DENVER — The Colorado Running Hall of Fame will hold its 5th annual induction ceremony for the 2011 class on Tuesday, April 19 at the Denver Athletic Club.
The 2011 inductee class consists of Steve Flanagan, Libby Hickman, Parthenia “Potts” Jones, John Meyer, and Bette Poppers.
Steve Flanagan is a U.S. World Cross Country Champion participant and marathon runner. In the 1970s, he ran for the Frank Shorter Racing Team and was a cross-country specialist for the Colorado Track Club. He is also the father of America’s top female distance runner, Shalane Flanagan, who was a bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Libbie Hickman was named top female road racer in 1991, 1998 and 2000 by Runner’s World magazine. She ran the 10,000 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the first American woman to win the Bolder Boulder in 14 years in 1997. From Fort Collins, Hickman has largely retired from the sport in favor of chasing her two young children.
Parthenia Jones, affectionately known as “Potts”, is an extraordinary volunteer. She is an Aurora police officer who has dedicated countless hours over the past 30 years to the sport of running, leading the Potts Trotters, a non-profit running and walking club that promotes health and fitness by sponsoring and participating in running events ranging from 5K runs to ultra-marathons. She was a recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award in 2005.
John Meyer is a committed long-distance athlete and award-winning sports journalist, writing a running and endurance sports column for The Denver Post. In 2007, he won the Jesse Abramson Award for excellence in track and field journalism, awarded by the Track and Field Writers of America. He has run 13 marathons so far.
Bette Poppers was one of the first female long distance athletes. She got a late start in the running game, starting her running career at 34 years old (and seven months pregnant), and became one of the nation’s top masters runners in the 1980’s. She went on to qualify for the Olympic marathon trials twice after turning 40.
“The Colorado Running Hall of Fame honors an array of very special people,” said Creigh Kelley, Race Director of the Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon. “The inductees are chosen for their contribution to the sport and our state.”
The event features keynote speeches from Denver Mayor Bill Vidal, Lakewood Mayor Bob Murphy, and Aurora Mayor Ed Tauer. This event is open to the public, with a limited number of tickets available for purchase at $25 per person.
To learn more about the Colorado Running Hall of Fame or to purchase tickets to the induction ceremony, visit www.runcolfax.com.
About the Colorado Running Hall of Fame
Colorado has one of the highest concentrations of world and American record holders and Olympic and world championship medal winners. The Colfax Marathon Partnership, Inc. Board of Directors established the CRHF in 2007 to recognize Colorado residents who have achieved national and international recognition on the long-distance running stage. In 2010 the High School Athlete Recognition Program was introduced, awarding 7 high school distance runners with High School Achievement Awards recognizing not only athletic achievement but also community leadership and character.
About the Colfax Marathon: The sixth annual 2011 Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon takes place May 14-15, 2011 and includes the full marathon, half-marathon and marathon relay, as well as the new Colfax 5K and kid’s race. Established by the cities of Aurora, Denver and Lakewood to encourage Coloradans to be healthier, the marathon has established itself as an iconic race for the mile-high city. We support local charities and nonprofits by providing one of the country’s biggest fund-raising platforms through our Charity Partners Program. We are proud to partner with corporate sponsors who make our race a success, including: Kaiser Permanente, 9News, The Denver Post, Comcast, 104.3 The Fan, The Denver Athletic Club, Primrose Schools, Jim ‘n Nick’s BBQ, and more.
About Kaiser Permanente Colorado
Kaiser Permanente Colorado is the state’s largest nonprofit health plan, proudly working to improve the lives and health of Denver, Boulder, and southern Colorado area residents for 40 years. Kaiser Permanente Colorado provides comprehensive health care services to more than 535,000 members through 21 medical offices and a network of affiliated hospitals and physicians. The health plan was named “Highest in Member Satisfaction” among Commercial Health Plans by J.D. Power and Associates for the third straight year. Kaiser Permanente was also recognized by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) as the top-ranked private health plan in Colorado, No. 9 in the nation, and one of the top 5 Medicare plans in the U.S. for the second year in a row. In 2009, Kaiser Permanente proudly directed more than $82 million to community benefit programs to improve the health of all Coloradans. For more Kaiser Permanente news, visit kp.org/newscenter or follow us on twitter @kpcolorado or facebook.com/kpcolorado.