Estes Park had 80 finishers – from ages 8 to 80 – in this year’s Memorial Day BOLDERBoulder 10K. And, yes, I am looking for that 80-year-old for an interview.
The race is called “America’s all-time best 10K” by “Runner’s World,” and this year’s race lived up to the hype with 46,644 finishers at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field.
However, only three of the four Estes runners profiled in Part 1 of this series last week completed the race.
The rainy morning broke into blue skies and sunshine before noon, in time for the men’s pro race with an astonishing climax as American Conner Mantz overtook Kenyan Daniel Ebenyo in the final 50 meters and became the first person to win the BOLDERBoulder three times consecutively with a time of 28:21, 29 seconds off the men’s course record.
Over 80,000 spectators in Folsom Stadium reached fever pitch watching Ebenyo lead the way into the stadium with Mantz several yards behind. After two turns, they entered the home stretch with Ebenyo still leading until the last seconds.
Kenyan runner Grace Loibach Nawowuna set a new course record by 21 seconds in the women’s pro race when she crossed the finish line at 31:52 in front of the roaring crowd.
The beautiful weather held throughout the moving tribute for Memorial Day that included four F-16s flying over in formation, special recognition for military veterans, and a 21-gun salute, all at CU’s Folsom Field.
But earlier in the day, professional wheelchair racers, rookie runners, and nonprofessional race veterans ran/walked through a lot: heavy rain, drizzle, and mist; live bands including bagpipes; neighborhood supporters offering free tequila, vodka, bacon, and cupcakes; belly dancers, tap dancers, and superheroes; and people waiting in line for the Slip ‘N Slide, trampoline, and portable toilets.
Focusing on “Older BOLDERBoulder” participants was perfect this year since one of the official race starters was 100-year-old “Miss Peggy” Coppom, a CU super-fan. See her with her yellow pompoms in the accompanying photo here at the starting line, where she cheered on 97 waves of runners as the starting gun fired 97 times throughout the morning.
Older BOLDERBoulder runners from Estes
The four older Estes runners profiled here last week were also there, and 73-year-old Carla Pederson won First Place in her gender age group once again. This victory came despite an injury. “After the first half, I was ready to speed up,” she says, “when my calf seized up.”
Disappointed but undaunted, she says she slapped hands with an Elvis impersonator, clapped for the live bands she passed, and ran with a limp for the last three miles. That’s why she’s described as “the toughest woman running” by other Estes runners. She also achieved the Beat Your Age status because she finished in under 73 minutes – 58:23 to be exact – and her record from two years ago as the Fastest 71-Year-Old Female to Ever Complete the BB10K still stands.
Estes Park Running Club President Belle Morris, who turned 59 in January, completed the race with better-than-expected results.
“I was faster than I thought I would be,” she says. Currently receiving treatment for breast cancer, this dynamo with several Iron Man competitions and marathons on her race resume decided to run/walk the BB10K this year.
“I really enjoyed not feeling the pressure to perform,” she said. “This was a personal achievement, but not what most people think about, like best time, personal record, and those things. I just celebrated, and it felt more spacious.” She credited her friend Terri Menghini, another of Estes’s avid runners, for taking the slower pace with her this year and enjoying the camaraderie.
On the course this year, Morris stopped for gelato and had her photo taken with an Elvis impersonator. Because it was pouring rain, she skipped the Slip ‘N Slide and trampoline attractions.
Sixty-six-year-old Amy Plummer says she left Estes Monday morning a little after 5 a.m., bolted from the starting line in Boulder at 7:08 a.m., finished in under an hour, and “felt pretty good” during and after the race. One of her goals had been to pace herself more evenly through the 6.2 miles, and she did manage to keep a pace of about 9 minutes per mile. She also beat her age.
Two corrections to last week’s article about Plummer: she once placed third in the Estes Park Marathon, and the Colorado Marathon is a race she would like to run, but it is not on her current resume.
Unfortunately, 74-year-old Ernie Petrocine, with at least 25 BB10K finishes on his resume, only made it to the starting line this year.
He felt sharp sciatica pain as he walked almost two miles to the starting line and then abandoned all hopes of competing because of the pain.
