Experience the Magic of Boulderthon, presented by PUMA. Recently named a Top 10 Race in America by USA Today and one of the Best Fall Marathons by Runner’s World, Boulderthon is Colorado’s premier fall race — and one of the fastest-growing marathons in the country. Boulderthon, presented by PUMA, offers …
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Experience the Magic of Boulderthon, presented by PUMA.
Recently named a Top 10 Race in America by USA Today and one of the Best Fall Marathons by Runner’s World, Boulderthon is Colorado’s premier fall race — and one of the fastest-growing marathons in the country.
Boulderthon, presented by PUMA, offers a distance for everyone — a marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K, and Kids Run. The full and half marathon courses feature sweeping views of the Flatirons, Boulder Reservoir, Table Mountain, and Haystack Mountain, before an unforgettable downtown finish on Pearl Street.
The 10K runs through Boulder’s scenic streets to the same iconic finish, while the fast, flat Heart to Heart 5K includes a $40,000 prize purse — one of the largest 5K purses in the nation.
Whether it’s your first 5K or your next PR, Boulderthon brings big-race energy with the charm of a mountain town. Crisp fall air, golden leaves, and a Pearl Street finish make it a race like no other.
The top-rated, fast-growing multi-distance event became the second-largest race in Colorado in its first year of existence, and the largest fall running event in the state. In its fourth annual edition, Boulderthon drew nearly 10,000 runners from all 50 states as well as 22 countries. This secured its entry into the list of the top 100 largest running events in the country, as reported by RunSignUp. In 2023, Active.com named Boulderthon one of the Top 5 Best Half Marathons in the United States.
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It was a hot day!!!
Awesome race, tough course. Would be a lot better to start earlier or hold the race in October. 87 degrees was too much for that type of race. MORE
Awesome race, tough course. Would be a lot better to start earlier or hold the race in October. 87 degrees was too much for that type of race.
Beautiful view
I loved this race the views were spectacular. It went by quick because I was just staring at the view. There’s some nice size hills and aid stations every 2 … MORE
I loved this race the views were spectacular. It went by quick because I was just staring at the view.
There’s some nice size hills and aid stations every 2 -3 miles. There’s crowd support in some areas which was nice but overall not a ton of it. The expo was huge and outdoor which I loved.
I would definitely recommend this race.
Improved Race?
I am really surprised to read the negative reviews from years past. Based on my experience, the race organizers have really stepped up to correct previous years' problems. Here was … MORE
I am really surprised to read the negative reviews from years past. Based on my experience, the race organizers have really stepped up to correct previous years’ problems. Here was my experience:
The race expo was great, but as it was outside it was HOT and I didn’t want to linger too long. But it was nice to be able to check out the Pearl Street Mall area and wander around.
The shirt was awesome, beautiful design… but too big on me. Headsweats makes the shirt and the smallest size for women was a small, which was HUGE ON ME, and I’m not a teeny tiny person. An XS would have been appreciated because no way can I wear this beautiful shirt without me feeling like I’m swimming in a potato sack. What a bummer.
The medal is GORGEOUS.
The course itself was just kinda OK. It was a loop which I like, and some parts had some nice mountain scenery. Others were just running on country roads.
The on-course cheer support was awesome, so many people came out to support! Aid stations were plentiful with at least a half dozen porta potties at each aid station. The start line had HUNDREDS of potties, situated on every block heading to the start, so there was definitely no lacking there. Much appreciated!
I doubled this with Colorado Springs Half the day before and was very happy with both events. I definitely recommend this event. I came from sea level to run it so the altitude was a factor for me but I enjoyed the morning and was happy with my performance. A great choice for Colorado!
Things to come...
As someone from out of state who came just to run this race, I loved the outdoors expo. The weather was perfect for this! Packet pick up went slick the … MORE
As someone from out of state who came just to run this race, I loved the outdoors expo. The weather was perfect for this! Packet pick up went slick the day before the race and the Boulder Mall area was great to experience “all things Boulder.” Race day however, was not such a great experience. Communication as to who needed to line up where was very limited. As a half marathoner we have 10K and 5K people lining up in front of us, resulting in our start of the race to me nearly 35 minutes after the start of the race. Having all these people on the course at this time, resulted in congestion on the course. The last few miles coming back in to Boulder were anti-climatic and boring overall. It would be nice for the race organizers to place some type of DJ or cheer group to encourage the runners. There was a hill right at the end of the course, which was a challenge for certain, all things considered. Maybe the opportunity for the race to run in reverse might have been a more logistical opportunity? Nonetheless, I would believe in a few years this race will be at the top.
Little disappointed
I think in a few years this will be a good race, still snags of being only three years old. The race started 20 minutes late which I have never … MORE
I think in a few years this will be a good race, still snags of being only three years old. The race started 20 minutes late which I have never seen before. They allowed for packet pickup starting a week before the race which was great but shirts weren’t in yet so after the race you stood in a long line to get the shirts. The race is pretty pricy and on top of it they offered VIP options for additional cost for better parking and food options. I likely won’t do this one again.
Poor Race Day Organization
Imagine training for months, being on track to finish within the course time limit and because the race started late, they force you on a bus and drive you for … MORE
Imagine training for months, being on track to finish within the course time limit and because the race started late, they force you on a bus and drive you for two miles because they are behind on opening the roads, even though you are maintaining your pace to finish on time. Myself and several others participating in the full marathon had out finish line victory stolen from us due to poor planning. We were all on track to finish within the time limit they promised to have the course open, but they were unwilling to allow us to complete the entire marathon and robbed us of two miles in the middle of the race. This was by far the worst race experience and poor planning I’ve ever seen, especially for a race as major as a marathon. This affected many runners yesterday. So many people had their marathon experience ruined by this. It would be one thing if I wasn’t on pace, but that was absolutely not the case for myself and those that were also robbed of their full experience they trained and worked so hard for. I will never be participating in this race again. It’s not worth it.
Needs Improvement
The race route is very boring. Expo is non-existent. I didn't even get my bib. They gave me a replacement and then I never got an official time. I cannot … MORE
The race route is very boring. Expo is non-existent. I didn’t even get my bib. They gave me a replacement and then I never got an official time. I cannot recommend this race until they make some major improvements.
Best Marathon I Have Ever Run
Well Done. I’ve run nearly 50 marathons and/or half marathons and this ranks among the very best. Race day execution was flawless and I echo the previous comments about the … MORE
Well Done. I’ve run nearly 50 marathons and/or half marathons and this ranks among the very best. Race day execution was flawless and I echo the previous comments about the professional staff and well organized volunteers groups. Looking forward to next year already!
Wouldn’t do again
It was brutally tough. There was a ton of elevation change throughout which kicked my booty, even living here it was rough. The start was late and the race directors … MORE
It was brutally tough. There was a ton of elevation change throughout which kicked my booty, even living here it was rough. The start was late and the race directors had each corral go in waves, which was never communicated before. There were not enough bathrooms at the start. The live tracking didn’t work for spectators. The end of race snacks and goodies were not advertised well, which was a huge bummer. Overall, I wouldn’t do the race again but am proud that I completed it.