Bolder Boulder ‘09 - Twitter, Tech, and Bacon
Photo by Brian Scaglia, www.scaglia.org
Beer, bands, belly dancers, bagpipes, and yes, even bacon (at a presumably “unofficial” aid station) were all featured in the 2009 Bolder Boulder. These are among the things we expect in Boulder on Memorial Day. One element that Bolder Boulder is known for is the “unexpected”, generally in the form of costumes and antics of runners and supporters alike. Another element that changes from year to year is the role technology plays in the race.
Of course there’s the component most obvious to the runners, the RFID shoe tag. The race has stumbled in this area in the past, but this technology for timing runners seems to be getting more reliable. Results were available immediately after the race (and as of this posting, still are) here. Runners are provided with several pieces of data, including overall time, mile splits, and average pace, in addition to place in division and overall. Verizon also jumped in the fray, offering race results via text message. Text bib to Verizon at 66196.
Television coverage of a mass amateur running race is what it is. Although I didn’t watch, channel 7 was to have live cut-ins within its newscasts all morning, with cameras at the start and finish lines. Streaming video via Internet is getting easier, and the race featured live feeds from about 3 points on the course. While it was a reasonable attempt, the live Internet coverage was only fair. The cycling world has really taken some good strides in presenting live coverage via Internet, as demonstrated in this year’s Tour of California, and even the recent collegiate nationals in Fort Collins. Certainly Bolder Boulder will catch on.
Twitter users were actually a group that provided some real time feedback. Using the hashtags #bolderboulder and #bb09, runners ‘tweeted’ (I hate that word) their experiences, from the crowd, to rice and adzuki bean chips provided in the lunch. Several runners made use of Twitpic to publish their photos, including the popular bacon station. Curiously, the race’s Twitter account, @BolderBOULDER09, posted only 1 tweet (I still hate that word) after their announcement, “6 days to go”.
With all the tech in the background, my sincere props to those who just laced up their shoes, went out, took in the Boulder air, and raced their hearts out, regardless of technology. No iPhones, iPods, i-anything - just the real run that is the core of Bolder Boulder… plus the bacon!
Denver Running Blog Offers Training Tools & Information
A promising new blog has been launched to support runners in the Denver area. Denver Running provides resources for runners to network together in an online community, along with tools such as an online training log. You can keep your training log private or share it with other members, which lets you participate in community goals and challenges. The site tracks and reports on members, and ranks them in categories such as “top runners” and “most active members”. The pace calculator tool also helps to set goals and share them with the community.
Denver Running is a project by Denver runner, Chris Dellinger. Chris has a passion for running and wants to provide a good resource to share all things related to running in the Denver and surrounding areas. Content and community are just getting started, so check out Denver Running for some nice free tools and to get involved in a Denver based running community.
Run A 5K Race Via Twitter?
For those athletes looking for an excuse to jump on the Twitter bandwagon, you may have your answer. The Tweet 5K is just like a regular 5K road race, except that…. well… Okay, it’s nothing like a regular 5K road race. It does have sponsors, including (appropriately) internet-based Seesmic Desktop and Zappos.com, you can get a t-shirt, they offer prizes, and it’s a fund raiser (beneficiary is Athletes For A Cure). Oh, and you’re supposed to run. But it’s the actual running of the race that’s, well, different.
To “compete” in the race, you run a time trial on any measured course or 400 meter track. Record your time and then report in via your Twitter account. You get three tries, and the “race” concludes the evening of May 30th. All times are to be reported on the honor system, and winners must verify their time with a documented “real” race time within 3% of their Tweet 5K time.
While there have been many other report-your-own-time races, and virtual races, the Tweet 5K is presumably the first race promoted and managed totally via Twitter. Indeed, the tag line of the event is “the first race produced entirely in 140 characters” - the size limit of a Twitter message, or tweet (sigh, I hate using that word…).
Regardless of the fact that this event offers no real head to head competition, it will present an interesting case study of how Twitter and other web 2.0 tools can be leveraged for event marketing and fund raising. With a $1000 cash prize offered, it’s significant enough to draw attention. Participants using the #tweet5k hashtags create a self-perpetuating community (see http://twitter.pbworks.com/Hashtags for explanation of hashtags). And they do a great job of keeping momentum with their tweets announcing daily prizes such as a pair of running shoes, a slot in the NYC Marathon, and even cash money!
