I plan to find out! Have you heard about the BOLDERBoulder race? Apparently I was one of the only people around that hadn’t! Every time I mention the race to someone they either tell me about people they know that love the race or how it is on their race bucket list. Well this year I will be jumping in feet first to learn all about this race when I head to Boulder, CO this May for the 41st annual BOLDERBoulder race on Memorial Day.
The BOLDERBoulder, named “America’s All-Time Best 10K” by Runner’s World, is the 4th largest running event in the United States and the 7th largest in the world. The event attracts over 50,000 runners, joggers, walkers and wheelchair racers, and over 100,000 participants. Yes, you read that right – over 50,000 participants! It also draws professional athletes from around the world to compete for one of the largest non-marathon prize purses. The 10K starts at 30th and Walnut, and winds through beautiful Boulder, CO with live music and entertainment around every corner. The roaring finish is at the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field. The BOLDERBoulder is always on Memorial Day, and ends with the Memorial Day Tribute.
TheBOLDERBoulder is a 10k road race through the streets of Boulder, Colorado. While the race itself has been held every Memorial Day weekend for the last 40 years, its impact lasts far beyond the three-day weekend. The event also hosts one of the largest Memorial Day tributes in the nation for participants, spectators and the Front Range community. More than 100,000 people line the course and fill the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field at the finish line to cheer on the racers and celebrate Memorial Day. The race is even televised live from 11am to 12:30pm on race day, and in a one-hour feature on ALTITUDE
SPORTS™ that airs the following week.
Their Mantra, “Oh Yes You Can!” is how they encourage people of all ages and abilities to participate, stay active, get healthy, go outside, and celebrate this amazing place they call home, Boulder, Colorado. Everyone is encouraged to take on the challenge of finishing a 10K despite the altitude of 5,391 ft. 5,391 feet? What has this Florida girl gotten herself into??
The BOLDERBoulder has always been inclusive of the entire community. To help achieve this, they created the wave start which accommodates all types of participants, from professional runners to wheelchair racers to walkers so that every single person has the opportunity to achieve a personal best and have the time of their life. Running in your wave means you’re not stuck behind a wall of slower runners, and you won’t get left in the dust by the speed demons. With over 90 waves, there is a perfect place just for you. You’re set up for a personal best, no matter what your pace, right from the gun.
They are emboldened by the idea that millions of runners, joggers, walkers and spectators of all ages have gathered over the years to create a spectacle that defies description. Olympic medal winners and hopefuls, grandmothers and kids, running enthusiasts and one-race-a-year guests from all over the world come together at the foot of the Rocky Mountains to form one of the sport’s truly unique events, what they like to call the biggest and best Memorial Day Party on earth.
I am SO EXCITED to be heading to Boulder in May to participate in this iconic event and spend a few days exploring Boulder. It has been awhile since I’ve headed out west for a race, so I’m looking forward to running in and visiting a new place. I am ready to find out if the BOLDERBoulder 10k really is America’s All-Time best 10k. Is it May yet?
*Disclosure: I have been invited to participate in this event and have been provided complimentary entry and other perks, As always, all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own.
