Melaku Ameneshoa rose to his feet, jumped for joy and cheered with the roaring throng at Folsom Field when a pair of Ethiopians sprinted into the stadium en route to taking the first two places in the women’s pro race of the Bolder Boulder. Jubilant as he was, supporting runners from the land of his birth wasn’t the only reason he was there in Section 115 with scores of Ethiopian immigrants clad in green, yellow and red.
“I’ve been coming to this event for the last 18 years, not only for the race but to say thank you for the families of U.S. soldiers,” Ameneshoa said Monday during the Memorial Day observance that culminates the race-day program by honoring fallen veterans and their families. “I want to say thank you to the U.S. for the opportunities we get. Itap all because of these guys who sacrificed, their families and their lives.”
While tens of thousands of runners and walkers converge on Boulder every Memorial Day to compete and celebrate the holiday, stories of military sacrifice and heroism always find their way into the colorful sweep of the day.
The top American in the men’s pro race, Reid Buchanan of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., had a grandfather who survived the Bataan Death March as a prisoner of the Japanese in World War II. He weighed only 80 pounds when he was liberated, and as a result, doctors told him he probably would never father children. They were wrong. He had eight, including Buchanan’s father.
“Talk about a miracle,” said Buchanan, who finished eighth. “’I’m only here because he survived that. This day means a lot to me.”
Buchanan, who finished a minute and 17 seconds behind the time of runaway winner Benard Ngeno of Kenya (28:29), said he thinks about his grandfather often when itap time to dig deep.
“I know that at no point in a running race am I going to suffer as much as my grandfather did,” Buchanan said. “Itap not even close. When I’m having a pity party for myself, it snaps me out of it like, ‘Dude, this is nothing.’ He lived a great life. He had a wonderful family, and I think he was thankful for everything he got.”
The top American in the women’s pro race, Aliphine Tuliamuk, grew up in a tiny village in Kenya before running at Wichita State and becoming an American citizen. Last year she finished second, only 11 seconds behind Ethiopian Mamitu Daska. On Monday she finished 11 seconds behind the winner again. Hiwot Yemer took first place in 32:49 and her Ethiopian teammate Meseret Tola was six seconds behind.
Tuliamuk, who wears an American flag bracelet, cherishes her U.S. citizenship and the opportunity to compete for her adopted country on the world stage.
“Being an American has given me so many opportunities, and the least I can do is run really well and represent this country to the best of my ability,” said Tuliamuk, who trains in Flagstaff, Ariz. “I wear this bracelet with pride. Before I start a race and they sing the national anthem, I choke up. It gets me so emotional.”
After coming achingly close to victory last year, Tuliamuk desperately wanted to win this time. She was lifted by the cheers that washed over her when she entered the stadium chasing the leaders, but having run the Rotterdam Marathon seven weeks ago, she didn’t quite have the speed in her legs to make up the seconds that separated her from victory.
“I was so tired,” Tuliamuk said. “Just hearing the crowd, I kept pushing, putting one foot in front of the other. I want that crowd to be for me. I guess I will have to come back for this again.”
Steve Krebs experienced a different kind of support from the community of Bolder Boulder runners. Once one of the top citizen runners in the area, Krebs had his right leg amputated above the knee last summer. On Monday he ran his 20th Bolder Boulder with a prosthetic racing leg. Because of the leg problems that eventually led to the amputation, it was his first real race in five years.
“Although I went from perpetual ‘A wave’ guy to also-ran participant, I have to admit this was the most enjoyable Bolder Boulder of the 20,” said Krebs, a former Colorado State runner who lives now in Lawrence, Kan. “I got so much encouragement along the course from runners, volunteers, and spectators, I was brought to tears by the human kindness given to me by unknowns for no reason.”
The Memorial Day observance, which included a jet flyover, sky divers and the playing of Taps in front of a large crowd that remained after the race, honored three Gold Star families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan and Iraq. The race was long over, but Ameneshoa stayed to honor the fallen and their families. It was important to him because his father served in the Ethiopian army.
“I didn’t have my dad close to me when I grew up because he was fighting for the country,” Ameneshoa said. “I missed him all those years. So we honor not only the people who are fighting and serving the country, but also the family members.”