Team Colorado crowned National Champions, Randall and Manning qualify for US Mountain Running Team

       Glenn Randall takes the early lead 300 meters into the the 2012 Mt. Washington Road Race

Team Colorado lined up at the 52nd running of the Mt. Washington Road Race, which also served as the 2012 U.S. Mountain Running Championships, on a warm New Hampshire Saturday, June 16th. By the end of it, all seven of the team were in the top 17th and two qualified for the U.S. Mountain Running Team, which will represent the US at the World Championships in Ponte di Legno, Italy on September 2, 2012.

Randall (L) and Eric Blake (R) suffer on the last section of 22% grade

In the most competitive field ever assembled at Mt. Washington, team members Glenn Randall of Mesa, CO and Tommy Manning of Colorado Springs, CO placed 4th (1:00:58) and 6th (1:01:52), respectively, in the unforgiving 7.6 miles race to qualify for the US Team. The previous number of runners to break 1:05 at Mt. Washington were 8. This year, 14 men dipped under that time.

 Manning finishing up "The Wall"

Gute (L) and Nichols (R) grinding their way to the finish



Simon Gutierrez (Colorado Springs, CO) battled it out in the end with 2011 World Mountain Running Champion, Max King, for a 9th place finish (1:02:24), followed closely by Alex Nichols (Colorado Springs, CO) in 10th (1:02:41). 2-time Mt. Washington champ Rickey Gates (Woody Creek, CO) placed 14th (1:04:33), with John Tribbia (Boulder, CO) and Peter Maksimow (Manitou Springs, CO) rounding out the team in 16th (1:05:14) and 17th (1:05:21).

Gates rocking the 'stash and long hair

Tribbia and Maksimow (R) round out the team

The top 5 times were added and Team Colorado posted 5 hrs. 12 min. 28 sec., besting the 2005 Central Mass Striders record by 5 min. 31 sec., to set the new race record and become the 2012 USATF National Team Champions.

    Team Colorado: 2012 US Mountain Running Team Champions (minus Alex Nichols)

Results at www.mountwashingtonroadrace.com
Running Times write up here