Tuesday, September 2, 2014

2014 Hill Climb date has been set

Every weekend, multiple five- and ten-kilometer races take place in Cincinnati for runners and walkers. Marathons, duathlons and triathlons – formerly events reserved for only the most elite competitors – now attract thousands of participants. Judging by the number of cars sporting “26.2” or “13.1” oval bumper stickers, it appears that almost everyone is running marathons. What can the elite athlete do to truly distinguish themselves and prove their mettle in this plethora of “me too” sporting events?

On Sunday, Nov 23, a small group of runners and cyclists will gather at the base of Straight Street in Clifton Heights for the Straight Street Hill Climb. Some will be hoping to break the elusive two-minute record. Others will be just happy to finish the 0.36-mile distance. You read that correctly, 0.36, a little more than 1/3 of a mile. Sound easy?

The Straight Street Hill Climb is billed as ‘one of the most grueling sub-mile runs on the planet’ by event organizers. “It’s two minutes of self-inflicted torture,” claims event coordinator, Doug Newberry. This year’s hill climb will be the 38th anniversary of the the event that started in 1976 by the Clifton Track Club. It has been run almost annually ever since. The bike race was added in 2011, along with the option to both run and bike up the hill in consecutive assaults.

Running race will begin at 9 a.m.. Bike races will begin about 9:30 a.m.. Depending on the number of riders, cyclists may be started in multiple heats.

Proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Soap Box Derby

Sunday, November 24, 2013

It was a very cold day...

After years of almost tepid weather for raceday, the traditional frigid weather returned for the Straight Street Hill Climb. Torture, as you know, is the theme of this race and Mother Nature did her part. How cold? The liquid beverages awaiting the competitors at the top of the hill started to get slushy.

The 2013 edition set a record for the number of pre-registrants (92) and actual particpants (119) for both the running and cycling events.

Results are listed below. Running times are estimated because of the cold weather and sheer number of runners finishing almost at the same time. Some runners were not handed their tickets in the correct order and we could not track how many crossed the line at sub one-second intervals. It's one more thing we need to address next year as this event continues to grow. Apologies to all runners for this mess-up.

A special shout-out to the competitors who participated in multiple, consecutive events today.
Also to Matt Gancedo and Mark Jepson who did all three!



Overall results are first. Breakdowns by age/weight follow that (scroll down) and Biathlon results at the very bottom of this post.


Overall Running Results


 Overall Cycling Results


Running Results  by Division


Cycling Results  by Division



Biathlon Results


Friday, October 18, 2013

Hill Climb returns on Nov. 24

Every weekend, multiple five- and ten-kilometer races take place in Cincinnati for runners and walkers. Marathons, duathlons and triathlons – formerly events reserved for only the most elite competitors – now attract thousands of participants. Judging by the number of cars sporting “26.2” or “13.1” oval bumper stickers, it appears that almost everyone is running marathons. What can the elite athlete do to truly distinguish themselves and prove their mettle in this plethora of “me too” sporting events?

On Sunday, a small group of runners and cyclists will gather at the base of Straight Street in Clifton Heights for the Straight Street Hill Climb. Some will be hoping to break the elusive two-minute record. Others will be just happy to finish the 0.36-mile distance. You read that correctly, 0.36, a little more than 1/3 of a mile. Sound easy?

The Straight Street Hill Climb is billed as ‘one of the most grueling sub-mile runs on the planet’ by event organizers. “It’s two minutes of self-inflicted torture,” claims event coordinator, Doug Newberry. This year’s hill climb will be the 37th anniversary of the the event that started in 1976 by the Clifton Track Club. It has been run almost annually ever since. The bike race was added in 2011, along with the option to both run and bike up the hill in consecutive assaults.

Running race will begin at 9 a.m.. Bike races will begin about 9:30 a.m.. Depending on the number of riders, cyclists may be started in multiple heats.

Proceeds benefit the Cincinnati Soap Box Derby

2012 sponsors:CUF Neighborhood Association, BioWheels Cincinnati, Bishop’s Bicycles, Campus Cyclery, Element Cycles, Jim’s Bicycle Shop, Reser Bicycle Outfitters, Smitty’s Cyclery and Wiedemann Beer.