The Boilermaker Road Race is a

USATF USA Track & Field (USATF) is a United States national governing body for the sports of track and field, cross country running, road running, and racewalking (known as the sport of athletics outside the US). The USATF was known between 1979 and 1 ...

-certified foot race and

wheelchair race Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs in track and road races. Wheelchair racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability, including leg amputees, spinal cord injuries, and cerebral palsy. Athletes are classified in acc ...

held annually in Utica,

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. Although local recreational runners are the majority of entrants, the race is highly competitive, with international professional runners filling the top ranks. With the exception of 2020, when it was cancelled due to the

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, the Boilermaker has been held every year since 1978. Traditionally, the Boilermaker is held on the second Sunday in July, although the 2021 Boilermaker was held on October 10 due to COVID-related concerns. Although 15Ks are uncommon compared to other road races, the Boilermaker has been rated highly by running publications. The race course is primarily in the city of Utica, with the earlier portion largely within the Utica Parks and Parkway Historic District. The course passes through the suburbs New Hartford and Yorkville near

Utica University Utica University is a private university in Utica, New York. The university has a main campus in Utica; the Robert Brvenik Center for Business Education, in downtown Utica; and satellite locations in Syracuse, New York; Latham, New York; and ...

. The course is hilly, changing 300 feet in elevation over its length: combined with the mid-summer heat, winning race times are generally longer than for other 15K races. The finish line lies outside the F.X. Matt Brewery, where post-race festivities are held. Like many urban races in the United States, the Boilermaker was created during the 1970s running boom. The first Boilermaker was held on July 16, 1978, with a budget of $750 and 800 local runners participating. The name alludes to a primary underwriter of the race, the Utica Radiator Corporation (now Utica Boilers, part of ECR International), whose main offices are near the race starting line. The wheelchair section was added in 1980. The race gained prominence in 1983 when American distance runner Bill Rodgers won with a time of 44:38. From 1997 to 2006, the Boilermaker was known as the largest 15K race in the United States, but was overtaken by the

Gate River Run The Gate River Run (GRR), formerly known as the Jacksonville River Run, is an annual road running event in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has functioned as the US National Champi ...

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, in later years. The Boilermaker has been described as an essential part of the identity of its host city, Utica, like the

Peachtree Road Race The Peachtree Road Race (branded AJC Peachtree Road Race for sponsorship reasons) is a series of two 10-kilometer runs held annually in Atlanta, once during the first weekend of January and the other on Independence Day. They are held on the sa ...

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. Semi-unofficial performances and parties fill the sidewalk along much of the race course:

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magazine described the Boilermaker as "part road race, part festival."

Past winners

Key: Due to COVID-19 concerns, international professional runners were not invited to the 2021 race. Thus, the winning times in that year's race are longer than in prior years, with Americans taking first place in both divisions for the first time since 1991. The field in the wheelchair race was also much smaller that year, consisting of only four competitors, all from New York State. The John Korir who won the 2024 race is not the same as John Korir Kipsang, who won the 1999, 2001, 2003 and 2004 races.

References

External links

Boilermaker Official website

{{City of Utica, New York Sports in Utica, New York 15K runs Road running competitions in the United States Sports competitions in New York (state) Wheelchair racing