Race Interview: Larry Avery, Founder Avery Brewing Company and Race Director 4 on the 4th

Tho-run (TR): The Brewery has been open since 1993. Talk about when and how the idea for a race came about?

Larry Avery (LA):  Having run races since 1980, I always wanted to put on a race since my son and I started the brewery 19 years ago, but never had the facilities until 6-7 years ago.

At one of the Boulder Road Runner (BRR) monthly socials, Carl Mohr ( then BRR's VP) and I came up with the idea to have a race on the Fourth of July, since there wasn't a race in Boulder.

TR: I cover 10-15 races a year across the Front Range. There are all kinds of prizes, from medals, glasses, and even buckles. But Avery has some great beer prizes-that's unique.

LA:  Another member, I think it was Ted Kennedy, came up with the idea of giving the overall winners their weight in beer (a case weighs about 32 lbs). 5 year age group winners get a case of beer.

TR:  The 4th of July is a great holiday. People are cooking out, going to fireworks shows and celebrating. You have to have a dedicated staff to put on a event on what would normally be a day off for your volunteers. How hard has it been to staff an event on such a big holiday?

LA: This year is our 5th annual race. We started with 225 runners our 1st year and has steadily grown (without any advertisement) to 525 last year and we are capping the race at 550 this year due toparking constraints.Staffing the race has not been a problem. We are lucky to have a really great bunch of employees and the BRR provide several volunteers.The brewery in turn donates $1000 to their CU Track & Field Endowment Fund.

TR: Boulder is known for its outdoor activities like hiking, climbing, cycling and running. What kind of outreach have you had with the local community to publicize the race?

LA: We don't publicize at all, except thru race entries at 4 running stores, our tap room, and our web site.

TR:  Describe race day as the event organizer.

LA: On race day the runners park at the brewery, pick up their bib and tech shirt, walk or run to the start in Flatiron Business Park about 1 mile from the brewery. The 9:00 am race is on a flat course with 3 turnarounds,so you can keep track of your competition. After the race, breakfast is served at the brewery by Front Range Catering along with beverages, including, of course, Avery beer. About 10:00-10:15 there is an awards ceremony.  I've had several runners comment it's the best race they have ever attended, especially the ones winning beer! We also randomly give away 10-15 $25 gift certificates to Boulder Running Co. It seems everyone leaves happy that they ran the race! Having run over 800 races, I think I know what makes for a good race experience and try to provide that to the runners of my race.

Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon-Coming August 11

Interview: Race Director Stephan Andrade -Georgetown to Idaho Springs Half Marathon

Tho-Run:This is your 4^th year as race director for GTIS. It’s got to be a busy time with race day less than 60 days away but reflect back for a minute on the first four years of the race-what things stand out?  

GTIS-Stephan: The joy of someone finishing the race, the folks that “ran” the race on supplemental oxygen, the grace of Mario setting a state record last year, he moved like no other runner I have ever seen, the way that he ran was magical.

THo-Run: The half marathon distance is gaining in popularity.  But your race adds an interesting twist with the extended downhill. Talk about some of the feedback you get from runners on the course.  

GTIS-Stephan:  They love the rolling down hill not too steep going downhill, only a couple of slight climbs but the fact that we have been doing the same event with only one distance for 34 years in a row, lets everyone know that when they line up in Georgetown that everyone with them is there with the same aspiration to “complete a half” that is special they all put in the training they all know that it is a real race.

Tho-Run: This year marks the 34^th anniversary of GTIS. That’s a lot of tradition. In that time, you have raised more than $1,000,000, including  more than $100,000 last year alone!  Talk about the evolution of your fund raising as part of the event.  

GTIS-Stephan: The event was started by three local runners (a bus driver, a restaurant owner and the local beer distributor) all of them are still involved with the  race. They organized the race in the first running wave (when Frank Shorter won gold) and then thought that it should benefit the local schools.  We have such a great base of runners, volunteers (students and parents) and supportive towns like Georgetown and Idaho Springs, it is a perfect fundraiser because folks come from all over the country, donate money to our local schools by registering for the race and get a world class event at a bargain price (we have some of lowest registration fees for a half in the county let alone Colorado).  What more could you ask for as a Race Director it makes expanding the base easier than most races and it is in a perfect location. 

Tho-Run:There are a ton of logistics involved in a “regular half marathon” with a start finish line at or near the same point on a course. You have additional challenges with transportation as some of your runners stay in Idaho Springs or Georgetown prior to the event, or some drive to the start line. How do you manage the bus transportation on race day—and keep everything running smoothly?  

GTIS-Stephan: They are all volunteers from the school district the costs are not there like a lot of other races.  In fact this a real local event at all levels, we have great logistical support from all parties, permits are smooth and the local residents embrace this event. So we don’t have the same challenges that even a small 5k would have around a park.  What we do need to make sure of is that we have enough toilets, give a-ways at the finish and great weather (we have only had rain in one year out of 33 not bad), and some cold watermelon.

Sunrise Stampede June 9, 2012

Taste of Louisville 5k and 13.1. Waiting for the half marathon finishers