OUR HISTORICAL MILESTONES

The inaugural BOLDERBoulder finished at North Boulder Park. We even provided accurate timing at this very first race. Age Group Champions were awarded Medals, and all participants were provided Finisher Certificates. Ric Rojas and Sandy Simmons won the first professional races.

The event more than doubled in size, which required changing the finish to Boulder High School. Live entertainment and bands were added to the celebration.

The race grew beyond our wildest expectations. It was now so large that we changed the finish again to the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field, where it remains the perfect venue to this day. We also added Corporate and Family Teams to the field. Race co-founder and Olympic Marathon Champion Frank Shorter won the race.

We established the “Wave Start” to let everyone run at their own pace. Participants are put into groups from fastest runners to slowest joggers, with staggered start times for each group. We established the Memorial Day Tribute to honor the men and women who serve our country during peace and war.

The men’s and women’s Pro Race followed the Citizen’s Race so that all finishers could watch and cheer them into CU Stadium. Walking waves were also added.

We introduced the Pro Rim Race, which to this day continues to start the BOLDERBoulder every year. Since its inception Saul Mendoza (12 wins) and Shirley Reiley (6 wins) have dominated the competition. BOLDERBoulder was recognized at this time to be the 4th Largest Road Race in the US.

Founder Steve Bosley was Recognized as Race Director of the Year. Also hosted the High Altitude National 10k Championships.

Created the RaceDayEXPO to provide a way for spectators to learn about the latest running gear and sample products.

The Middle School Challenge was developed to encourage students to participate in after-school fitness programs and develop a life-long commitment to health and fitness. The program was renamed the BBRacers Club in 2010 and expanded to include elementary schools.

Pro race format changed to the International Team Challenge, with three member teams from 26 countries competing for team and individual awards. Celebrated the 20th Anniversary of the BOLDERBoulder.

The largest non-marathon prize purse is awarded at $196,000. Congressional Medal of Honor recipients are now honored at the Memorial Day Tribute.

The BOLDERBoulder becomes the largest timed 10k in the world.

Electronic Tag Timing is introduced to provide even more accurate timing. First race to provide finish times and mile splits for every single participant.

The start line is moved for the first time since 1979 to 30th and Walnut. This puts the start line closer to the finish and eases traffic inside the course. A record 54,554 people register.

Created the BOLDER GuaRUNtee to allow people who miss the event to roll their registration over to the following year — a first for the running event industry.

BOLDERBoulder turns 40 Years BOLD. Over the past 40 years, nearly 1.3 million people have finished our race.