So if you’ve not used Twitter and are looking for an excuse to try it out, the Tweet 5K (tweet5k.org) will give you a chance to join an active-minded community and try out some of the features of Twitter. An account is easy to set up, and you might find it to be useful. And yes, Racing Colorado is on Twitter and provides updates on events relevant to endurance athletes in Colorado. Feel free to follow us at twitter.com/racingcolorado.
Marathoning Clown? I’ll Take The Gorilla Suit
We expect to see such a story in Runners World (which indeed, ran the story on their web site), but when does the spectacle of running eccentricity stop? Clown or not, this runner ran a respectable time of 2:50 or so, but do we need to commemorate the event with official world record recognition? That just means that when the story hits the wire we have to suffer through reporters’ quips like, “… he’s not just clowning around…” and “… anyone wanting to break that record will have some big shoes to fill…”.
This story may indicate that we’ve reached the saturation point for interesting records. When do we stop being interested in records for running while wearing a chicken suit, playing Stairway To Heaven on the guitar, or making a cheesecake (if these ideas inspire you, they’re yours!). The press could just as well be used to spotlight legitimate events in the world of endurance sports, such as upcoming record attempts at the women’s 3000 and men’s 1000 in Stuttgart, or the excitement at last weekend’s World Cyclocross Champs.
Two things to note here. First, I realize the paradox of writing on the topic of events that shouldn’t be written about. Kinda like time travel, I try not to rationalize it. Second, this post is in no way meant to diminish the legitimacy of real costumed events such as the Denver Gorilla Run. Now that’s the way to have a great time in a costume and be in a newsworthy event!
This is a classic Colorado race where the point is to run in a gorilla suit for a good cause. Any clown can run a marathon, but how often does one get the chance to run with a couple hundred gorillas trhough the streets of Denver? This is not the only gorilla run in the world, so there’s likely already several gorilla records. But use your imagination. Maybe you could run in a gorilla suit while pulling a midget on a tricycle, set a world record, and get global press! In fact, if anyone wants to do that one here in Colorado, let me know and I’ll plug you all over the Internet!
Elvis Finds A Marathon In Denver?
The King At Denver Marathon
Good news on the marathon front…
Looks like Colorado may finally have our own Rock ‘n’ Roll marathon. The Denver Marathon, along with Rocky Mountain Half Marathon has been acquired by Competitor Group, a group that owns a number of endurance races, including Elite Racing’s music marathon series. You’ve no doubt heard of, if not participated in these races, characterized by bands lining the entire route with and post-race parties and concerts. Maybe you’ve even taken the road trip and donned your Elvis jumpsuit for the event?
Competitor Group, Inc. is backed by a private equity firm specializing in the running, cycling, and triathlon industries. This is a good move for Colorado’s athletic community on several levels. The race will keep director, Anton Villatoro, who has done an excellent job developing this well-organized race into the state’s biggest marathon. The new ownership presumably will add investment funding as well, helping to ensure the success of the race. Although the race will not take on the “Rock ‘n’ Roll” theme in 2009 (probably will in 2010), given the director and backing organization, I’m sure we can expect great things. The music marathons have proven to be quite successful, with the recent P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon not only set records for speed (50k) but also drew a record registration number of 34,800 .
While the race will still be a favorite of locals, my guess is that it will provide the final answer to the question of whether Colorado can present a true destination marathon. To be sure, the marathon will quite likely be Colorado’s most popular, but the “best” title is more subjective, and depends on your tastes. Colorado has lots of great marathon distance courses, each with their own flavor, and there will always be something for everyone. Distinctive races like Pike’s Peak Marathon (which isn’t at all like a regular marathon) will likely not be affected much by the new ownership of Denver Marathon. It’s not clear yet how other marathons will be affected - my guess is that races most similar in format may lose some participation. The obvious comparison is to the Colfax marathon, which is battling a history of logistic and organizational issues. On the other hand, we can expect better things from that race this year as well with Creigh Kelly at the helm.
Ideally a well run, well marketed, and well attended Denver Marathon will draw more people to the world of endurance sports, benefitting races throughout the state.
Plus, I’d love to have Elvis in Colorado again. I haven’t heard of a sighting in the state since my brother in law caught a glimpse of him in the produce section of Safeway 11 years ago!
