A Fun Bolder Boulder Alternative For Colorado Runners

May 24, 2010 · Filed Under Running News · Comment 

No doubt about it, the Bolder Boulder 10K road race is a highlight for Colorado runners. For many, it’s an annual Memorial Day tradition. Others use it as a personal fitness goal, and may have never run or walked a full 6.2 miles. And for countless active Coloradoans who will run only one race the entire year, Bolder Boulder gets the nod. It’s an opportunity to run with tens of thousands of other runners and finish like a world-class athlete in the Folsom Field Stadium.

So with all the spectacle and notoriety that is Bolder Boulder, what running event could possibly offer on the same date a great Bolder Boulder alternative? That would be the Houska Houska, naturally.

Houska Houska is a 5K race in Fort Collins that is a tradition in it’s own right. It actually started with LJ Houska and his family 18 years ago. They couldn’t get in Bolder Boulder, so they mocked up their own “Houska Houska” race shirts and ran their own race near their home in Fort Collins. They attracted the attention of neighbors, and the race turned into an annual pot luck, getting bigger every year.

Ultimately the Houska’s decided to “formalize” the race, brought it to their business location at Houska Automotive, and started raising funds for bone marrow programs in Colorado. The cause attracts support from several Fort Collins businesses, and with over 600 runners, last year’s race generated nearly $21,000.

So what’s this Bolder Boulder alternative got to offer? Well, nearly everything Bolder Boulder doesn’t. Smaller, but no less a party. Each year is a different theme – this year is Las Vegas – and costumes abound. Food and live swing music of course, but also games, a petting zoo, a bungee trampoline, costume contests… even easy parking! Bolder Boulder is no place for dogs, bikes or strollers, but all these are welcomed at the laid back Houska Houska. The course itself is run on the bike path along the scenic Poudre River.

The race is so laid back that in accordance with this year’s Vegas theme, top prize goes to not the fastest time, but the best poker hand from cards collected along the course. Other fun prizes are awarded, including one for the best dog costume.

So for a great Bolder Boulder alternative, check out the Houska Houska in Fort Collins for a 5K and family fun.

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