How did the Boulder Spring Half Marathon come about?
For the past several years I had thought that there was an opportunity to produce a quality half marathon event in the early spring. Early spring in Colorado is really a special time, and I had hoped that runners would be motivated to jump into a quality distance event after the long winter. To a lot of people, spring symbolizes newness, and an opportunity to start the season out with a renewed sense of optimism. That's what we've tried to capture with the Spring Half, so far it seems to be working.
Two years ago I started talking to the Boulder Reservoir about letting me operate the Spring Half there, and they gave me the green light for the 2010 event. While I hoped it would be successful, the 2010 event ended up being a big hit. We had nearly 2,000 runners in the half marathon, 10 mile and 10K and it was a really successful day (and the weather cooperated). So the groundwork was obviously set for the 2nd Annual Spring Half, which takes place this Sunday, March 27th. We have a lot of really great things in store for our participants and it looks like the weather is going to be ideal (fingers crossed!). I'm really excited and we'll have runners coming from across the state and many people flying in from other states as well. As the event is only 7 days away, I can safely say that it's going to be a really fun and successful event. Lots of good surprises for the runners as we have tons of sponsorship support - which will allow us to operate a first class event.
Can you talk about how many volunteers it takes to put on a successful event?
The Spring Half requires between 100 and 150 volunteers. We've been recruiting volunteers for months now and it looks like we'll be in pretty good shape. From the food tent, to all of the other tasks at the reservoir, and course needs like aid stations…it really adds up. We make it worth their while as all volunteers receive a race shirt, glass, and the same food as the runners get. Events like this simply couldn't be possible without the help and support volunteers. It's great that many people give back to the running community in the form of volunteering at events like the Spring Half.
What does race day look like for you?
Race day for me is always a stressful affair. Even when things run smoothly you're operating on zero sleep, and you always worry about the things that can go wrong. So I just do the best I can covering all of the details and hope for the best. Optimism get you everywhere in this business. You have to just expect that things will go well, event though you know that things will come up that you didn't expect.
How does the mixture of walkers and runners add to the uniqueness of the event?
I think that having runners and walkers make the event more interesting – for the simple fact that we have people of all ability levels coming out and having a good time. After all, it really is about participating and completing the race course. How fast you finish the course isn't really very important for a large percentage of the participants, nor should it be. Especially being the first large event of its kind in the early spring – many people just want to show up and have a good time, and they could care less how fast their time is.
This event has a great spot on the running calendar—talk a little about what you see for the future of the race.
I'm really excited for the future of the event. I think it will always be at about 2,000 runners, as we really can't fit more at the reservoir. 2,000 is really a perfect size for an event like this at the Boulder Reservoir. My goal is to improve the Spring Half each year and hopefully give people reasons to come back and run in future years.
Additional comments:We have some really cool things in store for the Boulder Marathon event this fall. We've moved the event to Labor Day for the first time, and this will have a really positive effect on the event. Labor Day in Boulder is a really fun time (with events like the Boulder Creek Fest going on), and I'm really excited to get working on the event once the Spring Half is over!
Finally, I think it's great that motivated runners like you do blogs like this. I really appreciate the opportunity to tell your readers about the Boulder Spring Half, and I hope to see you all out at the Boulder Reservoir this weekend. Go to bouldermarathon.com if you'd like more information on the event!
See you on the roads!
Regards,
Jeff Mason
Race Director
Rudi's Organic Boulder Marathon & Boulder Spring Half
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