After last second cancelation of the TCM race, top finishers swapped to the Boulderthon course with free registrations and incredible performances
With the news of the Twin Cities Marathon’s cancellation due to weather, Boulderthon’s race director, Phil Dumontet, made the quick decision to offer all registrants of the canceled race to register for Boulderthon free of charge on Oct. 8, a week after the scheduled TCM race. Not only did this bring an additional 400 runners to the city of Boulder to complete the race, but also brought the soon-to-be champions of the women’s and men’s marathon to the event.
The men’s marathon race was led by Ben Schneiderman, with a time of 2:22:34, followed soon after by the women’s marathon champion and third overall finisher, Hellen Jepkurgat, with a time of 2:42:17. Both Schneiderman and Jepkurgat were last-second registrants for the Boulderthon race, as they were scheduled to attend the TCM race a week prior. Other impressive finishes included world record holder for a marathon by a double amputee, Marko Cheseto. Cheseto came in 10th in the men’s marathon, and 13th overall with a time of 2:57:58.
“I was devastated for runners when I heard about the last-second cancellation of the Twin-Cities Marathon last week, but stood behind their choice to protect runners first and foremost,” said Phil Dumontet, founder and president of Boulderthon®. “As a race director, I know that these decisions do not come easy. As a runner, I also felt for the participants who I know put their heart into training for the race, so I wanted to find a way to help them out. We extended an offer for free bibs for our half and full marathon and almost 400 runners took up the offer. To see two of them triumph as the winners of our marathon was outstanding.”
Notable finishes by runners local to Boulder included Matthew Tiampo in the men’s marathon race with a time of 02:50:08 and Skye Reese in the women’s marathon with a time of 03:16:53. Top Boulder-based half marathon runners were Scott Lieberman in the men’s race with a time of 01:09:48, Kaitlyn Barthell in women’s race with a time of 01:21:02, and Noel Downing in the nonbinary division with a time of 01:48:08. In the 10K, Boulder residents Mike Rosenbluth and Caroline Gecker were top finishers with times of 33:00 and 39:59 respectively. Finally, in the 5K, Tristan Gregory and Sarah Pratt were the fastest locals with times of 17:26 and 20:46.
The Boulderthon race series saw almost 7000 participants of all ages and experience levels, who all took off from the downtown Boulder start line. This year, Boulderthon implemented new locations for its start and finish lines, which were placed in the heart of Boulder to not only showcase the beautiful town, but to also encourage local shopping by the Boulderthon visitors. Visit Boulder, the Convention and Visitors Bureau, estimates that Boulderthon brings in an estimated $7.6 million in direct impacts for the Boulder area, up 139% from last year’s race. It was also found that the race supported over 5,000 jobs, benefiting Boulder businesses through retail, restaurant and hotel support.
Race day kicked off with the marathon and half marathon runners taking to the scenic course, followed shortly after by the 10K and 5K runners. Participants began in downtown Boulder, then weaved through fall-foliage-lined roads with views of the iconic Flatirons throughout. The Denver Zoo Kids Run also took place on the streets of downtown Boulder, allowing kids to get their fill of race day fun. After the race, participants celebrated their achievements at the After Party presented by Michelob Ultra. This celebration provided attendees with live music, photo opportunities for athletes and attendees, including a finish line and medal display set up in front of the scenic mountains for optimal social media content. Of-age participants were also awarded a free Michelob Ultra beer or seltzer to toast to their performance.
Complete results from the 2023 Boulderthon race can be found here. For more information on Boulderthon, visit www.boulderthon.org and follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.
About Boulderthon®
Boulderthon® was created in 2021 by avid New York Road Runner, Phil Dumontet, with the goal of bringing a world-class marathon to one of the great running hubs of the country. It is a Boston Marathon Qualifying (BQ), USATF Sanctioned Event, measured by a Level A USATF Course Measurer, representing the highest level of certification for a marathon race series. The race offers a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and children’s races. For more information, visit www.boulderthon.org.