Free Entry to a Great Denver City Park 5k Run
Red Thread Run, a 5K race through beautiful Denver City Park, will take place on Nov. 8th, and Racing Colorado wants to give you a free entry!
City Park is a favorite running race location along the front range, and this year Red Thread Run is throwing in $150 each for the top male and female runners! Add to that the beautiful weather we’ve been having, and this race is a can’t miss!
We have two ways for you to win a free entry. You may post a reply comment to this blog post (or any others here on RaceBlog), and include something like, “… and please try to set me up with a free race”. Don’t want to speak out in public? No problem. Just give us your opinions on what makes a good race by taking our short survey on Colorado running races. For more details, take a look at our official promotion page at Racing Colorado. Don’t dilly dally - this promotion will end Nov. 6th!
Eerie Erie 5K/10K Free Race Entry
** The race entry giveaway promotion has ended. Congrats to Stephanie W and Jennifer J, winners of free entries to Eerie Erie. Thanks to all who entered, and don’t forget our other free race entry promotion on RacingColorado.com for the upcoming Red Thread Run.**
Get your costumes ready because the 26th Eerie Erie is just around the corner. Even better, Racing Colorado gives you the chance to get in with a free race entry!
Eerie Erie is Colorado’s oldest Halloween race, and is a true all-comer’s classic. With runners, strollers, trotters, & even pooches decked out in costumes, this is a race to really get in the “spirit” of the holiday. Add in a real cemetery in the course (not the spot to start walking!), and you have the recipe for a fun, classic Colorado running race.
“Cool. So how do I enter for a free race entry?” There are two ways:
First, you’re automatically entered if you comment on any post in this blog and mention that you want an entry to Eerie Erie. You may have already noticed references to the free race entry in comments on other posts on this blog. These comments are from people who first heard about the free entry form in the Racing Colorado newsletter, which brings up the second way to enter… Anyone who uses the link on this page to subscribe to the free Racing Colorado newsletter is automatically entered for a chance at a free entry.
We can’t set up everyone, but if you’ve been staying in touch with us via RacingColorado.com, this RaceBlog, or the Racing Colorado newsletter you’ll know that free races are becoming a regular thing with us. Check out our latest promotions at our Free Giveaways page here. And free or not, Eerie Erie is a fantastic return on your entertainment dollar!
Colorado Runner Pirtea on Running Times Cover
Photo by Brian Solano
Wanna see my picture on the cover
Wanna buy five copies for my mother
Wanna see my smilin’ face
On the cover of the Rolling Stone… er, RUNNING TIMES.
Fort Collins resident and elite runner, Adriana Pirtea, is on the cover of the November issue of Running Times Magazine. Runners in Northern Colorado may recognize the background near Horsetooth Reservoir.
Adriana is a Romanian national and UTEP grad living in Fort Collins. This weekend she’s in Chicago for the marathon, hoping to avenge the would-be victory that slipped away in the final 10 meters last year. She’s also a Boston runner-up, and holds a 2:28 PR.
Check your local newsstand, and Good Luck, Adriana!
Still Time To Enter For Colorado Mountain Running Giveaway
The weekend running package giveaway for the Mountain Chili Cha Cha Trail Race will close this weekend. You probably wouldn’t like a trail run through the beautiful San Juans, a chance to win cash, a weekend in Pagosa Springs, a festival with chili & beer, etc… But if you’re that rare individual who thinks that sounds like fun, be sure to check out all the details at RacingColorado.com and enter. All you have to do is give your opinions on what makes a good race. Promotion ends this weekend.
Great New Colorado Trail Running Weekend Package Giveaway
The Mountain Chili Cha Cha Trail Race is new this year, but seems to be well organized and even has a $1000 cash purse. It’s in Pagosa Springs, which is a trip for a lot of Colorado Runners, but our new giveaway is here to help! The package includes two race entries and TWO NIGHTS lodging at the luxury cabins of Hart’s Rocky Mountain Retreats. The race has distaces of 3, 7, and 15 miles, so there’s something for everyone. That’s not to mention the Chili Festival (food, music, beer, etc), the most beautiful season in the Colorado San Juans, and favorable Autumn race conditions.
Your chances of winning are seriously better that any $1 lotto you ever entered, and this one’s free! Just complete a SHORT survey & give your opinions on what makes for a good race. Click this link for the details on our newest Colorado Trail Running Weekend Giveaway Package!
