BOULDER — As 90-year-old World War II veteran Stewart Boone began playing the National Anthem on bugle in the Bolder Boulder’s post-race Memorial Day ceremonies, elite U.S. runner Brianne Nelson took advantage of a teachable moment.
Nelson, a Golden resident who helped the USA Red team place second behind Ethiopia in the women’s International Team Challenge, was watching respectfully with her husband and daughters, ages 6 and 4.
“Put your hand over your heart,” she showed the girls with a mother’s tenderness, “like this.”
Honoring veterans has always been a theme of the Bolder Boulder. For many runners who return year after year, another theme is family. Mattie Suver, a Colorado Springs resident who finished sixth to lead the U.S. woman, told a story many of the runners watching the elite race from the Folsom Field stands undoubtedly had in common: Running it for the first time with her father. That happened when she was a sophomore at Laramie (Wyo.) High School.
“I remember running with him through five miles, and at five miles he said, ‘Mattie, just go ahead,’ so I did,” Suver said. “This race is really special to me. I remember watching the pros and thinking, ‘Wow, that’s pretty cool.’ This is my third year running the race as a pro, and it’s just indescribable. Coming into that stadium is surreal with these fans. Thank you, Boulder, it’s awesome.”
Nelson’s older daughter, Riley, wanted to do the race this year. Mom says she will let her walk it next year. Riley and her sister, Reese, were out on the course cheering with dad at mile 2. Mom heard them as she raced by.
“I always tell them to work hard and not give up and have fun,” Nelson said. “So sometimes when I hear them I think, ‘They’re here watching you, you’ve got to push it.’ They look forward to this every year.”
Family and Memorial Day resonated for Abdi Abdirahman, a four-time Olympian for the U.S. who immigrated from Somalia when he was 7 years old. A younger brother, Ayanle Abdirahman, was in the reserve when the war broke out.
“He left overnight to go to New Mexico to do weapons training,” Abdirahman said, “and a week later they were in Iraq.”
Abdirahman finished fifth, helping USA Red to second place in the men’s race behind Ethiopia.
“I’m thankful for everything I have as an American, and I never take it for granted,” said Abdirahman, 38, who hopes to make his fifth Olympic team in the marathon next year. “Everything that America stands for, we owe to the veterans who serve this country. Without them, we wouldn’t be enjoying what we enjoy today, that freedom we enjoy, the lifestyle that we enjoy.”
As always, the crowd was patriotic but lavish with appreciation for foreign racers. Cheers were deafening for the individual winners from Ethiopia, Belete Assefa in the men’s race and Meskerem Assefa in the women’s race. The stands erupted again when the Americans entered the stadium.
“I was dying coming in, and you start to hear a little bit of the roar,” said the top American man, Bobby Curtis of Rochester, Mich., who finished fourth. “Then being the first American, you hear it pick up and you can do nothing but respond, no matter how tired you are. It was really cool.”
As part of the Memorial Day observance, 125 recent Armed Forces enlistees were sworn in. One was Ashley Myers, 17, a Faith Christian High School student who leaves for basic training next week. She may never forget taking her oath with 50,000 witnesses.
“It is very cool to be supported not only by thousands and thousands of people here in the stands, but by our Army family and all of the other branches as well,” Myers said. “To be supported and loved like that, it’s a good feeling.”
That feeling extended to Boone, the bugle player. He was in an infantry division in Europe that took heavy casualties. Out of 70 men, 59 were killed or taken prisoner. He was one of the “Lucky Eleven.”
When the ceremonies ended, a long line of newly sworn-in military members waited for a chance to shake his hand and thank him for his service.
John Meyer: jmeyer@denverpost.com or
