In addition to a goodie bag of prizes supplied by adidas and Crossroads Mall, Van de Water will give the start command for one of the 67 waves of the Bolder Boulder 10k on Monday, May 28, 2001. The Middle School Challenge was developed to encourage middle school participation in after school fitness programs and to help kids develop a life long commitment to fitness. Race organizers hope to relay to students the message that physical fitness is fun and is something that all kids can participate in regardless of their age or physical limitations. The Challenge was first introduced in 1996 to 100 students at Centennial Middle School in Boulder. Training activities are individualized by each school coordinator.
Participants run track, ride bikes, hike and rollerblade their way to race readiness.
As a part of the program, professional athletes visit the schools to help motivate students and encourage them to pursue their goals. The Celestial Seasonings Bolder Boulder 10k race, a Running USA Founding Member, is one of the largest road races in the world. The race attracts more than 45,000 runners, walkers, and wheelchair racers, and draws professional racing teams from all over the world to compete for the largest non-marathon prize purse in road racing. The race starts at the north end of 30th Street in Boulder near the First National Bank of Colorado, winds through neighborhoods with live music and entertainment at every corner, and finishes in the University of Colorado's Folsom Stadium. More than 100,000 spectators watch the festivities from inside the stadium and along the course.