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BOULDER, Colo. - (May 18, 2004) - The 2004 Bolder Boulder
Women's Team USA has been assembled for the 7th International
Team Challenge as part of the 26th Bolder Boulder on Memorial
Day, May 31. These three women are ready to debut for Team
USA at the competition:
* Katie Blackett, 27, of Boulder, CO - Blackett finished
27th at the recent U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials with a time
of 2:42:24 and is coached by Darren De Reuck. The Villanova
graduate won the 2003 St. George Marathon. * Nicole Hunt,
34, of Deer Lodge, MT - Hunt finished 19th at the same Trials
with a time of 2:40:39 (a personal record) and is coached
by her husband. The Montana State graduate with a degree in
Nursing (1995) has a 10K PR of 32:49. (2003). Hunt recently
placed 10th (3rd American) at the Lilac Bloomsday 12K with
a time of 41:43. She was the 4th at the 2004 USA 15K Championships
(Gate River) with a time of 51:15. * Nikole Johns, 29, of
Fort Collins, CO - Johns finished 29th at the same Trials
with a time of 2:43:57, a PR and is coached by 1992 Olympic
Marathon bronze medalist Lorraine Moller. Johns, an Adams
State grad, currently works as an Occupational Therapist at
CSU.
At the International Team Challenge, the three debutantes
will likely face some stiff competition from Team Ethiopia,
Team Mexico, Team Romania and Team Kenya. Bolder Boulder officials
anticipate strong performances again as the best road runners
in the world compete over a criterium course at the International
Team Challenge.
Professional Athlete Coordinator Rich Castro spoke about
this year's women's Team USA, "These three women all
competed at the recent U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and we
hope that Bolder Boulder will be a stepping stone to higher
performance levels for them, just as it has  been
for other international athletes."
CBS TV commentator and 1981/83 Bolder Boulder champion Ellen
Hart is also looking forward to seeing these women race, "This
is an Olympic year, so obviously everyone is at different
places in assembling their Olympic teams. We were very lucky
the past two years to have the very top U.S. marathoners in
our race. We understand that they have to concentrate on the
Olympics this year. We are delighted to have Katie, Nicole
and Nikole run for us this year. Bolder Boulder is a strength
course and these girls are all strong runners. Marathoners
typically do very well at Bolder Boulder. These three peaked
for the Trials on April 3 so they will be recovered, strong
and ready to run on Memorial Day."
Bolder Boulder offers Olympic Development funds for American
runners who place as individuals and as a team. These development
funds have assisted in achieving Olympic dreams as five of
the six 2004 U.S. Olympic marathon team members - Alan Culpepper,
Dan Browne, Deena Kastor, Colleen De Reuck and Jen Rhines
- have participated in past International Team Challenges.
Three-time ITC champion Deena Kastor has decided to focus
instead on her Olympic training and not to run at Bolder this
year. Colleen De Reuck - who along with Kastor helped Team
USA win the women's title the past two years - will be jog/walking
in the citizen's race this year with her 9-year-old daughter,
Tasmin, and her husband Darren. Colleen has run in every Bolder
Boulder since moving to Boulder in 1993. Both Kastor and De
Reuck are headed to Athens, Greece in August to represent
the United States in the Olympic Marathon.
The International Team Challenge, started in 1998, is the
largest international road racing team competition held annually
in the United States. International teams are made up of three
runners per gender. The teams compete for the largest non-marathon
prize purse in the world. Monies are awarded in the team and
individual categories. Teams are scored cross-country style
with points awarded on the basis of finishing place. The team
with the lowest score for all three runners is the winner.
Ties are broken by the position of the third-place finishers.
About Bolder Boulder: The Celestial Seasonings Bolder Boulder
10K, a Running USA Founding Member, is one of the largest
road races in the world. The race attracts up to 50,000 runners,
walkers, and wheelchair racers, and draws professional racing
teams from all over the world to compete for the largest non-marathon
prize purse in road racing. The race starts at the north end
of 30th Street in Boulder near the First National Bank of
Colorado, winds through neighborhoods with live music and
entertainment at every corner, and finishes in the University
of Colorado's Folsom Field. More than 100,000 spectators watch
the festivities from inside the stadium and along the course.
Every year, the race makes donations to local charities that
provide volunteers to help stage the race. Over the years,
beneficiaries have included the Boulder Humane Society, Attention
Homes, Younglife, Boulder Optimists, local schools, and church
youth groups. The Bolder Boulder is proud to be partnered
with the following primary sponsors: Celestial Seasonings,
Eldorado Natural Springs Water, Frontier Airlines, Millennium
Hotel, New Balance, Seagate Technology and CarFind USA.
The 26th Bolder Boulder will be held on Memorial Day, May
31, 2004. For more race information, go to: www.bolderboulder.com
source Running USA wire
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