Bolder Boulder Course Changes for 2005

By: Katrina Mohr

The Bolder Boulder will have three changes in the citizens course this year because the traffic circles on the previous course were interfering with the race’s flow. The previous Bolder Boulder citizens course remained unchanged for the past 11 years. This new course will be the eighth citizens course the Bolder Boulder has used.

The first change is along Glenwood Drive. Before runners went west on Glenwood Drive and then left onto19th Street. Now runners turn right onto 20th Street off of Glenwood Drive, left onto Vista Drive, and then left onto 19th Street.

The second change is on 19th Street. Before runners went south on 19th Street and then turned right on Balsam Avenue and then left onto 13th Street. Now runners turn a street earlier off of 19th Street onto Cedar Avenue and then left onto13th Street.

The third change is on 13th Street. Before runners went left on 13th Street to Pine Street, right on 23rd Street, right on Spruce Street, left on 21st Street, and then left onto Walnut Street. Now runners go left a street later on 13th Street onto Spruce Street, right onto 15th Street, left onto Pearl Street, right onto 20th Street, and then a left onto Walnut Street.

Matt Jenkins, Bolder Boulder assistant race director, said that these changes were made because every year the city added more traffic circles onto the course. Jenkins said there were no complaints about the traffic circles, but because the race is expanding every year it was time to move the course to avoid problems later. He said that Bolder Boulder officials talked to the city about rerouting the course onto roads that the city wasn’t planning on changing.

“Each traffic circle doesn’t make a huge difference in the race,” Jenkins said. “But once the city added enough of them they became something worth mentioning. With the new changes the course is more straight forward and hopefully we won’t have to change it for awhile.”

Carl Mohr, Bolder Boulder course coordinator, said that although the changes are in the race’s best interest, they might upset some Bolder Boulder fans.

“The move from Pine to Pearl will be a major change because it’s going from a shaded, residential street to a wide open, business strip,” Mohr said. “Pine Street residents have been able to watch from their yards for 25 years so this change may disappoint them.”

Mohr said the new course would be slower and more difficult in the first half because of the slight elevation gain and turns on Vista Drive and 19th Street.

“Anyone who doesn’t negative split in this year’s course is in for a long morning,” Mohr said.

The new course is in the process of getting USA Track and Field certified. All of the previous Bolder Boulder courses have been USATF certified. Jenkins said the process would measure the distance so markers are exact and determine where the new start would be on 30th Street. The finish will stay in the same place in Folsom Field.

Jenkins said that being sanctioned by USATF makes the course official and allows world records set on the course to be recognized. That is, if anyone would be able to set a world record in the 10K at altitude on the Bolder Boulder course. USATF Course Certifier Benji Durden will be certifying the new course.