PINKHAM NOTCH, NH (AP) — A few Colorado residents repeated themselves as winners of Saturday’s 61st annual Mount Washington Road Race, which had to be cut in half due to treacherous weather conditions at the top of New England’s tallest mountain.
Joseph Gray, 38, of Colorado Springs, topped the men’s field for the sixth time in 27 minutes and 33 seconds, on the 6.1-mile track from the base of the mountain to halfway up the Mount Washington Auto Road.
Kim Dobson, 38, of Eagle, Colorado, topped the women’s field for a record seventh time, finishing in 31:59.
The race is normally 7.6 miles (12.2 kilometers).
The temperature at the top of the mountain in New Hampshire was in the 1920s, with winds ranging from 75 to 85 mph, race spokesman Randy Zucco said. Even at the start of the race, it was no small feat — with drizzle, high winds and 50s temperatures dropping to the low 30s at the finish, he said.
Amber Ferreira, 40, of Concord, New Hampshire, was second in the women’s field in 34:32, while Kim Nadeau, 42, of Leverett, Massachusetts, was third in 35:26.
Everett Hackett, 32, of Hartford, Connecticut, was second in the men’s race in 28:50, while Eric Blake, 43, of West Hartford, Connecticut, was third in 29:12.
There were more than 980 finishers this year.
The last time the race had to be aborted was in 2002, Zucco said.
The race raises money for the dental division of Coos County Family Health Services to provide dental care to residents of rural northern New Hampshire.
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