By Marcey J. Cote
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Sometimes you find friends in funny ways. Like running against them. Over and over again. Michael Kraus and Eric Monda were getting used to racing head-to-head. They’d toed the line several times over the last few years, mostly at local races like the West End 3k, and some Colorado USATF events. Competitive runners by nature, they both ran hard as soon as the gun went off.
“I really wanted to beat Eric because we battled back and forth”, chuckles Kraus. “But then we started talking after our races, and I thought, ‘Dang it! I really like this guy!’ And here we are… now we’re friends!”
Some relief seeps in for Kraus and Monda, as they’re certainly happy to be teammates instead of opponents. The two friends, along with five others, comprise the new Boulder Road Runners Men’s 40 team. The official roster reads: Kirk Anderson, Anthony Bruns, Thomas French, Michael Kraus (team coordinator), Eric Monda, Jeremy Parks, and Jason Renk. These 40-something-year-olds will represent BRR at the USATF Masters 5k Cross Country Championships here in Boulder on Oct 22.
“We are a group of guys who all get along well, and share a deep love for running. We are competitive, but supportive of one another, and also to our opponents, “ says Kraus. “We are loving coming together as a team.”
Until now, M40-49 was the only men’s masters age group in the BRR club that didn’t have an active team. Various connections through the running community brought this gang together. Most have raced each other sometime during their masters years, including some speedy runs at the club’s All-Comers meets. Some guys were social acquaintances, and Kraus knew club President Chris McDonald, who foresaw the logical step of forming a BRR M40 team.
“Fortunately we already knew this was a high integrity group of guys that share the club’s values and sense of purpose”, explains McDonald. “They are a great fit with the culture we are building at the club, one based on the pure joy that comes from the camaraderie of achieving together.”
While team members live across the Boulder/Denver metro area, they are newly minted BRR members. They’ve been training twice per month together – usually a tough workout on grass. The challenge (and pain) cross country inevitably serves up is balanced by the synergy of working as a team. The crew takes pride in pushing their bodies to see what they can accomplish together.
“Cross country is so much different than road or track racing. There’s almost an art to it. It definitely takes some work and repetition to adjust to that style of racing,” says Kraus.
Recently on a crisp, bluebird Sunday morning at a park in Westminster, the team enthusiastically pushed through some intervals with a few of the M50 members. The mood was lively, the effort strong, and the joy of a team dynamic was obvious.
“Workout was a blast! A lot of fun. It’s great to have buddies you can get out and roll with”, says Monda with a big grin. “In races, it can be intimidating to see certain guys at the start, but once you’ve run hard together, and the race is over, that’s when you become friends. And doing workouts with friends is much better!”
Perhaps even more fun than working out is enjoying a runner’s thirst for beer. Three M40 members also run for BRR’s partner, Shoes & Brews, on their Elite Racing Team. This is yet another tie that spurred the new team to reality. What’s more, it shows another dividend of BRR’s collaboration with Shoes & Brews.
“This team is a great example of how partnerships can benefit both clubs,” says McDonald. “We encourage BRR members to be out in the community making an impact. That doesn’t mean you are required to exclusively wear a BRR kit.”
No doubt, there will be many BRR harriers – from several masters age groups – charging the cross-country course in October. While the M40 team reports being “a really strong team” on paper, they know they will have to be patient, and see how the race unfolds.
“It’s an honor to represent Boulder and the Boulder Road Runners,” says Kraus. The area and the club have so much history when it comes to the sport, we look forward to giving it our all and, hopefully, making the community and club proud.”
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