BOULDER, Colo. — Ahead of this year's BOLDERBoulder, organizers have announced who will compete in this year's International Pro Team Challenge.
The International Team Challenge started back in 1998 with runners from around the world competing in a three-person team. This year, both the men's and women's races will have two Team USA teams represented.
There will be four American teams representing Team USA on May 27, including a slate of athletes with Colorado connections.
On the women's Team USA Red roster is Nell Rojas of Boulder, Colorado. Rojas is a Boulder native whose father won the inaugural race in 1979.
Among her ranks are Emily Durgin and Sara Hall of Flagstaff, Arizona. Durgin is the defending BOLDERBoulder Champion, winning by 24 seconds lasts year. Hall, who recently turned 42, finished fifth at the Olympic Trials in February setting a new Masters American record.
The Team USA White roster for the women has a unique twist as three athletes are University of Colorado alum who compete for the Buffs in cross country and track. Two of the athletes are also Boulder natives. Sara Vaughn graduated in 2008 and Carrie Verdon graduated in 2017. Makena Morley of Flagstaff, Arizona is a 2020 grad.
The Team USA Red men's roster will feature Leonard Korir of Colorado Springs, Colorado, Conner Mantz of Provo, Utah and Clayton Young of Springville, Utah. They were the top three finishers from February’s U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.
Both Mantz and Young have already been named to the Paris Olympic team. Korir is expected to be named in early May.
All three also competed in last year’s BOLDERBoulder, with Mantz returning as the defending champion. Korir finished 8th and Young finished 11th.
The Team USA White men’s roster will feature Sam Chelanga of Colorado Springs, Colorado. Chelanga finished seventh at last year’s BOLDERBoulder and in 2017 finished third.
He will be joined by Jared Ward of Mapleton, Utah and Futsum Zienasellassie of Flagstaff, Arizona. Ward, a 2016 Olympian, will compete in the BB10K for the sixth time since 2015. Zienasellassie won the 2022 USATF Marathon Championships.
BOLDERBoulder will be May 27 with the finish line across CU Boulder's Folsom Field. Denver7 is a proud sponsor of the event.
