The 51st annual Mt. Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb drew hundreds of new first-time participants and the previous women’s record was broken.

This year’s race had over 500 first-time participants and many returners of different age groups ranging from 19 and under, to 75 and over on Saturday, Aug. 17.

Forty-three-year-old Kristen Kulchinsky broke the previous women’s record and finished in 1:06:08 despite having a flat tire three minutes away from the finish line. She began her cycling career as an indoor competitor in the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) E-sports World Championship and just competed in her first official outdoor hill climb less than a year ago. 

Former professional cyclist, 38-year-old Cameron Cogburn won the men’s division and finished in 52:01.

The race is arduous and ranks as the third-most difficult in the country by PJAMM, a leading global resource for cycling climbing information. The uphill climb encompasses 7.6 miles and 4,678 ft of elevation gain, an arduous physical effort.

In 2022, the auto road from base to summit was fully paved which eliminating the difficult “5-mile” gravel section. Records were reset that year.

The event serves as a fundraiser for the Tin Mountain Conservation Center, a nonprofit environmental education center for children. The center promotes an appreciation for and responsible stewardship of natural resources through hands-on programs in schools, camps and the community, according to its mission statement. 

This year the climb raised $84,000 between registration fees, gifts from business sponsors and funds raised by participants.