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!
djconnel said…
Excellent question!
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.

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