Central Connecticut track and field and cross country head coach Eric Blake placed third in the Mount Washington Road Race on Saturday. The race was shortened to a 4.0 mile run due to weather conditions. The Mount Washington Road Race is typically a 7.6 mile race straight up Mount Washington in New Hampshire that is 4,650 vertical feet from start to finish.
Blake, who is 43 years old, completed the race in a time of 29:12 as the race was hampered by weather, snow, and big winds at the top of the mountain. Blake finished second in the race in 2021, and is a four-time winner of the event, having last won in 2019.
NORTHEAST DELTA DENTAL MOUNT WASHINGTON ROAD RACE RESULTS
Blake has remained an active runner while leading the Blue Devils. He was among a group of 140 elite runners at the 2021 Boston Marathon and he set a record in November 2020 at the Hillacious Half Marathon with a time of 1:15.07. Blake also ran at the 2021 USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in the Masters Men Division and he has been part of eight USATF Mountain Running Teams and competed at the Olympic Marathon Trials. Blake also set a world record in 2006 running a marathon on the treadmill in 2:21.40.
On the coaching front Blake guided the Blue Devils to a women’s indoor track and field title and championships for the men’s and women’s cross country teams in 2021-22. He has guided the Blue Devils to a combined 22 NEC championships as head coach (14 cross country, eight track & field).