Let's take a look at the course for this Memorial Day's Bolder Boulder 10k...
First, the course map. The race starts on 30th St., winds through neighborhoods and downtown, and finishes on the University of Colorado campus in the football stadium. There are 23 turns on the course! Since USATF certified courses are measured on the tangents (meaning the shortest path possible), it will be important to run on these tangents as well. Valuable seconds could be lost otherwise.
Next, the elevation profile. This is a point-to-point race, with the lowest point at 5,284 feet and the highest point at 5,391, a gain of 107 feet. However, with the ups and downs, total elevation gain is probably over 200 feet. The finish is roughly 50 feet higher than the start. The steepest and hardest climb is Casey Hill at the 4-mile marker. Though short, this one seems to pack a punch. Luckily, it's followed by a mile-long descent before the final uphill push to the stadium.
On to the start!
Looking south on 30th Street at the start. The course is permanently marked with signs at every turn and mile marker. The streets are painted with every kilometer and mile marker as well. Note that workers have already put up the corral fencing for the wave start.
Turning right on Pearl Street, we catch our first glimpse of the Flatirons. These 1000-ft cliffs are a Boulder landmark and popular with rock climbers. We've just passed the 1k marker, and we'll be climbing for most of the next 7 kilometers. This first part isn't too bad, though.
Things get steeper as we start Folsom Hill, nearing the 3k mark. Aid station #1 is just over the crest of the hill at the 2-mile point.
Taking a left onto Hawthorn.
West on Glenwood. Mount Sanitas is directly ahead. We're just about at the 4-kilometer mark.
We do the first little north-south jog at this point. Here we take a left on Vista.
Now we're on the long straightaway of 19th Street, heading south. We've topped out the biggest, longest hill, we're cruising downhill for now, and we're a few yards away from the 3-mile mark and halfway. Things are looking up! Note the stereotypical Boulder car -- a Toyota Prius hybrid.
On the next north-south jog, we're taking a left on Cedar.
Running south on 13th Street past Vic's Coffee and Ideal Market.
The dreaded Casey Hill!
But it's all downhill from here (oops, except for the last mile)!
Now we're getting into downtown Boulder. Approaching the left turn on Spruce, we see the Boulderado Hotel and Corner Bar on the right.
We just passed the 7-kilometer mark. On our right we catch a glimpse of Boulder's most popular tourist attraction, the Pearl Street Mall. It's closed to cars, and usually packed with folks who come for the shopping, people-watching, and street performers.
But we're taking a left on Pearl instead. Headed for the finish now!
No time for Fish & Chips and a cold pale ale at my favorite brewpub, the Mountain Sun.
This guy is in no hurry as he takes a leisurely ride down Walnut Street with his sack of bagels. He probably couldn't care less that he's about to pass the 5-mile mark on the Bolder Boulder course. :-)
How much would this 3-bedroom, 2-bath house cost in your neighborhood? In Boulder it's $619,000.
Finally, we're back on Folsom, but this time we're headed home. There is one last hill to climb, and the flagstone towers of the CU Stadium can be seen in the distance. Only one km to go!
At the top of the last hill, we take a right towards the stadium. Due to the unavoidable pain at this point in the race, nobody who is trying for a personal best will notice this statue honoring legendary runner Frank Shorter. Not only did he win a gold medal in the Olympic marathon, he was a co-founder of the Bolder Boulder and won the race in 1981.
Just after the Frank Shorter statue, we pass the 6-mile mark. A quick left turn into the stadium and we'll hit (what will be) the track and the final 200 meters. Workers are constructing a ramp that will allow spectators to access the east side stands without obstructing the course.
That's it! We've arrived at the finish line of the Bolder Boulder 10k. This also happens to be the finish of this blog entry!
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