Boulder, Colorado, is known for its outdoors scene. It boasts 300 days of sunshine per year and collects accolades such as the Happiest City in America, according to National Geographic.
The annual Boulderthon race series has appeared on lists of the most beautiful courses in the world. Since its launch in 2021, the race has doubled in size every year. Want to join in? Start planning now for the September 29, 2024 race. You can choose from a full or half marathon, 10K, 5K, or a kids’ run.
Outdoors Wire talked to race founder Phil Dumontet about why Boulderthon — and this part of Colorado — are special. Here’s what he had to say.
Note: This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Outdoors Wire: Why did you found Boulderthon?
Dumontet: My favorite days of the year have always been marathon days – whether I am running, volunteering, or cheering. I’ve been fortunate enough to run 17 marathons and all 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors, and experience races big and small. I have been an avid runner since 11 years old, and have been fortunate to be able to invest in my training and personal development to bring my marathon time down from about 4 hours to 2:42 over the course of 10+ years.
I see marathons as one of the greatest theaters of human inspiration – tens of thousands of runners all having their unique reasons to run, causes to celebrate, challenges to overcome that create positive ripple effects into other areas of life.
When I moved to Boulder in 2017, I was surprised that there was no signature marathon for the city. One of the first things I do, and one of the best ways to immerse yourself in a new city, is to engage with the city’s marathon. I moved here and thought, “Where is the marathon? Why doesn’t this exist?”
Outdoors Wire: Tell us about the process of starting a marathon in a city that didn’t have one.
Dumontet: I quickly found out why — there were unsuccessful attempts. There is no question that persistence, community engagement, and a long-term vision were the most important factors for me successfully creating and launching Boulderthon. I started working on the concept for Boulderthon as early as 2017. I acquired the Boulder Backroads race as a way to bring Boulderthon to life — this allowed me to upgrade an existing race, and not add a new impact to the community’s event calendar. After revamping the course and receiving approval for the first-ever downtown finish, plus successfully navigating through two postponements during Covid, Boulderthon, serving as the city’s signature Boulder Marathon, launched in 2021.
Boulderthon was born out of this passion for running and my mission to grow and strengthen the running community. However, passion and mission could only get me so far. Ultimately, I had to switch gears to community engagement, outreach, lobbying, and partnership if I were to bring this race to life and garner the critical support to test my thesis that there was sufficient demand for a signature city marathon in Downtown Boulder. Most importantly, I was able to launch Boulderthon as this signature city marathon — the Boulder Marathon — because the community and key stakeholders were supportive of my goal to bring a world-class marathon to one of the country’s great running meccas. I could not have done it without this critical support, and I am extremely grateful for it.
Outdoors Wire: How has community response been?
Dumontet: The first year was very well-received and our team was praised for our organization, execution, and broader engagement to make it a true community event that brought people together around the power of running and movement. Setting the bar and standards high from the first edition was important, as we had the first edition to prove ourselves. I committed to myself that I would invest the necessary time, personal capital, and resources to create an absolutely exceptional, world-class runner experience. “Whatever it takes,” I thought. Long-term, it will be worth it. This bet paid off — we have had a tremendous outpouring of support both locally and nationally and have doubled every year since our first edition, growing from 1,600 in our first year, to 3,300 in year two, to 6,700 in year three.
Outdoors Wire: What makes Boulderthon special?
Dumontet: The magic behind Boulderthon truly lies in the community. We have asked this question to thousands of people in surveys and the common theme throughout is clear: It’s the beauty of the people and place that creates such a magical, high-energy and spectacular backdrop for the race. We have an absolutely stunning course nestled at the foothills of the Rockies, and the community of Boulder shows up to support our event in full force. When we started in 2021, there was arguably nowhere else with such a strong health and wellness community that did not have a signature marathon experience to rally around, so it felt like we unlocked and unleashed something really special — it was only a matter of time for someone to do it. The community was ready. Ultimately, Boulderthon is a celebration of this wonderful community, and all that it has to offer. It is a reflection of the stunning, vibrant, and diverse community that is Boulder.
When we look at what makes Boulderthon unique, it all comes down to the runner experience. Every decision we make is oriented around how we build the best running experience, a boutique marathon with big-city amenities, nestled in the foothills of the Rockies.
Outdoors Wire: How many people do you expect this year, and where will they be coming from?
Dumontet: We expect over 10,000 runners, and in the past the race has drawn runners from all 50 states and 18 countries.
Outdoors Wire: How has this race managed to grow so fast?
Dumontet: The success of any marathon starts with its location. It’s no surprise that London, New York, and Tokyo are some of the largest and most successful marathons in the world, but you look at races like Flying Pig, Mesa Marathon, and Grandma’s and the same holds true. Marathons are both experiences and destinations.
I always think about how important it is to remember that marathons are reflections of the cities in which they are held. For us, Boulder is a stunning running destination, a beautiful, diverse vibrant community that serves as a world-class destination. Bringing together community — both runners and non-runners alike — from businesses to volunteer groups and charities — brings our marathon to life and has helped us grow quickly. Knowing what makes our location unique, and doubling down on that in our marketing, has fueled our growth. When someone asks me what they should market, I respond with a question – why do runners run your race? What’s unique about it? Follow that answer to develop a marketing strategy.
I think of a great location as a key element of our “product,” and a prerequisite to success. I could be the best marketer in the world, but if what I’m marketing isn’t appealing and authentic to the race, then I won’t be successful. Thinking of our location/course as our product has been helpful.
The second critical component is our execution of the runner experience. I could be the best marketer, but if I fail to deliver an exceptional experience to our runners, we won’t be successful long-term. Ultimately, our ability to execute well determines our participant retention year after year (making retained participants a key driver of growth). Our goal is to create beautiful lifelong memories here — we are in the business of making memories. We need to nail the fundamentals, and then provide that Boulderthon magic that keeps runners coming back.
Thirdly, our ability to build and market our brand creatively and effectively drives new participants. This helps us differentiate our race and draw new participants from all 50 states and 18 countries. Some marketing works better than others. Trial and error is our friend, and I have learned what is most effective in our industry and continue to test and improve as quickly.
Outdoors Wire: Tell us about the Boulder running community.
Dumontet: In short: it is alive, well, and growing. The Boulder runner community is one of the most active in the country, serving as a hub for leisure runners, trail runners, and Olympians in training. There is a run club and group for everyone; sometimes, it’s almost overwhelming to choose who and where to go. It’s easy to meet people and make friends via the running community, since there are so many events and community hubs like Fleet Feet with open weekly runs and meet-ups.
Outdoors Wire: What should out-of-towners do in Boulder after the race?
Dumontet: Boulder is an outdoor paradise, spanning well beyond the race. We’re a small slice of it and just a taste of how magnificent this area is.
There is no shortage of hikes, trails, and beautiful places to explore. Hike Sanitas or Green Mountain, then enjoy our amazing restaurants (Bobby Stuckey sets the standard). Visit Chautauqua Park and see the Flatirons glow in the sunshine while you breathe in crisp mountain air. Grab a drink at the top of Avanti or Corrida and soak in the gorgeous views. Walk Downtown on Pearl Street (where you crossed the finish line at Boulderthon) and visit our majority-locally owned shops. Soak it all in and enjoy the beauty of Boulder!