Americans Conner Mantz and Emily Durgin emerged as the victors in the men’s and women’s Elite races at the 2023 BOLDERBoulder 10K held on Memorial Day, May 29, in Boulder, Colorado, showcasing distinct styles of racing.

In the women’s International Invitational Pro race, Emily Durgin, making her first appearance at BOLDERBoulder, demonstrated her prowess by breaking away from her competitors midway through the contest and gradually building up a substantial lead. She comfortably secured the victory, crossing the finish line with a time of 33:25.

Read More: Results: 2023 BOLDERBoulder 10K Elite; Mantz, Dugin win titles

“Going into this race my goal was to get to mile four, and then run the last 10 minutes hard,” Durgin said on the Denver Post. “To be perfectly honest, I was kind of worried that I would be pressing the pace early on.

“I was worried they might run a tactical race and try to really pick it up the final 5K. It actually worked in my favor that it went out a little fast. Plus, I train in Flagstaff at 7,000 feet.

“So I know what it feels like to run a 5-minute pace at 7,000 feet. And I know what it feels like to keep going after that,” added Durgin.

Following Durgin across the finish line were Daisy Kimeli of Kenya in second place in 33:48 and the United States’ Carrie Verdon, at 33:49. American Ednah Kurgat, who led early in the race, ran 34:05 for fourth and Maggie Montoya rounded out the top five with 34:30.

Conner Mantz Creates History at BOLDERBoulder

On the other hand, Conner Mantz, a two-time NCAA Cross Country champion who recently placed 11th at the Boston Marathon, executed a late surge with about one kilometer remaining. The American former BYU star exhibited exceptional strength, pulling away from Kenyan runner Alex Masai and securing first place with a time of 29:08.

Today’s victory saw Mantz becoming only the sixth American citizen to win men’s International Pro race since 1984.

“The top three is always my goal in these type of races because you never know how fit anybody else is,” Mantz said. “But when you want to compete, you’ve got to make a big goal like that. I really had to make that push at the end.”

Alex Masai finished in second place with a time of 29:11 3, with Teshome Mekonnen taking third at 29:22, followed by Joseph Panga (29:27) and Wesley Kiptoo (29:30).

“I didn’t know Conner was anywhere,” Masai, who wasn’t able to match Mantz’s big sprint at the end, said. “When we entered the stadium, I heard the fans go loud and I knew there was something.”

Earlier in the morning races, Molly Grabill and Ben Schneiderman triumphed in the women’s and men’s citizen races at the 2023 BOLDERBoulder.

Molly Grabill claimed victory in the women’s 10K race, crossing the finish line with a time of 34:36. She surpassed Janelle Lincks (35:28) and Chelsea Burns (35:36), who finished in second and third place, respectively.

In the men’s race, Ben Schneiderman crossed the finish line in first place with a time of 31:01, triumphing over Josh Romine, who secured second place with a time of 31:06, and Max Sannes, who finished third with a time of 31:17.

“It’s pretty exciting,” Schneiderman said, as reported by dailycamera.com. “I qualified for the Olympic trials in the marathon in December at the California International Marathon, so I kind of decided to take a break from the full marathon and run a couple of shorter races after that before the fall.

“So I kind of picked out BolderBoulder because it’s local and it’s a great race. It feels good.”

Women’s 10K Top 5 Finishers

1. Emily Durgin 33:24
2. Daisy Kimeli 33:48
3. Carrie Verdon 33:49
4. Ednah Kurgat 34:05
5. Maggie Montoya 34:30

Men’s 10K Top 5 Finishers

1. Connor Mantz 29:08
2. Alex Masai 29:11
3. Teshome Mekonnen 29:22
4. Joseph Panga 29:27
5. Wesley Kiptoo 29:30

Citizens Men’s 10K Results

1. Ben Schneiderman 31:02
2. Josh Romine 31:07
3. Max Sannes 31:18
4. Jake Mitchem 31:20
5. Jackson Neff

Citizens Women’s 10K Results

1. Molly Grabill 34:37
2. Janelle Lincks 35:28
3. Chelsea Burns 35:36
4. Carmela Cardama Baez 35:44
5. Lynsie Gram 35:56

International Men’s Team Challenge

Team results and prize money:

1. Kenya, 13 points ($3000)
2. Team USA Two 18 points ($8250)
3. USA 1, 22 ($4500)
4. Tanzania, 33 ($0)
5. Mexico, 36 ($0)
6. Great Britain, 49 ($0).

International Women’s Team Challenge

Team results and prize money:

1. USA of Colorado, 14 points ($9000)
2. USA, 17 ($5250)
3. Kenya, 21 ($1500)
4. Mexico, 31 ($0)
5. Colombia, 37 ($0).