Jamie Lammers, Nederland. A week ago, Saturday, citizens from across Colorado gathered to participate in the half-marathon, 5K, and 10K races of the Ned Ned. All of them have very different levels of running experience. Some, like Cormac Osborne, have only been seriously running for a year, while others, like Kate McGoldrac, have been running for thirty-seven. Some, like Megan Feeley, have raced the Ned Ned four or five times, while some, like Kylee Udovich, have never run the race before. All of them came together on Saturday for one common reason: to immerse themselves in a welcoming community and beautiful, mountainous terrain. Everyone involved in the race loves the Nederland community. The McGoldrac family (Kate, Mike, and Pearly) own a cabin in Eldora and feel that Nederland is one of the most welcoming places in Colorado (maybe even in the United States). Feeley, Adam Figgins, Cody Martin, and Scout Edmonson have all grown up in Ned and love how tight-knit the community is and how well everyone knows each other. Lastly, runners like Kevin Good, Rachel Roberts, and Ken Porales love coming through Ned and getting a chance to leave the hustle and bustle of life in cities like Longmont or Denver. There’s a real sense of community amongst the runners, volunteers, and coordinators of the race as the event unfolds, and it’s marvelous to see.

As the races are about to start, the Nederland Loquations perform an acapella rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner and remind all of the racers about that sense of community. All of them love running, specifically in this race, for different reasons. Edmonson loves how meditative running can be. Good loves that running is essentially a competition with yourself, pushing yourself and feeling good about what you’re doing every single race. The McGoldracs, Roberts, and Porales love the simplicity of the sport and the beauty of the terrain. Feeley, Figgins, Udovich, and Osborne love the rewarding feeling they get once the race is over. Lastly, Martin, a high school senior, wants to take the chance to run the race one last time before his venture into college. Jen Lavely, who coordinated the event for three years before selling it to and later working for Teens Inc., says that her favorite part about volunteering for and coming to the race is “getting to see all these people” who take part in the event. The runners at their starting positions and running through the town of Nederland, the community and family members cheering the racers on, and the volunteers all coming together to create a welcoming community event-- the Ned Ned race is still a great reminder of Ned’s close-knit community after over 30 years. Even if you don’t love running, there’s a spot for you somewhere in the event where you can feel welcome.

Photos by Dave Gibson.

(Originally published in the September 19, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)