopian woman who last year smashed the course record by running up the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road in one hour 8 minutes 20.4 seconds, is racing well and will return to the Auto Road this year with her eyes on the possibility of an even faster time. On the other hand, the men’s 2010 champion, Chris Siemers of Arvada, Colorado, has sustained an injury and is unlikely to be able to return to defend his title.

Amare, who lives and trains in New York City as part of the West Side Road Runners, made her Mt. Washington debut in 2010 in impressive fashion, taking nearly two minutes off the women’s course record that had stood since 1998, when Sweden’s Magdalena Thorsell clocked a time of 1:10:08.2. Her accomplishment attracted extra attention because a last-minute mixup forced her to run in a pair of borrowed shoes.

Later that summer, Amare won the Bogota International Half-marathon in Colombia, beating her better-known countrywoman Dire Tune in a time of 1:13:52. Training well this spring, Amare won the Cooper River Bridge 10K in Charleston, S.C., in a time of 33:06, edging Kenyan Janet Chebron by two seconds. She also recorded a personal best in the half-marathon, placing fourth in the New York Half-Marathon on March 24 in time of 1:09:25, just behind American Olympian Kara Goucher and two top Kenyans, winner Caroline Rotich and Edna Kiplagat. (A runner’s half-marathon time is typically predictive of his or her time at Mt. Washington.) Amare is one of the favorites this coming weekend in the Ottawa 10K in Canada.

Siemers, 30, similarly won the Mount Washington Road Race last year in his first attempt up the relentlessly steep Auto Road, which rises at an average grade of 12 percent to the 6288-foot summit of the highest peak in the Northeast. In a field loaded with the best uphill runners in America, Siemers battled two-time Mt. Washington champion Eric Blake of New Britain, Connecticut, until the final half-mile, when he pulled ahead to win in one hour and 22 seconds. Unfortunately, last winter Siemers developed a persistent hip injury; although for a time he was optimistic about this year’s race, doctors have confirmed that the injury will require surgery to enable him to compete again. He hopes to return to Mt. Washington next year.

Blake, who won the race in 2006 and 2008, will return this year, along with 2009 winner Rickey Gates of Boulder, Colo.; three-time Mt.Washington champion (2002, 2003, 2005) Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa, Colo.; Matt Byrne of Scranton, Penn. (6th in 2008, 4th in 2009); Tommy Manning of Colorado Springs (7th in 2009, 6th last year); and several other contenders.

Amare’s nearest competition is likely to come from two-time winner (2008, 2009) Brandy Erholtz of Bailey, Colo., who was third last year; Kasie Enman of Huntington, Vermont (2nd in 2008); Laura Haefeli of Del Norte, Colo. (3rd in 2008, 6th last year); and others including Camille Herron of Lafayette, Indiana, who placed 6th here in 2008 and then recently, following a period of injury, has won four marathons in the past six months – Dallas, Birmingham (Alabama), Napa Valley and Fargo.

Sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental, the Mount Washington Road Race this year is part of the summer-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Completed in 1861 and originally called the Mt. Washington Carriage Road, the twisting, windswept road to the top of the Presidential Range is the oldest man-made tourist attraction in New England. The Mt. Washington Road Race was first held three times in the 1930s, then again in 1961 on the Auto Road’s centennial, in 1962, and continuously since 1966.

The race annually pits 1000 runners against one of the most challenging obstacles in road-racing anywhere in the world. In its 7.6 miles, the Mt. Washington Auto Road gains 4727 feet in altitude with no interruption in the constantly uphill grind. The final 70 yards rises at an in-your face 22 percent grade to the finish line beside the old weather station, where a wind speed of 231 mph. was recorded in 1934. (The average wind speed at the summit is 35 mph.) The race has attracted Olympic athletes, Boston marathon champions, and the best mountain running specialists in the world, along with numerous other runners from across the United States and from 18 other countries.

For a colorful description of running the race, see Todd Balf’s article “Because It’s Steep” in the June 2011 issue of Runner’s World.

