20 Niwotians place in the top 20 at Bolder Boulder 10K

On Memorial Day, over 48,000 participants lined up to race the Bolder Boulder 10K. Out of that number, a whopping 242 participants live in Niwot, with 125 women and 116 men participating.

With so many participants, runners are timed based on age and gender instead of just the finishing time and place. In addition to the amateur racing categories, the Bolder Boulder, which first started in 1979, has expanded to include Elite categories and an International Pro Team Challenge that attracts participants from around the world.

Of the Niwot participants in the female category, 11 placed in the top 20 in their individual age groups.

Those runners were Hazel Tucker, who placed 2nd in F7 (females age 7) with a time of 1:03:46,

Savannah Nowak, who placed 5th in F8 with a time of 1:09:31, Angelina Proctor, who placed 2nd in F10 with a time of 54:34, Tereza Koudelkova, who placed 3rd in F12 with a time of 45:23, Tate Dodge, who placed 13th in F2 with a time of 50:08, Jenna Edwards, who placed 15th in F26 with a time of 44:40, Stephanie Nielsen, who placed 1st in F40 with a time of 41:05, Karrie Villavicencio, who placed 5th in F53 with a time of 51:20, Mako Shimoda, who placed 6th in F59 with a time of 55:34, former Olympic athlete Ellen Hart, who placed 3rd in F66 with a time of 56:40, and Kathy Oliver, who placed 5th in F84 with a time of 2:33:32.

For the male Niwot participants, nine placed in the top 20 in their individual categories.

Those runners were Nathaniel Tucker, who placed 17th in M10 with a time of 55:28, Jett Curteis, who placed 13th in M18 with a time of 34:41, Peter Brandes, who placed 12th in M32 with a time of 38:15, Chris McDonald, who placed 2nd in M55 with a time of 40:41, Andy Idema, who placed 10th in M45 with a time of 41:37, Carl Vertuca, who placed 11th in M48 with a time of 43:22, Damon Clark, who placed 13th in M63 with a time of 53:24, Joel Maguire, who placed 14th in M72 with a time of 1:06:28, and David Knudtson, who placed 7th in M78 with a time of 1:13:33.

The Bolder Boulder included a Memorial Day tribute at the finish line at Folsom Field on the University of Colorado campus. The tribute began at noon with an Honor Guard and Color Guard march and the National Anthem sung by Bella Sherry. The Marines Silent Drill Platoon from Washington, D.C., then performed drill demonstrations. The event also included a flyover by F-16s from the Colorado Air National Guard and Longmont sky divers who each landed with a flag from one of the Armed Forces, and finally with the American flag.

While 10K races often bring out competitive athletes, the organization is focused on keeping the event for everyone, regardless of their abilities. The website states, "Our mantra is 'Oh Yes You Can!' We have walking, jogging and running waves so everyone can enjoy all 10 kilometers at their own pace." Consider joining the race next Memorial Day.