It was 5:30 on a Boulder morning, the sun wouldn’t ascend for another hour, and the staff, costume-adorned, traipsed from trailer to base camp to set up for the 24 Hours of Boulder…Endurance Races for an eighth consecutive year. A cat, a Viking, a dead hunter, and a dreaded Rastafarian race director set up shop at the Boulder Reservoir, on a platform overlooking the dark shoreline. Racers filtered in to register among flickering lights and hanging ghosts. A great group of 24-hour and 100-milers gossiped around base camp until Reid Delman, Rastafarian, called them to the start line. Pleasantries were exchanged, a horn blew, and into the early morning light filtered a half-costumed, half-regular, but wholly thrilled bunch of endorphin-seeking diehards.

With Glen Delman, race photographer, at the event, racers had the option of having their photo taken after each lap was completed on the out and back course. He/she would run into base, check off at the timing booth (through the Ghoulish Journeyman Adventure Enterprises), snap a quick photo, perhaps to capture for themselves by end, an explanation for what had just been accomplished, or to see how fatigue, or strength becomes vivid in the cheeks, eyes and posture. Whatever the case, the option to capture the journey made the 24 Hours of Boulder more exposed – turning something extremely intimate in the long hours logged by the individual, to more communal, like a family portrait at the fireplace, year after year.

At 6 pm Saturday evening, the 6-hour nighttime fun run group lined up, contributing a new and vivacious energy to the spaced-apart pack of 24 hour, 12 hour, and 100 mile participants. A short six hours later, Chris Lennon and Theresa Daus Weber finished as First Place Male/Female with 28.56 miles accomplished apiece. Second Place Male and Female were Terry Gold and Stephanie Maria Bollini with 21.42 miles clocked in before the cut-off.

A loan ambulance sat ready in the Reservoir parking lot for 30 hours without a single hiccup to address.

This year’s 24 Hours of Boulder…Endurance Races was extremely exciting, because Jeremy Bradford, who competed in the Triple Crown Series in 2011, shattered his previous series record (24 of Boulder, 24 of Utah, 24 of Laramie), with a truly inspiring completion of 100 miles in 15:42. His cumulative time for all three 100’s was 58:10. The 24 Hours of Boulder…was Bradford’s 7th 100-mile race of the year, and with such a strong, consistent, and passionate pursuit of the distance, it’s a surprise he isn’t sponsored. Nudge to Hoka, who Bradford swears by for his races.

Second place male in the 100-Mile was Jeremy Ebel from Boulder, CO, 33-minutes behind Bradford, with a time of 16:15. After Ebel had completed his last lap he pulled out a bottle of Patron, took a shot, and sat by it for the next couple hours through that dark night, inviting all to follow suit.

The first female to complete 100 miles was Lisa Purul from Highlands, CO, with a time of 19:06. Second place female was Claire Dorotik from Aurora, CO with a finishing time of 25:30.

Those to run this portion of the race would endure several weather changes, from brisk morning chills, to a full Saturday of rain and wind, and finally, to bring them home, a clear blue and perfectly temped runner’s Sunday morning. At night, a propane heater, a couple sleeping bags, and each other’s encouraging remarks of a morning soon to come was barely enough to remove the chill from the rain. Long-time veteran chefs, Karen Balog and Josh Weissman kept filling the coffee old school style, ladling boiling water over a makeshift prop of filter and grounds – it always tastes better when made slowly, especially when you can cup it in your hands on a cold night after 18 hours of running. On top of this was that delicious, nostalgic pot of top ramen, and an even larger vat of marinara chicken pasta, and an even larger pot of chicken broth soaked potato chunks.
Reid Delman’s twin daughters, who inspired “Gemini Events,” dressed as a clown and a giant blow up blue person made brownies the likes of coffins, adorned in candy corn and icing for the racers. Along with the festive treats were assorted candies, chips, pb&j rolls, and energy capsule-time-released beverages.

Mountain Magazine sponsored a team of workers turned racers, and it was their tent that boogied throughout the night. Jace Wirth, team captain, along with Olivia Dwyer ran the most for the group, capping a total of 28.56 miles apiece; the most that Jace had run in his life. Team Mountain Magazine ran a total of 149.94 miles in 24 hours, just three minutes before Team Run Like The Winded who clocked the same amount of mileage.
Several racers dropped from the 100-Mile to the 24 Hour category, and it was Chris Roman from Jacksonville, FL who courageously endured 114.24 miles on the 7.14 mile out and back (12:07/ a mile). Carlos Valdez from Denver, CO took 2nd with 71.4 miles. The first 24 Hour female was the seasoned RATS veteran, K RAY (Karen Ray) from Tijeras, NM with 100 miles. 2nd place female was Fran Mason of Boulder, with 71.4 miles.
12 Hour participants finished Saturday evening with Michael Hewitt of Denver, CO as lead male, having run 71.4 miles, and 2nd place male, Shawn St. Sauveur accomplishing the same mileage 36 minutes later. 1st place female was Jacqlyn Ducharme from Aurora, CO with 28.56 miles and 2nd place female was Stacie Butow from Glenwood Springs, CO with 21.42 miles.

The 6 Hour field was tight, with both male and female leaders even in miles accomplished. Chris Lennon from Westminster, CO completed 28.56 miles earning 1st place, while 1st place female was Theresa Daus Weber from Morrison, CO with the same mileage, but just over an hour later. 2nd place male was Terry Gold of Boulder, CO with 21.42 miles. 2nd place female was Stephanie Marina Bollini with 21.42 miles run.
For the first time ever, the 24 Hours of Boulder…Endurance Races 2012 introduced the 50K to the lineup. With a 7 am Sunday morning race start, a solid but small group of racers would pave the way for a race that will, in the future, likely gather a herd (awesomely affordable entry fee, snacks, scheduled for a Sunday start, pre-Boulder Marathon, etc.). Bill Fauselow finished first male with a time of 3 hours, 32 minutes (6:49 pace). Second place male was Patrick Garcia with a time of 4 hours, 15 minutes. First Place Female was Lisa Javernick (2nd place overall male/female), with a time of 4 hours, 4 minutes (7:51 pace), and second place female was Karen Kantor with a time of 4 hours, 19 minutes.

What’s really beautiful about the 24 Hours of Boulder…Endurance Races, and Gemini Events as a company, is that those involved and those who are attracted to its types of races are down to earth, low-key adventurers who don’t need frills or belt buckles to understand the roots of the sport. It’s about getting lost in your head, about moving beyond the monotony, about making new friends, and giving the ones you made last year that tired head nod, to confess, “This is hard, but I’m here.” K Ray, first place female in the 24 Hour, quotes it sensationally in, “I was witness to the kindness of strangers from start to finish in Colorful Colorado and it started from the moment I arrived at the Reservoir…Although I made the trip to Boulder alone, I felt like I had family and friends the entire race.”