News Article

2024 BOLDERBoulder 10K: Conner Mantz and Grace Loibach Nawowuna Triumph
by Jon Rankin
June 18, 2024

Conner Mantz secures historic back-to-back win: Heading to Paris for the Olympics, Conner Mantz triumphed in a thrilling finish against Yemane Hailelsellassie, marking the first time an American has won consecutive titles in BOLDERBoulder history.

Kenya's Grace Loibach Nawowuna dominates women's pro race: Grace Loibach Nawowuna seized an early lead and set the 9th fastest time in race history. Known as one of the fastest female 10k runners ever, Nawowuna dictated the pace from start to finish to claim this year's women's pro race.

USA White team clinches Men's Team Race: Led by third-place finisher Sam Chelanga, USA White team secured victory in the International Pro Team Challenge, marking their first win since 2017 in this prestigious event.

The 2024 BOLDERBoulder 10K showcased thrilling victories as Conner Mantz and Grace Loibach Nawowuna emerged as champions in the men's and women's elite races, respectively. This year's event had 100,000 spectators, who witnessed exhilarating performances and paid tribute on Memorial Day.

Conner Mantz Defends Title in Dramatic Finish

Conner Mantz, aiming to defend his title from last year, faced stiff competition throughout the race. In post race interviews, Mantz admits he struggled to break away on the uphill stretches. As he neared the downhill approach to Folsom Field, he dug deep to make one more big push for the lead. In a close final sprint, Mantz surged past Eritrea's Yemane Haileselassie in the last 250 meters, clinching victory by a mere 1.8 seconds. His winning time of 29:12 secured his status as the first back-to-back champion since Allan Kiprono in 2012-13 and only the sixth U.S. citizen to win the pro race since 1984.

Grace Loibach Nawowuna Dominates Women's Race

In the women's elite race, Kenya's 20-year-old sensation Grace Loibach Nawowuna left no room for doubt about her dominance. She powered through the course, setting a blistering pace from the start and maintained her lead to finish. She won the race in 32:45.3. Her performance not only secured her the BOLDERBoulder title but also marked the fastest time since 2018 and the ninth-fastest in race history.

Grace has consistently demonstrated her prowess on the global stage with impressive 10k performances in 2023 and 2024. Almost a year ago, on June 3, 2023, in The Netherlands, Nawowuna clocked a blistering 10K time of 29:47.42 - ranking as the 11th fastest in history. Her remarkable consistency was further underscored at the 2024 Prefontaine Classic, where she posted another impressive 10K time of 30:34.86.

Team USA and Team Kenya Win International Team Challenges

The prize purse for this year's International Team Challenge is valued at $83,700 before performance bonuses. USA White team and Team Kenya emerged victorious in the international team competitions. Led by Sam Chelanga's third-place finish, USA White team claimed the men's title, while Kenya's strong showing, anchored by Nawowuna, secured the women's team victory.

The USA White team included Sam Chelanga who secured third place with a time of 29:21, Biya Simbassa (fifth, 29:37.39) and Reed Fischer (eighth, 29:41.97). Their team victory was the first for the USA since 2017. Conner Mantz was on the USA Red team who finished second behind the USA White team. Mantz ran with fellow BYU alums Clayton Young (seventh, 29:38.47) and Jared Ward (14th, 32:05.50).

For Team Kenya, Nawowuna's winning performance, along with Sarah Naibei's seventh-place finish in 33:53.62 and Daisy Kimeli's ninth-place effort in 34:30.96, secured Kenya's first team title in the womens' team race since 2016.

Emily Durgin, helped the US secure a third place finish in the women's team competition. Durgin's strong performance, alongside Sarah Hall's 10th place finish in 34:35.19 and Nell Rojas' 11th place effort in 35:02.02, led to their podium finish. USA Team CU - a team of University of Colorado alums placed fourth in the team standings. This team was led by sixth-place finisher Makena Morley, who posted a time of 33:49.64, Carrie Verdon (eighth, 33:54.69) and Sara Vaughn (15th, 36:32.37).

Tuning Up for Olympic Marathon in Paris

The BOLDERBoulder 10K served as a pivotal tune-up for Conner Mantz and Clayton Young as they prepared for the upcoming Paris Olympic Marathon in August. For Mantz, the race provided a valuable opportunity to push himself to the limit and refine his race tactics ahead of the Olympics. Alongside Mantz and Young, recently confirmed teammate Leonard Korir will be toeing the line in Paris.

Next Year's Race and Paris Olympics

Save the date for the 2025 BOLDERBoulder 10K, taking place Memorial Day, May 26, 2025! Additionally, mark your calendars for the Paris Olympic Marathon on August 10th, where Mantz, Young, and Korir will represent Team USA.

Pro Men's Top 15 Finishers

1.	Conner Mantz	USA	29:12.51
2.	Yemane Haileselassie	ERITREA	29:14.31
3.	Sam Chelanga	USA	29:21.16
4.	Reuben Mosip	KENYA	29:30.72
5.	Biya Simbassa	USA	29:37.39
6.	Milkesa Mengesha	ETHIOPIA	29:38.33
7.	Clayton Young	USA	29:38.47
8.	Reed Fischer	USA	29:41.97
9.	Raymond Magut	KENYA	30:03.28
10.	Josphat Too	KENYA	30:15.34
11.	Tsegay Tuemay	ERITREA	30:18.68
12.	Abraham Herdandez	MEXICO	30:39.11
13.	Alene Belay	ETHIOPIA	30:47.33
14.	Jared Ward	USA	32:05.50
15.	Tesfu Tewelde	ERITREA	32:29.03

Pro Women's Top 15 Finishers

1.	Grace Loibach Nawowuna	KENYA	32:46
2.	Siranesh Yirga	ETHIOPIA	33:20
3.	Anahi Alvarez	MEXICO	33:26
4.	Emily Durgin	USA	33:35
5.	Birhan Mulugojam	ETHIOPIA	33:49
6.	Makena Morely	USA	33:50
7.	Sarah Naibei	KENYA	33:54
8.	Carrie Verdon	USA	33:55
9.	Daisy Kimeli	KENYA	34:31
10.	Sara Hall	USA	34:36
11.	Yumi Yoshikawa	JAPAN	35:44
12.	Asnakesh Awoke	ETHIOPIA	35:49
13.	Miku Hirashima	JAPAN	36:08
14.	Margarita Hernandez Flores	MEXICO	36:48
15.	Isabel Oropeza Vazquez	MEXICO	37:17