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The Colorado Columbines were formed in 1977 and incorporated
in 1978. A group of women in the Rocky Mountain Road Runners wanted
to train and run a marathon. So they began running together. The
concept of women running as a group was novel, however well-received,
so the club expanded into two chapters, Denver and Boulder. I believe
the group ran the Avon Women's Marathon in Los Angeles.
The group tended to be highly community-minded and looked for a
charity to support. At the time, Denver SafeHouse had just started.
The idea of a safe escape for battered women was also new, and appealed
to the club. To raise money, the first Columbine Classic was held
in 1978 with over 300 women attending. The race fee was $5 and all
proceeds went to SafeHouse. The Classic stayed as a benefit race
for SafeHouse until 1992, generating over $100,000 for the charity.
Preparation for the race turned into social activities, such as
bag-stuffing after a fun run and a brunch. Several Columbines also
volunteered at SafeHouse.
The Colorado Columbines were once well-known as one of three women's
running clubs in the US. Locally, the group was asked to participate
in several well-known events: Mayor's Cup, Governor's Cup, Race
for the Cure. The last Columbine Classic was held in 1997 to celebrate
20 years of women's running.
The club also used to organize hikes and overnight ski tours for
its members. We have continued in this tradition more or less and
in 2002, organized a snow shoe hike. A women's antique baseball
team formed in 1996 with the same name, so we changed our logo to
include the phrase "Women's Running Club". In 1998 and 1999, the
club agreed to be a partner in the Avon Running Series. The club
earned $8,000 for education and community service programs from
this event. To this day, the club remains committed to women’s running
and to community events, volunteering on numerous occasions throughout
each year. |
