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!
Upcoming Colorado Events- Double 5K
- Denver Promise Walk and 5K Run for Preeclampsia
- Kilometers for C.O.P.S.
- Dash and Dine 5k Series #6
- Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon
- Airlife Memorial 10K/5K Run and 5K Walk
- Excel-erator 5k
- Superior Morgul - Morgul Bismark Bike Race
- The Kaiser Permanente Colfax Marathon, Half Marathon and Relay
- 15th Annual AirLife Memorial Run/Walk and EMS Celebration
- The Colfax 5K
- Bradford`s DEAR 5K
- Hope Lives
- Mike the Headless Chicken 5k
- Larkspur 5K Challenge and 1K Fun Run
Oakley Offer