The Big Bolder Boulder – What a Blast!
Yes, I think anyone would agree that a race with 54,000 participants is pretty big. But despite it’s size, the Bolder Boulder was one of the best organized and most fun events I’ve ever run. When Crocs Social Media Coordinator Colleen Donovan asked if I wanted to come run Boulder’s signature road race, I jumped at the chance. After all, every runner knows the Bolder Boulder. It’s the fifth largest road race in the world and the second largest in the United States. Runner’s World magazine named it America’s All-Time Best 10K. And every Crocs lover knows that Boulder is the birthplace of Crocs. So what better way to show off the versatility of the hometown shoe than to run through the streets of Boulder in my bright turquoise Crocs Classics!
Theresa, me, and Bruce before the start.
I must admit, Bruce and I were a little nervous heading into town. We’ve run hundreds of races but never one as big as this. We couldn’t even picture what it would be like to be in a race with so many people. How would we even get there? Would there be traffic backed up for miles? To make sure we didn’t get too confused, we invited our good friend Theresa, who lives in the mountains outside of Denver, to join us for the race. But we really didn’t need to worry. The Bolder Boulder celebrated it’s 33rd running this year and the race organizers have it down pat. From the pre-race packet pick-up, to the shuttle buses to the start, to the over 100 waves of runners starting between the hours of 7:00 AM – 9:20 AM, everything ran smoothly. It’s not particularly easy though, running at 5,400 feet where the air is thin. But how many 10ks have timing mats every mile? The Bolder Boulder does. And single-age group awards to boot. Much to my amazement, I was the third 57 year old woman in the race!
Back at the start, after we were done racing, we met up with Colleen and the Crocs crew.
The Bolder Boulder is held each year on Memorial Day, but the entire holiday weekend is full of festivities and fun for runners and non-runners alike. There are street fairs and outdoor markets
Several hours after we finished there were still thousands of runners on the course.
throughout the city. The race itself winds through neighborhoods with live music and entertainment at every corner and finishes in the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field in front of thousands of spectators. What a way to end a race!
So if you’re a runner or a walker and you want to try something a little different next Memorial Day Weekend, consider a trip to Boulder for the Bolder Boulder 10K. And don’t forget your Crocs. But if you do, you can always get a new pair at the big flagship Crocs store on Pearl Street. It’s almost as big as the Bolder Boulder!
These match my top perfectly!
