Boswell and Gardner set new course records atop Mt. Washington
At the 52nd edition of the Mount Washington Auto Road Bicycle Hillclimb, widely regarded as "the toughest climb in the US, if not the world," Illi Gardner and Ian Boswell set new course records on the iconic ascent.
Illi Gardner crossed the finish line in 58:07, besting Kristen Kulchinsky’s 2024 record of 1:06:08 by a full eight minutes and placing sixth overall. Ian Boswell set a new men’s record of 50:18, narrowly eclipsing Phil Gaimon’s 2022 mark of 50:38.
Though just 7.4 miles (11.9 km) in length, the New Hampshire race climbs 4,678 feet (1,425 meters) with brutal gradients, with more than half of the climb pitches between 10–15%, extended sections between 15–20%, and a final 22% ramp to the summit.
Unpredictable weather is part of the challenge. At 6,288 feet (1,916 meters), the peak is the tallest in the Northeast and the site of the country's highest non-hurricane wind gust ever recorded (231 mph in 1934) and a record-setting wind chill of –108.4°F (-78C) in 2023.