This year’s Mt. Washington Road Race will start at 9 a.m. – an hour earlier than in previous years.

For more information about the 150th Anniversary of the Mt. Washington Auto Road, visit www.MtWashingtonAutoRoad.com.

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Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame Class of 2011 Announced

Posted on April 29, 2011 by ryan

Pinkham Notch, NH—Derek Froude, the first person to run up the Mt. Washington Auto Road in under one hour, joins four-time Mt. Washington champions Mike Gallagher and Daniel Kihara this year as the 2011 inductees to the Mount Washington Road Race Hall of Fame. These three extraordinary runners will be honored this summer in a ceremony held at the base of Mt. Washington on Friday, June 17, the evening before the 51st running of this all-uphill race to the summit of the highest peak in the Northeast.

Sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental, the Mt. Washington Road Race annually pits 1000 runners against one of the most challenging obstacles in road-racing anywhere in the world: the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road, which rises at an average grade of 12 percent to the 6288-foot Mt. Washington summit. The race has attracted Olympic athletes, Boston marathon champions, and the best mountain running specialists in the world to compete in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along with numerous other runners from across the United States and from sixteen other countries.

Founded last year on the occasion of the 50th running of the storied race, the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame recognizes athletes whose exceptional accomplishments in the race have added greatly to the history and stature of the event. Inductees are chosen by a vote of the Hall of Fame committee from a longer list of nominees compiled by December 31 of the preceding year. This year’s Hall of Fame inductees will be honored at a ceremony on Friday, June 17, the night before the annual Mt. Washington Road Race.

The 2011 inductees and their accomplishments:

Derek Froude of New Zealand ran the marathon in the 1984 Olympic Games, trained in Colorado and became increasingly interested in mountain racing. He came to the Mt. Washington Road Race in 1990 with a plan to break the daunting one-hour barrier here, and, after studying the course carefully, succeeded in clocking a time of 59 minutes 17 seconds. “I thought I could do it,” he said upon finishing. Froude returned to win again in 1991, then made one more appearance here in 1992, this time finishing second behind another Colorado-trained newcomer (Matt Carpenter). Derek Froude now lives in Florida and will travel to Mt. Washington for the Hall of Fame ceremony.

Mike Gallagher remains best known as one of America’s great Nordic skiers – he skied in three Olympics – but he was also a formidable runner, as he proved by becoming the first person to win the Mt. Washington Road Race four times. Moreover, he won those in consecutive years (1968-1971); the only person with more consecutive wins (five) is Bob Hodge. Gallagher ran a personal best of 1:06:13 here in 1968, and in his final win, in 1971, he took a 51-second victory over Boston Marathon champion and Olympic Trials marathoner Amby Burfoot. Since retiring from racing, Mike Gallagher has kept busy with coaching and with inspiring young skiers. He lives in Vermont and will drive over to the White Mountains for the Friday night event.

Daniel Kihara first ran Mt. Washington in 1996, when he took nearly a minute off Froude’s course record, making the ascent in 58:21. Training both in his native Kenya and in the hills of Pennsylvania, Kihara returned to Mt. Washington in 1999 to win a second time, following with his third and fourth victories in 2000 and 2001. His only loss was a sixth place finish in the weather-shortened race in 2002. His slowest time for the full course was just six seconds over an hour (1:00:06), and he is still the only runner in the history of the race with three sub-one hour finishes. Whether or not he can attend the event in person remains to be ascertained.

This year’s Mt. Washington Road Race and Hall of Fame induction are part of the summer-long celebration of the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Mt. Washington Auto Road. Completed in 1861 and originally called the Mt. Washington Carriage Road, the twisting, windswept road to the top of the Presidential Range was one of the first man-made tourist attractions in New England. The Mt. Washington Road Race was first held three times in the 1930s, then again in 1961 on the Auto Road’s centennial, in 1962, and continuously since 1966.

The public is invited.

Regularly updated information about the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame is available any time on Facebook, Twitter and the Hall of Fame blog. For other information about the race, visit www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com.

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