Congratulations
to; Jeff, Jackie, Donna, Freddi, Alissa, Ross, Brian, Trista, Darrel, myself, Ed,
Mary, Linda & Doug for becoming Mountain Goats and earning a lottery
by-pass into the 2026 Northeast Delta Dental Mount Washington Road Race!!! 😊
Thank you to Linda, Mary, Donna, Jeff, Ross, Alissa, Elaine,
Darrel, Ed, Dot Helling & Anna Milkowski for sharing your race day
experience/thoughts! After their stories will be the standings followed by race
day pictures 😊
Right to left; Linda, Mary & Elaine 70+ winning women's team :)
We went early to bib pick up and spent time speaking with one of the Mt. Washington officials. As he said, they were frantically trying to make a decision and had multiple meetings. The concern was possible 70 mph winds and wet weather. They wanted everyone to be safe. We all know how violent the weather can be at the summit and how it can change instantly.
I am not
sure what happened this year, but a race of this magnitude and cost should have
done a better job with awards, food and tee shirts. As a race director myself, I do not like to
complain and would not publicly, but just in our group since Fred is looking
for opinions.
Maybe he
can pass on our comments to the RD. For
the past 2 years we give away our tee shirts because they do not fit correctly
and the fabric is not comfortable. This
year’s small shirts had man size sleeves that fit 2 arms and go down to our
elbows. They look defective.
Not serving
plenty of vegetables and salad is not healthy for the runners. Luckily we got squash with our vegetarian
meal but had to supplement with more vegetables and salad when we returned to
our RV.
I am not
sure what happened with the awards, but they definitely should have gone 3 deep
in each division. Our CMS women’s 70+
team was finally recognized in the results.
I do not believe there was a physical award, though some of the other
teams received awards. We had a team
last year but we were not recognized as far as I know. There is never an excuse to not recognize the
performances of the older athletes, no matter how many may be in their age
division.
Fred, it is
possible to pass on all our comments to the RD?
Everyone had a lot of good suggestions and recommendations.
Take care,
Linda
 |
| Mary approaching the finish :) |
Having the
race cut short made for an interesting day but at least we knew the evening
prior rather than finding out on Saturday morning. Knowing the wind chill at the summit at 5am
Saturday was 17 degrees with almost no visibility the decision made sense,
especially considering the vehicles heading up at 6:30.
I agree
with those who say shortening the race may be more likely in the future. Without unfettered access to the building for
the runners and support drivers less severe weather may cause the powers that
be to end the race at the halfway point.
Those experienced with Mt. Washington or anyone who paid attention to
the email messages regarding the climate at the summit would have been OK. One of the people I walked down with was
totally clueless. When told I packed a
winter jacket, mittens etc. he seemed confused.
It's June so why would you need a heavy jacket and mittens? I'm thinking how did this guy not get the
memo.
Why all of
a sudden is there a problem with access to the summit building or has this been
coming? The capacity of the Sherman Adams Building is 753, 475 on the main
floor and 278 on the ground floor.
Between runners and drivers we're well over capacity but not everyone is
in the building at the same time. The
website for the bicycle hill climb to be held in August states the support
drivers and cyclists will have access to the building. Just don't "camp
out" inside. Last year the race had 498 finishers so not even close to the
numbers from the foot race.
Linda makes
good points on the lunch and shirts.
In the end
I made the best of it and had a decent race.
Mary
 |
| Happy Donna starting the Uphill "Only One Hill" :) |
Congratulations
to all of us who ran the race!! I agree with Linda Usher's comments regarding
the race administration, food, and awards. I am most concerned about the lack
of consideration for the runners' access to the summit building in the future.
Personally,
I had a great run. I trained for the "full enchilada" and was
disappointed in the decision to run half-way. I truly appreciate that a
decision must be made given the weather forecast. I am NOT convinced, however,
that access for runners to the SA building did not play into the decision. That
said, I am ever so grateful for the run that we experienced.
Long may we
run (uphill), Donna
 |
| Jeff going for it! |
My opinion?
There was NO excuse to shorten the race to halfway.
Cars were
going up when I got to the bottom, I figure about the time we would be
finishing. A friend of mine was one of them. He drove to the summit after the
race, said it was in the low 40's or so, with light wind (under 20mph). If they
could drive to the summit, so could drivers that were taking us down, except
that they have increased the size of the race so it's too big.
I felt that
those in charge of the mountain didn't think they could handle the crowd at the
finish, at the summit house. Will this problem change? Not likely. I see it
staying this way. I e-mailed the hierarchy and said as much. Anyway, my two
cents' worth. Jeff
 |
| Ross after doing this day's race TWICE! |
I really
love this race, and congratulations to everyone for completing it! This was my
second time running the Mount Washington Road Race. Last year, I ran back down
after finishing, and I had planned to do the same this year.
