Colorado Running Hall of Fame Announces 2011 Inductees

5th class includes Libbie Hickman, Steve Flanagan, John Meyer, Bette Poppers and Parthenia Jones



DENVER - (April 5, 2011) - 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, and the 2011 inductee class is:



* 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. The Colorado State grad ran the 10,000 meters at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the first American woman to win the Bolder Boulder 10K 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 1980s. 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 U.S. 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.


Contact Information


Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Director, ryan@runningusa.org, (805) 696-6232