60th Mt. Washington Road Race: Joe Gray Returns to Compete for Title

Mt. Washington Auto Road
June 19th and 20th, 2021

• JOE GRAY, FOUR-TIME MT. WASHINGTON CHAMPION AND TWO-TIME WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPION, IS RETURNING.
• DAVID SINCLAIR, LATE ADDITION TO MEN’S FIELD, HAS POTENTIAL TO CHALLENGE FOR TITLE.
• BRITTNI HUTTON, 2019 CO-CHAMPION, WITHDRAWS FROM RACE.
• SAGE CANADAY WITHDRAWS FROM MEN’S RACE.
• THE RACE IS ON WITH SAFETY MEASURES.

Pinkham Notch, NH — Joseph Gray, the recently voted “Greatest of All Time” mountain runner by the World Mountain Running Association, four-time Mt. Washington Champion, and two-time and reigning World Mountain Running Champion, has just entered the race. Gray, 37 of Colorado Springs, CO, has won Mt. Washington the last four times he has run it (2014-2017), finishing in under an hour each time. Defending champion and four-time winner, Eric Blake, 42 of West Hartford, CT, will be looking to defend his title. Blake has 13 top three finishes at Mt. Washington. Another new addition to the field is David Sinclair, 29 of Truckee, CA. Sinclair is a 2:16 marathoner and is fresh off a win and course record at the Silver City 50 Mile Race on May 15th. This Mt. Washington field also has five of the top ten finishers from 2019 returning. Sage Canaday, 35 of Boulder, CO, and past Mt. Washington winner, has withdrawn from the men’s race for health concerns.

In the women’s race Heidi Caldwell, 29 of Craftsbury Common, VT, will be back to defend her title from 2019. Unfortunately, Brittni Hutton, 31 of Alamosa, CO, who finished in a historic tie with Caldwell in 2019 has withdrawn from this year’s race due to a back injury. Challenging the returning champ is five-time Mt. Washington winner, Kim Dobson, 37 of Eagle, CO. Dobson has never lost at Mt. Washington. Hoping to return to winning form, two-time winner and nine-time top ten finisher, Brandy Erholtz, 43 of Hayden, CO, will be returning after several years away from Mt. Washington. Two first-time Mt. Washington runners, Ashley Brasovan of Golden, CO and Sam Diaz, 29 of Jackson, WY, will be making their debuts. Brasovan has competed in two World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships and two Olympic marathon trials. Diaz is a four-time winner and current record holder of the Rendezvous Mountain Hill Climb in Jackson Hole, WY.

Even though restrictions are relaxing as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic, many changes to the race protocols remain in place to ensure the safety of racers and everyone involved in the event. Both the men’s and women’s races will start from the pond on the Great Glen Trail system to accommodate the queue of runners. The road will open to support vehicles from 6:30 to 7:30am. (See the full race schedule online: mt-washington.com/mount-washington-road-race.) Visiting tourists can expect the Auto Road to open at 1:30pm on both days.

Sponsored by Northeast Delta Dental, the race ascends the Mt. Washington Auto Road from Pinkham Notch, N.H., to the 6,288-foot summit of Mt. Washington. In addition to the unrelenting grade which averages 12%, runners face the added challenge of Mt. Washington’s famously high winds, precipitation, and unpredictable temperatures. Prizes include $1,000 apiece for the first male and female finishers, smaller cash prizes for the next five men and women and the top three male and female masters (over 40), prizes for the first male and female finishers from New Hampshire, and a $5,000 bonus for setting a new course record.