I was very
disappointed by the decision to shorten the race course to the halfway point.
Given that the total race distance and vertical gain are printed on the race
t-shirt, shortening the race by half will certainly lead to some interesting
conversations when wearing it!
After
reviewing the forecast on race morning, I decided to be prepared to continue to
the summit after finishing the race. I packed a jacket, warm clothes, winter
gloves, a hat, nutrition, and hydration, and carried all of it with me during
the race. After I finished, I removed my bib and asked if I would be allowed to
continue up as a hiker (no longer part of the race). Unfortunately, I was not
allowed to continue.
So, I
adjusted my plan again and ran down, then up and down again to get some
additional mileage and vertical gain. I'm currently training for the Vermont
100-mile endurance run in July, so I'm focusing on getting in more mileage and
vert (I also ran extra miles after Sunapee and Ascutney). I made it back in
time to grab a hot turkey lunch.
Here is a
photo I took on race day.
 |
| Happy Alissa nearing the shortened finish |
As for the
race itself, I have to say I was okay with it being halfway as I was not fully
feeling the race and didn't feel fully prepared for the full course. However, there is something special about
conquering the 'rockpile' and getting your picture with the summit sign. I assumed they made the best decision based
on weather/road conditions but after talking with people, it seemed like there
was more to their decision than just weather.
This I did find frustrating and hence disappointing. But it was what it was and it wasn't going to
change, so I just did the best I could on a halfway race (did better than when
I ran it in 2022). Things at the bottom
seemed odd too....cutting back on lunch (no rolls, squash, or ice cream),
shortened awards and less bypass waivers.
Not sure why some things seemed different this year and not sure we'll
ever really know. I do hope this is not
the new "norm" for the race and we can all get back to the
summit! Congrats to all the runners and
will see you at Loon.
 |
| Picture I took still going up as Elaine is Happily descending :) |
When the
news came out about the shortened race, I was quite surprised and disappointed.
This was really more of a mental adjustment now than a physical one since I was
now overtrained for a halfway course.
After the
first half mile of incline shock, my frustration evaporated. I wasn’t going to
let this sudden change spoil my run for which I trained religiously for 4
months on that boring dreadmill! I took in a deep breath and began to enjoy the
scenery, hear the brooks babbling and
the birds singing and look at the happy faces around me. It is always so
interesting to hear the comments of the Newbies. It brought back the excitement
I had my first time. Yes, I am back in
the “zone!” This is one of my favorite races and I am here again to take on the
challenge. The way down was a relaxing one since I encountered Ed and a friend,
and we chatted about our experiences and about the mountain races in general.
Despite the
initial disappointment, overall, it was a beautiful day and there was much to
celebrate as we met old and news friends in the tent and enjoyed our meals.
IMPROVEMENTS
or SUGGESTIONS
Keep the
Summit House accessible to all. This is often a meeting place for driver and
runner. When there is inclement weather and you cannot find your ride, it is
crucial to seek shelter especially for us older runners.
If
possible, develop a system of communication to notify drivers on top when their
runners are 5 minutes out so they can meet them at the finish line and take
them right to the car. Reception is poor but someone should be able to figure
out a way.
Return to
the “old way” of giving out awards. They can be doing that as people are eating
and start early. Give out decent medals again to the AG winners. This is such
an honor, and it should be recognized.
Maybe the
runners could have been sent pictures of the conditions at the summit the night
before so that there wouldn’t be all this speculation of why it was done. The
decision has to be made the night before which I understand and after the last
2 years of terrible conditions they may have been overly cautious.
ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS
Ross, you
made the best of a disappointing situation and still got your miles in. That
was awesome! Good Luck on your 100-mile endurance run in July!
Thank you,
Fred, for all the organizing and data entry that you do for this series as well
as your fabulous photos! I am still
working on improving my walking speed.
Thanks for the tips!
 |
| Darrel always has the greatest smile :) |
I will
start by saying that I was ready and psyched to do the full thing and was very
disappointed when I got cut short.
My last few
races had been good (beating previous times), and I expected to out run last
year.
But I have
been dealing with an A-Fib problem, that sometimes acts up on race day,
Saturday was one of those days.
When I
started the race and had to walk in the first 1/2 mile, I lost my gumpshun. I
was actually relieved that I didn't have to go to the top.
I caught up
with Dot Helling (75 yrs old from Adamant, VT) and ran with her to the finish.
There was some fanfare, but it was not the excitement of making it to the top.
The 3 gals
I rode over from VT with, Dot Helling,
Anna Milkowski each got 2nd in AG and Donna Smyers got 3rd in AG and
were all excited to get a bypass for next year.... It will be very
disappointing if they don't go 3 deep.
They were
also disappointed not to get recognized at the awards.
I had been
bragging about the turkey dinner with squash, rolls and ice cream for
dessert... kind of a let down.
