Posted: June 19, 2006

Athletics: Blake, Hunt Win USA Mountain Running Titles at Mt. Washington Road Race

Pichrtova Earns 5th Race Crown

From John Stifler

PINKHAM NOTCH, N.H. - (June 17, 2006) - Eric Blake, a track coach from New Britain, Conn., is the new USA Mountain Running men's champion, while Anna Pichrtova, a seasoned uphill runner from the Czech Republic, has reclaimed her title as Queen of the Mountain, as the two won Saturday's 46th Mt. Washington Road Race up the highest peak in the Northeast.

Blake, 27, outdueled Paul Low, 32, of Belchertown, Mass., to win the 7.6-mile race up the Mt. Washington Auto Road in 1 hour, 1 minute and 9 seconds. Pichrtova, 33, who won this race in each of her first four attempts (2001-2004) and then was a close second last year, reasserted her dominance on Saturday to lead the women's field from start to finish, crossing the line at the 6288-foot summit in 1:11:18.

"It was a good day, but I had no one to push me," said Pichrtova afterward. Last year, she fought an elbow-to-elbow battle with World Mountain Champion Melissa Moon of New Zealand before being outkicked in the final ultra-steep 300 yards of the race. Her time this year was half a minute slower, despite the nearly ideal weather and a rare windless day, with temperatures in the low-50s at the summit.

Her closest competition was Nicole Hunt, 36, of Deer Lodge, Mont., who tried to stay with Pichrtova, but gave way by the end of the second mile and finished more than a minute behind, in 1:12:30. Hunt, however, was delighted with her performance because as the first U.S. woman, she won the national mountain title.

"I loved it!" said Hunt of this race, which drew a field of some 900 entrants. "It was a challenge, and I love challenges."

In 2005, Blake finished a close second here last year to three-time Mt. Washington champion Simon Gutierrez of Alamosa, Colo. This year, Blake shared the lead with Low and newcomer Ricky Gates, 25, of Boulder, Colo., until Gates dropped off the pace, and then at halfway Blake made the move that would put him in front the rest of the way.

"I knew I had a good chance of winning if I concentrated," said Blake, who also finished 4th here in 2004. "I said to myself, 'I can keep this pace, keep pushing, just run.' With a mile to go, I looked back and Paul was still there, but if you hold your pace you won't get passed."

Low observed, "Eric made a move at halfway, and I was like, 'I'd rather hang back now and have something left at the end.' But in this race it takes a long time to pull someone back in. I'm disappointed, because I think in this race there are just two positions - winner and finisher." Low, who was also second here in 2004 and third last year, finished in 1:01:37.

Gutierrez moved quickly to the lead at the starting cannon, but as the runners moved up the unbroken ascent from base to summit it was obvious he could not hold that place, and for most of the rest of the way he battled with Gates for third place. Gates won that battle, in 1:03:31, joining Blake and Low as members of the 2006 U.S. Mountain Running Team that will compete in the World Mountain Trophy race in Turkey this September.

Gutierrez, 40, finished fourth and won the prize for first master (over 40).

Since this year's race served as the USA Mountain Running Championship, the first three U.S. men and first two U.S. women automatically qualified to compete as members of the national team. Along with Hunt, the other U.S. woman qualifying was Laura Haefeli, 38, of Del Norte, Colo., who finished third overall in 1:15:45. The third U.S. woman, 4th overall, was Chris Lundy, a 35-year-old veterinarian from Sausalito, Calif., in 1:17:52.

Top female master, and 5th overall, was Lisa Goldsmith, 41, of Nederland, Colo. in 1:18:46.

46th Mt. Washington Road Race: USA Mountain Running Championship - Pinkham Notch, NH, Saturday, June 17, 2006

MEN
1) Eric Blake, CT, 1:01:09, $1000
2) Paul Low, MA, 1:01:37, $600
3) William "Ricky" Gates, CO, 1:03:31, $400
4) Simon Gutierrez, 40, CO, 1:04:06, $500
5) Eric Morse, 41, VT, 1:04:38, $300

WOMEN
1) Anna Pichrtova, Czech Republic, 1:11:18, $1000
2) Nicole Hunt, MT, 1:12:30, $600
3) Laura Haefeli, CO, 1:15:45, $400
4) Chris Lundy, CA, 1:17:52, $200
5) Lisa Goldsmith, 41, CO, 1:18:46, $400

More results at: MountWashingtonRoadRace.com.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director
(805) 696-6232; Fax = (805) 659-0016
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.RunningUSA.org.

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