Gray, De Gasperi summit Mt. Washington Road Race in 2nd, 5th overall

SCOTT running team athletes Joseph Gray (USA) and Marco De Gasperi (ITA) convened in the mountains of New Hampshire on a sunny Saturday morning, June 16th, 2012 to take on the Mount Washington Road Race. Set in New Hampshire's White Mountains, the race follows a (mostly) paved road, climbing 7.6 miles with an average grade of twelve percent.

With unusually clear skies, Gray and De Gasperi set out climbing with an elite field of mountain runners vying for a coveted spot on the US Mountain Running Team.  This year's Mount Washington race served as the official qualifier for six available spots on the team, which will compete in the 2012 World Mountain Running Championships in Ponte di Legno, Italy, in early September.

Joseph Gray, a past USA Mountain Running Team member, posted a personal best 1:00:33 to finish in second place behind newcomer Sage Canady.  Gray will join the US Team in Italy and will hope to improve on last year's team silver medal.

Marco De Gasperi posted a 1:01:38, placing 5th overall in his Mount Washington debut.  De Gasperi, who has taken home six World Mountain Running championships, was disappointed with his time but remains interested in returning to a future race to chase a sub-hour finish.

In a field loaded with talented runners, Gray and De Gasperi excelled racing in the lightweight SCOTT Race Rocker, a race flat that maximizes running efficiency while providing the comfort and support of the eRide platform.

Photo credit: Nancy Hobbs