During the 2024 Bolder Boulder, Grace Loibach Nawowuna got off to a blistering start, never let up and cruised to the title in the women’s International Pro Team Challenge.

On Monday, the 21-year-old Kenyan put together a repeat performance that was even more impressive.

Nawowuna cruised to her second consecutive victory at the 45th Bolder Boulder in 31 minutes, 51 seconds, breaking the women’s pro race record. The previous best was 32:13 by Delillah Asiago of Kenya in 1995.

“I’m happy for defending my title from last year,” said Nawowuna, who said she was hoping for a record.

Although the sun peaked through the clouds in late morning before the pro race, conditions were set up for a record, much like they were in 1995 — with overcast skies. The recorded temperature Monday and at the 1995 race was 54 degrees.

As she did a year ago, Nawowuna broke free early in the race and never had much of a challenge. Meseret Belete of Ethiopia was second, in 32:39. Just the sixth two-time women’s winner in Bolder Boulder history, Nawowuna’s 48-second margin of victory was one of the widest at this event. It is the largest margin of victory since at least 2001.

“It feels amazing,” Nawowuna said. “It felt good. I was moving because I trained hard.”

Nawowuna took home $13,000 in prize money, including a $3,000 bonus for setting the course record. Belete earned $7,000 in prize money.

Ethiopia’s Alem Tsadik finished third (32:43), just four seconds behind Belete. That duo led Ethiopia to the team title, along with Tsige Haileslase, who was seventh. It was the first team title for Ethiopia since back-to-back wins in 2018 and 2019.

Ethiopia finished with 13 points to edge Kenya, which had 14 points. The United States White team was third (26), followed by the USA Red team (29) and Mexico (38).

Aubrey Frentheway was the top American finisher, placing fourth, in 32:49. The former BYU standout was competing in the Bolder Boulder for the first time in helping the USA Red team.

“That was incredible,” she said of the finish inside Folsom Field. “I was almost in tears coming around the stadium because of all the support. We get support, but we don’t usually get that many people, the stadium finish in (road racing), so that was really cool for me. That was awesome. I’m so grateful for everyone here that put on this race, because it was just something special.”

Frentheway was in second place for much of the race but said she certainly wasn’t feeling great during the event.

“Overall, I feel like I fought really hard,” she said. “I’m happy with that, but I do feel like I was pretty tired today. I train at altitude, so I was ready for it to go fast, which it did, early on in the race.

“I’m happy with it, although it’s just one of those days where I wish I would have felt a little bit better, but you just have to do it. You give everything you have on that day, and I feel like I did that.”

Makena Morley, a former All-American at the University of Colorado, led the USA White team with a fifth-place finish, in 32:58.