Low-Key Hillclimbs: Mt Hamilton fastest times

View from the summit (Josh Hadley photo)

Continuing my review of the history of Low-Key data, the climb most ever done in the series is Mt Hamilton: every year 1995-1998, 2006-2009, including twice in 1998. That's ten times total. Remarkably, given how exposed the summit is, it's never been canceled, despite occurring late in the series on Thanksgiving (in 1998 it was also first in the series).

Many of the better times are the last few years. But the men's and women's Low-Key records were each set in the 1999's. And neither has been close to being beaten since.

We'll likely continue to run Hamilton as long as we continue to run the climbs, or at least as long as I or Kevin is involved. It's a tradition to climb Hamilton on Thanksgiving morning, a tradition which goes back much further than 1995, the year of the first Low-Key series. It's a great climb, one which tests the endurance none of the other climbs can (although Diablo comes close). And in the early days, I used to get gapped on the descents here, until my descending improved the past few years.

Thanksgiving morning is special: car traffic is minimal and it feels like we have the roads to ourselves. If there was one day in the year to host a hillclimb, this would be it. Then everyone goes to their respective Thanksgiving obligations with a really good feeling, a feeling of having really done something special that day.

Men:
rank week    name                       time
1    1998(1) David_Wyandt               70:45
2    2008(9) Tracy_Colwell              72:00
3    2008(9) Clark_Foy                  72:07
4    2009(9) Ryan_Sherlock              72:17
5    2008(9) Chris_Isley                72:22
6    1997(9) Tracy_Colwell              73:02
7    1997(9) Eric_Albrecht              73:08
8    2008(9) Greg_McQuaid               73:14
9    2008(9) Geoff_Drake                73:22
10   2009(9) Brian_Lucido               73:24
11   2007(9) Tracy_Colwell              73:26
12   2008(9) Thomas_Novikoff            73:28
13   2009(9) Justin_Lucke               73:32
14   2007(9) Jesus_Aguirre              73:45
15   2009(9) Mark_Edwards               73:53
16   1998(1) Michael_Dunn               74:11
17   2009(9) Tracy_Colwell              74:13
18   2009(9) Greg_McQuaid               74:19
19   2008(9) Petro_Hizalev              74:32
19   2008(9) Tim_Clark                  74:32

Women:
rank week    name                       time
1    1997(9) Laura_Mullin               82:21
2    2007(9) Lucia_Mokres               88:45
3    1998(7) Cornelia_Fletcher          88:47
4    2009(9) Beverly_Chaney             89:14
5    2008(9) Janet_Martinez             89:23
6    1998(7) Laura_Stern                89:27
7    1998(1) Cornelia_Fletcher          89:50
8    2008(9) Lucia_Mokres               90:18
9    2007(9) Janet_Martinez             91:11
10   2009(9) Janet_Martinez             92:02
11   1995(8) Seana_Hogan                92:30
12   2009(9) Kelly_Crowley              94:29
13   1997(9) Cornezia_Fletcher          95:13
14   1995(8) Liz_Benishin               96:44
15   2007(9) Margie_Biddick             97:06
16   2009(9) Laura_Hipp                 98:09
17   2009(9) Leah_Toeniskoetter         98:16
18   2009(9) Mary_Ellen_Allen           98:21
19   2008(9) Holly_Harris               99:19
20   2007(9) Anny_Henry                 99:37

Mixed Tandem:
rank week    name                       time
1    1998(7) John_Serafin/Lisa_Antonino 96:37
2    1998(1) John_Serafin/Lisa_Antonino 100:44
3    1998(1) Mike_Jensen/Liz_Borra      102:00
4    1998(7) Tom_Lawrence/Sarah_Beaver  103:25
5    1998(1) Tom_Lawrence/Sarah_Beaver  107:03
6    1997(9) Liz_Borra                  107:25
6    1997(9) Mike_Jensen                107:25
7    2008(9) Ruth_Pisingan              109:09
7    2008(9) Marco_Palmeri              109:09
8    1998(7) Mike_Towbridge/Janine_Rood 120:53
9    1998(1) Dick_and_Roxanne_Robinson  145:23

Men's Tandem:
rank week    name                       time
1    2008(9) James_Robertson            122:35
1    2008(9) Craig_Robertson            122:35

Recumbent:
rank week    name                       time
1    1998(1) Allen_Hopkins              135:08
2    1998(7) Don_Kinell                 203:44

Tricycle:
rank week    name                       time
1    2009(9) Mark_King                  116:46
2    1998(7) Joe_Lansing                132:31
3    1998(1) Joe_Lansing                135:28
4    1998(7) Joseph_Venimiglia          243:00

Hybrid-Electric:
rank week    name                       time
1    2009(9) Bill_Bushnell              57:26
2    2008(9) Bill_Bushnell              60:43
3    2007(9) Bill_Bushnell              61:22

Comments

Unknown said…
This is good stuff! One question comes immediately to mind: what's the all-time median in each division?

This would be cool to know across all of the popular, repeated climbs.

Thanks!
December 1, 2009 at 10:35 AM
djconnel said…
Excellent question!
December 1, 2009 at 10:46 AM
Ryan Sherlock said…
Hehe, I knew I should have brought along Kieran as a domestic to drill it over the first couple of climbs and keep the speeds up.

Talking to people over here (Ireland) about the climb - they are amazed, 70 minute climb!!! UK/Ireland only have 3-7 minute climbs as part of our Championship series. The longest road climb I can find here would be finished in 15 minutes or less at race/TT pace.
December 1, 2009 at 12:06 PM
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