But I was
happy I got to see my goat friends.. and good weather for visiting????
Things have
changed... I guess I will have to adjust.
Darrel
PS gonna
try again at Race the Cog. Hopefully we can go to the top and into the building
while we wait.
 |
| Ed giving it his all approaching the finish! |
After much
thought I write this response… As for the race…. It s just not the Mount
Washington Road Race if you don’t run to the top. At halfway it’s just a fun run, no views no
feeling of accomplishment. We train,
some more than others, so we can see
what we can do in a given situation when we give it all we’ve got to accomplish
a mission (goal) dispite adverse conditions (which I believe the majority were
prepared).
In 2022 I
agreed the weather was too hazardous ( for me at least) at halfway I was happy
to turn around and head down, but, in 2023, with weather I believe to be
similar to 2022 the race went to the top and I made it in good time, again, for me. This year the weather was beautiful at
halfway and I know I could’ve made it to the top
The race to
the top… should be the race to the top!!!
 |
| A true Mount Washington Veteran, great person & runner! |
Hi gang,
and Fred, here's my two cents.
Too many
shortcuts, starting with cutting the race in half! I have participated in this
event most years since the late 90's.
Only two other times was it shortened, both times for obvious
life-threatening conditions. No such conditions
existed this time. We have done the race
in far worse conditions. There was no
acceptable excuse. The Mt. Washington
Road Race is about challenges. If
participants can't handle it they should not do it. I missed the salad and seltzer drinks at the
dinner, and noted that the buns and dessert were not offered either. I have not cared for or worn the t-shirts
since their style and fit changed and I
don't need more medals. How about a local edible reward?
I also had
some physical and mental challenges on race day. It was disappointing not to have any views,
to have the distance halved, and to take over an hour, especially since all my
previous halfway times during the course of the full 7.6 miles have been
under. Walking and jogging down was
fine, especially with Darrel for company and it was not cold. Once upon a time I ran the whole thing up and
then back down. I do love the cool-down
and extra miles especially when there's a view and I beat the cars down. Age has taken that option away.
Body
willing, I will go back next year and pray it will be for the full
distance. If the issue is room inside
the observatory, I suggest the race committee lower the number of participants
and get rid of the buy-ins, but please don't raise the price any more.
One last
thing, please turn down the volume of the speakers at the base and do whatever
else can be done to preserve the sanctity of this event.
Dot
Helling, age 75, 2nd in age group, previous age group record holder
 |
| Anna looks very happy approaching the finish :) |
Hi Fred,
CVR Crew,
Not exactly
sure how I can be helpful but a few quick thoughts:
I do a lot
of races and in general I feel like extreme weather and modifications /
cancellations are more of the thing - I sometimes joke I will only do hyper
local races, or only do day-of sign registration. I am more making a point and
of course for the big events you have to pre-reg and prepare but I think we are
having more and more races (especially xc skiing) need to make last minute
adjustments. What's the best way for us all to manage this?
For me the
HIGHLIGHT was traveling with the Montpelier crew and learning the race from
them. I would never have done this race if Donna (Smyers) hadn't reached out, if the
group hadn't shared how to approach the race and how to manage the logistics.
The car shuttle itself is totally daunting. I felt like, what better group to
learn from than this one? How can I say no? I know people are clamoring to get
into MWRR, but in terms of promoting numbers generally, sharing knowledge of
how to approach races is critical to getting people to try a new sport.
In my first
attempt, I felt a bit let down that the race got shortened. Maybe I will be
back next year (depending on who is guaranteed an entry I guess!). I got a
sense of what a cool event this is, as well as had feelings of "this is an
expensive race / big production only to get reduced to a 4 mile race..." I
also don't really like the description of being packed into a building at the
top, too crowded, too loud, and not being able to leave when I want / not
wanting to even go outside since it's so cold.
Maybe this
is obvious but one thing that's great about MWRR is that there are years of
data, by age group. It's hard to compare one's effort to times in other events,
make sense of your pace, but the race does a great job of providing context
over the year that set up ways for you to strive (improve within your division,
beat your time, improve in age-graded) that set up a lot of metrics that can be
fun.
Better
vegetarian food would be good.
Not sure
how this race could be that but some events are really trying to push back
against how expensive these big races have become. Deciding medals and t-shirts
are not worth it, keeping it simple. I did one bike race where the entry page
explained what your fee was going - how much for police, how much for
port-o-lets, etc. And our local running series is awesome for its low cost,
grassroots prizes approach. Just something to keep in mind - I see some
pushback in biking with people shunning the expensive organized events and
avoiding the risk of bad weather and cancellation, and with the help of Strava,
self-organizing. The expense of the race is probably also driving away younger
people who likely have less income to spend on entries.
