Thursday nights at Shoes and Brews in Longmont are busy. The local business hosts a running group that never fails to draw a crowd. Thursday night was no exception. The run drew in a diverse crowd of athletes who joined the fun.
The runners are part of Beyond Limits, which operates an ongoing training program to help athletes with a range of abilities complete the Bolder Boulder.
The goal for these participants isn’t just to cross the finish line, but to help transform the lives of people with disabilities through running and social connections.
Beyond Limits works in partnership with the Association for Community Living, an independent community advocacy organization that seeks to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities. Caitlin Looney is part of the ACL’s leadership team, and explained that “working with Shoes and Brews is exactly what community capacity building is all about! We believe that the community belongs to everyone.”
“Running is inclusive. It’s for everyone. We don’t want anyone to feel intimidated when they come into a running store, and we never want people to think of themselves as ‘less of a runner’ because of their pace or ability,” said Shoes and Brews owner Ashley Anderson.
Athletes with Beyond Limits start practicing in mid-March to prepare for the Bolder Boulder on Memorial Day. They make a three-month commitment to run together every Monday night. After the first month of training, athletes are paired with mentor coaches who sustain the same pace and serve as a guide and support system throughout practice and racing.
The athletes with Beyond Limits, the love of running doesn’t end in Folsom Field on Memorial Day.
“The friendships people cultivate last a lifetime,” Looney said.
Heather Forsyth and her daughter, Meredith Forsyth, have been running the Bolder Boulder together for years as part of Beyond Limits.
“Meredith loves telling people that she’s in training and she’s going to do the race,” Heather Forsyth said. “It gives her a real feeling of accomplishment. It’s empowering to train for something and then finish it, and she really enjoys cheering her friends as they cross the line.”
Shoes and Brews provided participants with celebratory goody bags and extended a 30% discount to athletes so they could acquire needed running gear. Meredith Forsyth was eagerly looking at new shoes.
“I like the pink ones and purple ones,” she said. “I have a lot of colorful running clothes.”
Weslyn Austin was one of the early participants in Beyond Limits. She was inspired by her son, John.
“The group began back in 2002 or 2003 because we wanted a running club. It’s really become more of a walking and running club, but the friendships made here will last a lifetime,” Wesleyan Austin said.
This year will mark John’s 27th Bolder Boulder. “I train year-round,” he said. “I take my dogs on walks and walk around my home.” He added that many of the participants come back year after year.
Certainly, the athletes with Beyond Limits gain fitness, but more importantly, they gain an opportunity to feel welcomed into a group.
“From my perspective, the biggest benefit for athletes is the sense of belonging,” Looney said. “It may initially sound like a silly thing, but for people who have struggled to belong for much of their lives due to exclusion and discrimination, there is something powerful about training and racing with a group of people who all wear the same color uniform. It’s powerful to see our team shirts spread out in the distance, knowing that each person is a member of a team we belong to.”
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