Behind the race - An insight into the Boulderthon Marathon with Race Director Phil Dumontet

Phil Dumontet and a runner at the finish line of the inaugural Boulderthon Marathon.

In this interview series, World’s Marathons will be speaking with the people behind some of the most unique races across the globe. We’ll be discussing the history of the event, challenges and how to overcome them, attracting sponsors, reaching new runners and more!

Thanks for joining us Phil. Congratulations on the recent inaugural edition of Boulderthon! It looks like the event was a huge success. Could you introduce the race for those who aren't familiar?

Boulderthon is the first & only Boulder Marathon with a downtown finish, set in the stunning foothills of the Rockies. With a Boston Qualifying, spectacular, point-to-point course, Boulderthon has been in the making for 3+ years in partnership with the City of Boulder, and serves as the signature Boulder Marathon, showcasing the beautiful, running community of Boulder. I founded the race in 2020 and we were delighted to deliver the first edition of the event (after a couple of Covid related postponements) on the 10th of October, with 2,000+ runners in attendance from across the US and beyond.

What led to you creating the race?

Boulder is one of the great running communities in the U.S, yet had no signature marathon experience. As an avid runner here & 12-time marathon runner, I felt like it was time to create the signature Boulder Marathon with a Downtown Finish that this incredible community deserves.

What were your highlights of the race weekend? From an organiser perspective...

Watching the faces of our runners cross the finish line - that unbelievable, pure emotion and overwhelming joy that only finishing a marathon can create - was so powerful & inspirational.

Seeing Boulder come out in force to cheer runners on at the Finish Line was also incredibly beautiful. We saw so many runners turn the corner onto our finish chute on Pearl St, walking, but thanks to the amazing crowd support, finish the race running with their hands over their heads in celebration as they crossed the finish line. Many of our runners have even written in to thank our volunteers and the Boulder community for showing up and cheering them on.

This was the epic Downtown Finish that we've worked so hard to create, and it was the first time in history it's ever occurred for a marathon series in Downtown Boulder. Runners had rave reviews for the course - from spectacular views of the Flatirons to a high-energy, downtown finish, with an After Party & renowned DJ. To see Boulder come out and support our runners, not only the winners but every runner who showed up including the last one who crossed the line, was very moving to me.

You launched the event during the pandemic, which was obviously a challenging time for in-person racing, how did it affect your preparations for the first edition?

We had to look at everything from a covid lens, to ensure runner, resident, and community safety. Everything from increased time between our staggered waves to more hand sanitiser points and bathrooms to a course cap, was important to maintain safety. Ultimately, we had to close down volunteer registration as we had over 250 volunteers signup, but having such a large, dedicated staff & volunteer group was extremely helpful for a flawless race day execution.

Were there any lessons you took from the first edition or changes you plan to make for next year's event?

We plan to have a much larger elite field and large prize purse for 2022. We'd like to reach all corners of the running community and bring more runners from outside of Colorado to showcase the beauty of Boulder.

Where did your runners come from? Were they mainly from Colorado or did you have other states represented?

Based on our registration data, we had 49 states and 4 countries represented, with over 40% of runners visiting Colorado for the race, and 60% from Colorado.

Were you able to secure some partners / sponsors to help support the inaugural edition?

We had 30+ amazing sponsors, including our Presenting Sponsor, Extract Labs. We're also incredibly grateful from support from the City of Boulder, Boulder County, Downtown Boulder Partnership, as well as inaugural sponsors Avanti F+B, Boulder Running Company, Skratch Labs, Altra, Athletic Brewing, Upslope, Eldorado, Purely Elizabeth, Jubli, Coros, Stio, and Vuori, to name a few.

What can runners expect from taking part in Boulderthon?

The race is an experience you’ll never forget – beginning at the Boulder Reservoir and with sweeping views of the Flatirons and an exciting downtown finish on the bricks of Pearl Street mall.

Pre & post-race you can enjoy Boulder, which is one of the happiest cities in the U.S., a mecca where wellness, outdoor and health enthusiasts unite under nearly 300 days of sunshine a year. Join us for an unforgettable, world-class marathon experience in Colorado.

When is the next edition of the race and where can runners learn more or keep track of news related to the race?

Our next edition of the race takes place on Sunday, October 9th, 2022. Stay informed at www.boulderthon.org. Registration just opened!

Interested in taking part? Keep an eye on the upcoming edition on World’s Marathons - https://worldsmarathons.com/marathon/boulderthon

To feature in our interview series you can drop us an email on blog@worldsmarathons.com

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