Anna
Points for the NEDDMWRR: (980 finishers)
1) Alexandre Ricard 36M
27:12 100.00
22) Rena
Schwartz 25F 32:30
83.69
168) Jeff
Gould 60M
44:00 61.82
223) Freddi
Triback 53F 46:21
58.68
257) Jacqueline
Shakar 65F 47:35 57.16 (1st 65-69)
264) Alissa
Clark 51F 47:53
56.80
279) Donna
Smyth 65F 48:29
56.10 (2nd 65-69)
298) Ross
Minkov 52M
49:00 55.51
387)
Brian Walfield 63M
51:15 53.07
470) Trista
Brown 54F
53:38 50.71
635) Mary
Sharkey 75F 59:37
45.62 (1st 75-79)
687)
Darrel Lasell 67M
1:01:13 44.43
745) Elaine
Dill 76F
1:03:35 42.78 (3rd 75-79)
759)
Edward Varney 66M
1:04:11 42.49
812) Fred
Ross III 78M
1:06:29 40.91
815) Linda
Usher 76F
1:06:39 40.81
816) Doug
Usher 69M
1:06:39 40.81
Points and standings after NEDDMWRR
1) Jeff Gould 344.93
2) Donna Smyth
311.84
3) Jacqueline Shakar 259.66
4) Darrel Lasell
259.29
5) Freddi Triback 250.97
6) Alissa Clark 249.46
7) Ross Minkov 244.14
8) Fred Ross III
237.94
9) Brian Walfield 233.45
10)
Trista Brown 232.36
11)
Edward Varney 228.77
12)
Elaine Dill 196.97
13)
Mary Sharkey 187.15
14)
Kevin 183.82
15)
Linda Usher 183.24
16) Doug Usher 183.23
Best 4 race points
1) Jeff Gould 283.11
2) Jacqueline Shakar 259.66 (4)
3) Donna Smyth
256.61
4) Freddi Triback 250.97 (4)
5) Alissa Clark 249.46 (4)
6) Ross Minkov 244.14 (4)
7) Brian Walfield 233.45 (4)
8) Trista Brown
232.36 (4)
9) Darrel Lasell
218.29
10) Fred Ross III 197.03
11) Elaine Dill 196.97 (4)
12) Edward Varney 187.78
13) Mary Sharkey 187.15 (4)
14) Kevin Cavanaugh 183.82(3)
15) Linda Usher 183.24 (4)
16) Doug Usher 183.23 (4)
Streak
•
Darrel 35
•
Ed 24
•
Jeff 22
•
Donna & Fred 12
•
Elaine, Linda, Doug &
Trista 4
•
Mary 3
•
Freddi, Brian, Ross &
Alissa 2
•
Jackie 1
•
Kevin 0
All time finishes, runners in this series
•
Fred 70
•
Jeff 44
•
Donna 43
•
Darrel 39
•
Ed 29
•
Kevin 28
•
Jackie 26
•
Freddi & Brian 23
•
Elaine
12
•
Mary
8
11) Linda, Doug
& Trista 7
12) Ross &
Alissa 4
All time points for runners in this series
•
Jeff 3175.34
•
Fred 2827.29
•
Donna 2746.70
•
Darrel 2158.21
•
Kevin 2128.32
•
Jackie 1688.09
•
Freddi 1417.08
•
Brian 1345.54
•
Ed 1321.70
•
Elaine 611.82
•
Trista 397.04
•
Mary 365.71
•
Linda 307.13
•
Doug 307.12
•
Alissa 249.46
•
Ross 244.14
Congratulations
to Alexandre Ricard & Rena Schwartz on their wins!!!
Thanks Alexandre & Rena for posing with me :)
 |
| Petey!!! |
 |
| Runners warming up |
 |
| Eric Blake warming up |
 |
| Leaders heading UP |
 |
| Lead women |
 |
| Love it!!! |
 |
| What a battle they had! |
 |
| Ed heading down |
 |
| Always great seeing Andy @ the finish! |
 |
| Just past the finish line |
 |
| Paul ready with my blanket :) Thank you, thank you... |
 |
| Above the clouds! |
 |
| All the vans blocking the road to the summit :( |
 |
| With Cambridge Sports Union founders, Larry & Sara Mae Berman :) |
 |
| Always nice to catch up with Ellen :) |
 |
| Proud to pose with Hans, the man in charge of Alton Weagle Day :) |
 |
| Paul Grant thanks all our finish line volunteers! |
 |
| With our club handling the finish, we get a ride down once done! |
 |
| Ross heading up to get the FULL distance! |
 |
| Lovely sight! |
 |
| Darrel picks up his finishers medal, all given out @ the bottom |
 |
| The last Turkey Dinner |
 |
| See you Alton Weagle Day!!! |
 |
| Men's podium |
 |
| Women's podium |
 |
| Charlie's Mon, Charlie & Tom :) |
 |
| Until next time, here's looking @ you :) |
