Charlotte Lettis (Beaverton, OR) was the first official women’s finisher in the race. She won Mt. Washington in 1972, making the 7.6-mile ascent up the Auto Road in one hour 40 minutes 8 seconds. In 1975, she ran again, placing second in 1:46:40. In addition to her groundbreaking performance at Mt Washington, she was a national class runner in the mile and the 1,500, qualifying for the 1976 Olympic trials. An early leader in the movement to recognize women’s running not only as a fitness exercise but as top-level athletic competition, she produced a 2005 documentary about how women’s distance running had evolved over the last 50 years.

Joseph Gray (Age 34, Colorado Springs, CO) is a four-time winner of the race, having taken the top spot in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017. He holds the state record for both Colorado (58:15, in 2015) and Washington (60:33 in 2012). He set the single-year records for age 30, 32, and 33 with times of 59:09, 58:17, and 58:57. All of his finishes have been in the top five: four first, two second, two third, and one fourth place. His 2016 time stands as the American men’s record for the race. In addition to his impressive performances at Mount Washington Gray has been a 19-time U.S. Mountain team member and an 11-time national champion. In 2016, he won the World Mountain Running Championships in Sapareva Banya, Bulgaria.