Mount Washington Road Race announces the creation of the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame

Pinkham Notch, NH—Beginning next year with the 50th running of the Mount Washington Road Race, the newly formed Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame will recognize outstanding runners who have competed in this storied all-uphill “Run to the Clouds” over the decades. Formed by the race organizers and by three-time winner and race historian Dave Dunham, the Hall of Fame will serve to highlight extraordinary feats of uphill running and exceptional runners who have left an enduring mark on the 7.6-mile Mt. Washington Auto Road. In its annual election and induction of new members, the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame will also recognize people who have contributed to the race in other ways, especially in the overall organization of the race itself, a complex logistical operation that has made this one of the most popular and unusual races in North America.

The Mount Washington Road Race is an extremely steep all-uphill footrace at an 11.5 percent average grade, on a mostly paved course from the base of Mt. Washington to its summit, at 6288 feet above sea level the highest point in the northeastern United States. The race was first held in the years 1936-1938, forgotten during World War II, then restarted in 1961 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Mt. Washington Auto Road (formerly the Mt. Washington Carriage Road). The race was also held in 1962, then became an annual event starting in 1966. It takes place this year on June 20, and the 50th running of the Mt. Washington Road Race will be on June 19, 2010.

To coincide with the 50th running next year, the opening of the Hall of Fame will create an opportunity to give enduring recognition to those who have helped to make this race a legend in the sport. Some of the Hall’s members will be runners who have won this race several times; others, holders of course records or of age-group records. Others may be selected for their streaks – consecutive years running – or for a variety of other accomplishments as athletes, organizers, supporters and others who have contributed exceptionally to the Mt. Washington Road Race.

Members of the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame will be chosen by the Hall of Fame Committee, which will select the Hall’s first members before the 2010 race. The committee includes five people:

- Dave Dunham, winner of the race in 1988, 1989 and 1994, who has finished the race 19 times, and who maintains comprehensive statistics on every runner’s performance in the race over the years. (See his book “Only One Hill: a History of the Mt. Washington Road Race.”)

- Paul Kirsch, chair of the USATF-New England Mountain/Ultra/Trail championship series of races, staff member for the U.S. Mountain Running Team, eight-time Mt. Washington finisher and twice director of the USA Mountain Running Championships.

- Andy Schachat, the race’s announcer and commentator, the voice of the race and of the popular annual pre-race symposium.

- John Stifler, the press and elite athletes’ liaison for the race and a senior writer for New England Runner magazine, who ran Mt. Washington in 1989 and then joined the race’s staff.

- Bob Teschek, the race director since 1982, himself a five-time Mt. Washington finisher, who has timed and managed the finish lines of countless races in New England and farther afield.

Anyone may nominate a candidate for the Mt. Washington Road Race Hall of Fame. Following the close of nominations (December 31 each year), selection of Hall of Fame members will be by a vote of the five committee members. The newly elected members will be announced each year in May and inducted into the Hall on the day before the race. (The race is always on the third Saturday of June.) Normally three new members will be inducted into the Hall of Fame each year, although the actual number in a given year may be more or fewer.

The staff of the Mt. Washington Road Race and the Hall of Fame Committee members created the Hall of Fame in the belief that the race is old enough and prominent enough so that its history deserves to be highlighted by special acclaim for some of the people who are part of it. The first nominations will be accepted beginning after this year’s race. Nominations can be sent to the Hall of Fame Committee chair, Dave Dunham, at David.A.Dunham@irs.gov, to the secretary, Paul Kirsch (paul.kirsch@echoman.com) or to any of the three other committee members (aschachat@mail.ttlc.net, jstifler@econs.umass.edu, racetime@gsrs.com).