Bold Weekend in Boulder

A 50,000 person tradition fills the streets of Boulder every Memorial Day.  The country's premier 10K event drawing runners from every state and elite runners from many countries.  Bolder Boulder, only 100 minutes from our doorstep, offered a great opportunity for a Colorado weekend getaway.  We took advantage of the Monday holiday and explored a few new places in Colorado on an extended weekend trip.

Jess and I decided late to participate in the race, and did so with a few friends from work and Jack Quinn's Running Club.  We combined our trip with a visit in Denver to a Man v. Food Challenge restaurant at Jack-N-Grill.  I was able to successfully complete the small version of the challenge burrito while Jess had difficulty with 3 small tacos, as she still is baffled by my appetite despite 7 years of visual proof.  A great stop for Mexican fare and over-sized breakfast portions, we would both recommend Jack-N-Grill, Denver as a mile-high stop just a few minutes from Sports Authority (Denver Broncos) Field.

After Denver, we completed our trip up to Boulder.  Nick spent the day volunteering for Saucony and selling shoes at the Bolder Boulder Expo while Jess toured the town and the local fair enjoying drinks with friends.  Boulder offers a different scene than Colorado Springs which we really enjoyed; a scene of a major waterway and modern college life.  A trip combination of Colorado Springs, Denver, and Boulder provides countless opportunities for east-coasters such as us to experience cultural differences, famous landmarks, and the incomparable beauty and fun of the Rockies.

The race in Boulder took place Monday morning with the "A" wave of fast but non-elite men and women goes off first followed by a wave every 1'10".  Nick participated in the A wave while Jess started a few minutes back in the DA wave.  The course warned of a hilly first 4 miles which represents the hardest part of the course, but to most Colorado residents is par for the course.  Two missed goals later and the party began with the "Runch" runner's lunch, Michelob Ultra, and a Memorial Day Celebration complete with paratroopers from each military branch.  The stands filled up with the earlier participants to spectate the elite waves who start later in the day.  The announcers provide race commentary with video streaming on the big screen in the University of Colorado stadium finalized by the athletes completing their race in the stadium in front of a loud crowd representing multiple nationalities including a large contingent of Ethiopian and Kenyan supporters.


Overall, a race we would highly recommend participating in at least once, even if you must suffer from the altitude to run.  A great all around huge event with energy and an elite running show to boot. We will be making a yearly trip to Boulder on Memorial Day!