His last training run four days earlier had been very reassuring, when he ran 3.1 miles from Estes down the switchbacks toward Glen Haven and back up the switchbacks for a total of 6.2 miles (10K). His pace on that steep, difficult run showed him he could easily have beat his age on the easier course in Boulder. However, “maybe yard work over the weekend or who knows what” caused the debilitating pain on Memorial Day.
Next steps for these runners
What’s next for these four running enthusiasts? Pederson will continue running, and as a retired nurse, she will be a valuable asset volunteering at aid stations in the Estes Park Marathon and Half Marathon. Those races, sponsored by the EP Running Club, will take place on June 15. Next year, Pederson plans to be back in the BB10K.
Morris is busy coordinating the EP Marathon and Half Marathon, and she is training for the Outdoor Diva’s Sprint Triathlon on August 10, 2025, in Longmont.
Plummer is volunteering to help with the EP Marathon and Half Marathon next month, and she will continue to organize and train with the Estes group, Asylum Runners. Petrocine says, “She organizes us and keeps us all going.”
As for Petrocine, he will try again next year, and he says, “I’ll get another minute added to my time limit in the Beat Your Age competition because I’ll be 75,” with his typical optimism.
Petrocine says the popular BB10K is great because “it raises awareness about exercise and makes a social statement about personal health. Other people see old people running the BOLDERBoulder, and that’s setting a standard.” To his point, this year, 47 people in the race, ages 51-88, have run in every BB10K since 1979.
BOLDERBoulder history of service to runners and impact on local economy
Another “older” member of the BB10K team is the man who originated the race in 1979 and invented the wave system in 1984. Still working the BB10K today, Steve Bosley, 83, spent over 100 hours analyzing data and organizing the waves this year. The wave start is the industry standard now, where runners are grouped by ability level; then the groups are released at intervals to avoid logjams in large races.
As I ran through the morning precipitation in the race, I saw at least one blind runner with an escort, school groups with coaches, ROTC groups running in formation, families with small children, and runners honoring cancer survivors and others. Some runners wore lists of names of US active military service members and veterans as tributes.
Race Director Cliff Bosley, son of founder Steve Bosley, is proud of what the BB10K has become. The direct and indirect economic impact on the City of Boulder is estimated at $23 million. Participants hailed from all 50 states and more than 12 countries this year.
When asked about the shenanigans along the course, Cliff Bosley said, “These traditions evolved organically, first with people living on the course who wanted to connect with and encourage participants as they ran, jogged, and walked through these neighborhoods.”
“It is humbling that the community is interested to come together in support of the participants and become a part of their part of the race,” he says.
One important legacy of this fun-but-serious race is the charitable work made possible by the racers’ registration fees. While participants do not raise money for specific BB10K charities, the BB10K organization funds many projects to support the sport of running, to honor military service, and to benefit “dozens and dozens of local nonprofits,” according to Cliff Bosley.
The BB10K provides support for runners of all abilities to challenge their perceived limits and help them self-actualize through running. The organization also helps grow running programs at schools and universities by providing race supplies and equipment. The CU’s cross-country and track-and-field programs benefit from BB10K donations.
The BB10K supports local athletes with Olympic aspirations through Aspire OTQ, cardiology patients through Bravehearts, and many other local not-for-profit groups through the BB10K’s own Very Important Running program.
The BB10K makes it possible for active military personnel to run the race remotely on US military posts, bases, and even Navy ships by providing specially designed shirts, bib numbers, and materials to stage their own off-site BOLDERBoulders over Memorial Day weekend. Free race registration is provided for military members who participate in the race remotely and in Boulder.
In addition, the BB10K consistently donates food locally and has donated to global humanitarian relief efforts.
Estes Park Marathon and Half Marathon – June 15
Runners interested in the Estes Park Marathon or Half Marathon, or individuals interested in volunteering to help, should check out the Estes Park Running Club’s website or Facebook page, or show up at a Tuesday night Fun Run at 6 p.m. In May and June, the club meets at the corner of Scott Avenue and Fish Creek Road, welcoming all abilities. Even friendly and well-behaved dogs can join.
The Asylum Runners is a less formal club, usually scheduling long Sunday morning trail runs in the summer months. Plummer is their organizer and is available at taet@aol.com for more information.
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