BOULDER — Just minutes in, there was little doubt about the potential individual and team winners of the Bolder Boulder elite women’s 10K race.
Only one question: Who among teams Kenya or Ethiopia could survive the relentless early pace to cross first Monday?
“It went out a lot faster than I thought it was going to be,” said American Amy Hastings, who finished 11th in 34 minutes, 55 seconds. “My plan was to go out in 5:20 (for the first mile), but I went out in 5:10, and I was already so far behind the leaders.”
In the end, Ethiopia finished first and second, led by Mamitu Daska in 32:28 — the second-fastest time in Bolder Boulder history and the fastest women’s time in 15 years. Countrywoman Amane Gobena followed in 33:11, and Kenya’s Emily Chebet, who valiantly stayed close to Daska for nearly half the race in second place, wound up third in 33:40.
“They were trying — all three of them — to go together,” Daska’s translator said. “The altitude is higher in Ethiopia than in Boulder, except that it was hot today. It usually doesn’t get this hot. The training helped, though.”
Daska finished eighth in this year’s IAAF world cross country championships and has a 10K track personal best of 31:36.88.
Renee Metivier-Baillie, a 2005 University of Colorado graduate and a 5K specialist, finished ninth as the race’s top American in 34:51.
“She (Daska) is an amazing athlete,” said Metivier-Baillie. “They went out hard, and I was hoping to reel them in later. She’s run this course before, and she knows what she’s doing, so hopefully I can be a little more of a factor for her next year.”
Hastings followed in 11th. Magdalena Lewy-Boulet, who qualified for the 2008 U.S. Olympic marathon team in Beijing but pulled out midrace because of an injury, was the third American woman in 35:12.
All three — members of this year’s bronze medal-winning world cross country championship team — were racing in the Bolder Boulder for the first time. And all three vowed to return next year to improve their team’s third-place standing.
“This was unbelievable,” Hastings said. “The amount of noise the crowd made . . . it was crazy. I imagine coming into Olympic Stadium — I’ve imagined it a million times — and it being similar.
“This is the way running in the U.S. should be. I’ll come back as many times as I can.”
Daniel Petty: 303-954-1081 or dpetty@denverpost.com
