July Runner of the Month: Owen Kirkpatrick

Owen Kirkpatrick may be ten and heading into the 5^th grade but he’s already making waves in the running community. He finished first in the FireKracker 5k Kid’s 1-Mile race with a 6:17 mile. This isn’t surprising as his mom is Fort Collins’ own Front Range Elite runner, AnneMarie Kirkpatrick. Owen says, “I run with her when I can but a lot of the time we are busy.” When asked whether he could win against his mom in a race, Owen admits defeat but he’s hopeful that one day soon he will be able to take her on.

Owen is going to have a lot of running opportunities in his future whether that be through school activities or through community events. However, Owen isn’t sure if he is going to join cross country or track. “I am going to continue running when I get older even if I don’t run in high school. Running will continue in the other sports I participate in.”

You have a great future ahead of you, Owen! Green Events is excited to see you in our future races!

Runner of the Month: Winfield Bassage

What do you plan to do when you’re 91 years old? For many, participating in a 5k isn’t on the list, but Winfield Bassage isn’t most people. Not only was he the oldest participant in the FireKracker 5k race’s 22-year history, but also the catalyst for us to add a 90+ age category to the awards!

Read the full story on Winfield in the Coloradoan’s news article: Fort Collins’ FireKracker 5k’s oldest participant going strong as 92^nd Birthday Approaches

Volunteer of the Month: Julie Davenport

When she first heard of Green Events, Julie was living in Estes Park and would come down occasionally for a 5k race in Fort Collins. Then the 2020 pandemic hit and she and her husband packed up their two sons and two dogs and moved to be closer to family in Iowa. Once settled, Julie felt the running itch and she joined the local running community where she fell into a stride. However, Iowa wasn’t Colorado and after speaking with her sons and husband, she found that she wasn’t the only one yearning for the fresh mountain air. Yet again, they found themselves back on the road for the roughly 800-mile move back to Colorado. This time, Julie and her family settled in Windsor, Colorado and Julie quickly found herself more involved with Green Events than just running the races. Julie volunteers for multiple days leading up to each race and is ready to tackle anything from shirt folding and bib labeling, to truck loading or running errands. And then she still shows up on race day to help with all the various tasks needed to make the event run.

If you’re looking to give her a high-five for all her hard work, you can find her at all of our races and the Fall Equinox 5 Mile training group runs on Saturday mornings.

Julie, thank you for being the missing puzzle piece at Green Events. You are irreplaceable and your work ethic is truly admirable.

Ambassador of the Month: Marissa DeMercurio

Marissa DeMercurio is a self-proclaimed lover of dogs, Colorado, food, photos, and running.

What motivates Marissa to lace up her running shoes and hit the trails? The wonderfully supportive running community and all the friends she has made through running events!

Marissa’s favorite trail to run is the breath-takingly gorgeous Skyline to Sea in the Bay Area, California where she used to live. Her favorite road to run is the stunning Squaw Pass Road in Evergreen, Colorado. Most of the time, you will find her training for her next half marathon and there’s a good chance that half marathon is the Human Race or Fall Equinox as those are her favorite Green Events races to run.

When Marissa isn’t racking up the mileage, she is involved with animal rescue and advocacy, her friends and family, and lifting others up through encouragement.  Marissa you are the definition of supportive and amazing and Green Events would not be where it is without you!

Fun Fact:  Marissa has been running for 20 years!

Green Teammate of the Month: Adam Roth

Adam Roth is a man of many hats and even more talents. Working winters as a ski instructor in Breckenridge allows him to work our races in the “off season” otherwise known as the summer. Though not a runner, Adam has many skills necessary for race production and has been involved with Green Events since we started just over 10 years ago. He shares our passion of social and environmental sustainability, fitness, community, and the outdoors. Adam always has a smile and a laugh to lighten the mood while he is working and knows how to have fun doing any task, including setting up race courses and the start/finish arch in record time, to dancing while sorting trash at the zero waste station. Although he lives in Breckenridge, he still makes the drive down from the mountains to help with Green Events’ largest races such as Fall Equinox, FireKracker 5k, and the Human Race.

Thank you everything you do, Adam. We would need 15 volunteers to replace you!

Fun Fact: Adam has worked and lived in Antarctica!