Posted: May 9, 2005

Athletics: One World Running Makes an Impact on Athletes Abroad and Locally

BOULDER, Colo. - (May 9, 2005) - With the running season in full swing and a race every weekend, many runners are hitting up the local running stores to replace their tired running shoes. BolderBOULDER and One World Running (formerly Shoes for Africa) have given athletes another option to consider when disposing of their old shoes. One World Running is a non-profit that collects used running shoes, washes them and distributes them to those in need in developing nations or right here in our community.

"One World Running has been instrumental in providing running shoes to those in need around the world, while also providing a viable solution for runners looking to reduce their impact on the environment," explained BolderBOULDER Race Director Cliff Bosley. "This is the third year BolderBOULDER has partnered with One World Running. So far the program has collected and donated over 20,000 pairs of running shoes, which have been distributed in eleven countries."

"To them is was like receiving a GM (car) on Oprah," explained Seth Brigham, a volunteer who took shoes to Uganda and distributed them through Ugandan House of Hope, a community center for Orphans.

After coaching and racing in Cameroon, journalist Michael Sandrock started collecting running shoes when he saw many African athletes running barefoot. In 1986, he joined elite runners Lorraine Moller, Steve Jones and Arturo Barrios in starting Shoes for Africa. The program recently changed their name to One World Running to better reflect their mission to supply running shoes and equipment to aspiring runners all over the globe including runners right here in Boulder County.

Shoes can be dropped off at the BolderBOULDER store located in the FlatIron Crossing Mall and at the Boulder location at 1955 Broadway Street (just south of the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder). Out-of-town participants can ship their running shoes to:
One World Running, c/o BolderBOULDER, 4571 Broadway St, Boulder, CO 80304

If One World Running cannot use the shoes, they will be donated to Eco-Cycle. Eco-Cycle sends the shoes to a factory were they are ground up and made into athletic surfaces such as soccer, football, and baseball fields; weight room flooring; basketball and tennis courts; playground surfacing tiles and padding under hardwood basketball floors.

For more information about the program, please contact BolderBOULDER at (303) 444-7223 or email race@bolderboulder.com.

About BolderBOULDER.com
The Celestial Seasonings BolderBOULDER 10K, a Running USA Founding Member, is one of the largest road races in the world and the largest timed 10K in the world. The race attracts up to 50,000 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 Field. More than 100,000 spectators watch the festivities from inside the stadium and along the course. Every year, the race makes donations to local charities that provide volunteers to help stage the race. Over the years, beneficiaries have included the Boulder Humane Society, Attention Homes, Younglife, Boulder Optimists, local schools and church youth groups.

The BolderBOULDER is proud to be partnered with the following primary sponsors: Celestial Seasonings, Frontier Airlines and Millennium Hotel. The 27th Bolder Boulder will be held on Memorial Day, May 30, 2005.

Ryan Lamppa, Running USA Media Services Director
385 Oak View Lane
Santa Barbara, CA 93111

(805) 696-6232, fax (805) 967-5958
Ryan@RunningUSA.org
www.runningusa.org.