Mount Washington Road Race: On the Rock Pile
Eric racing through the fog and wind as he nears the finish of the 2021 Mount Washington Road Race.
From GRP Runner Eric LiPuma
I arrived at the campsite in Gorham, New Hampshire, just before dinner. We set up our tents, found somewhere to eat, stretched our legs, and tried to get some sleep. In the morning we would be running the famous Mt. Washington Road Race that climbs 4,650 feet over the course of just 7.6 miles. This would be my second attempt at the race and after a lackluster first try, I was ready for redemption. I raced very sparingly during the pandemic but used my time to put in more hours of training than ever before. Living in Vermont, hills are part of every run but I still had some doubts about what kind of shape I was in. One tough thing about Mt. Washington is that it’s very hard to gauge your fitness (finding a hill steep enough for training is nearly impossible) and going out too quick could result in an hour long uphill death march. I had put in workouts on the Mansfield toll road and the Bolton Access road but the length of Mt. Washington is always intimidating.
We pulled up to the parking lot at 6:45 and I ate my usual pre-race breakfast of bread and peanut butter. The sun was out and the temperature had already climbed into the humid 80s which is pretty warm for a mountain race. I warmed up with some friends then made my way to the elite start. Due to COVID regulations, the race was to be run in waves of two after the elite field of 15 was sent off. World Mountain Running champion Joe Gray was in attendance along with a few members of the mountain running team so everyone was expecting a quick pace. The runners were sent off with the firing of a cannon and soon enough we were climbing the relentless, winding road into the clouds. The first mile flew by and the pack had already thinned out to just a few of us in chase of Joe. I stuck to my plan of just running steady and not making any moves and soon was at the halfway point. The clock read 31 minutes and I couldn’t believe how good I still felt. The trees quickly started to shrink, the temperature dropped, and a thick fog rolled in. The wind blew at 50mph which slowed our paces considerably. I knew I was still on pace for a big PR so I kept my head down and pushed through. I kept waiting to blow up but that never came and by the final mile I was even speeding up! It felt so good to push myself after almost a year of no racing. By mile seven there was ten feet of visibility and spectators had to yell to make the final turn. This point of the race is nicknamed “The Wall” and for good reason. It’s 22% grade for about 100 meters and is enough to break even the strongest mountain runner on a bad day. I pushed through and crossed the finish line in 1:07:17. Good enough for fifth place and an automatic entry to next year's event.
On the top I chatted with the other finishers then quickly bundled up as the temperature had dropped to 40 degrees. This year, I opted to run down the mountain instead of driving. My Girlfriend Joanna, and 4th place finisher Sam Fazzioli joined me for the 4,600 foot descent where we cheered for the rest of the field and talked about future racing plans. Running down has been a bucket list item for me and after doing it once I don’t think I’ll ever drive down again. Seeing the back of the pack runners pushing up the hill was an incredibly inspiring experience and one I hope more people take advantage of. At the bottom, we rewarded ourselves with a dip in the river and a semi cold IPA. Not much can top that in my book!
Mt. Washington is a very addicting race and I’m already thinking about next year’s time goal. I’ll spend the rest of the summer racing on the trails and running the local peaks but I don’t think anything will stack up to that experience on the rock pile.
Eric in the hunt early in the Mount Washington Road Race. Photo credit: Run the Whites.
