Boulder Backroads Marathon - Race Reviews

This was my first marathon, so I was pretty nervous, yet pumped about it. The run itself wasn't bad... the full marathon was two loops of the half. There was only one or two hills, and they were fairly easy hills at that (all my training was done with NO hills, and I still didn't have much of an issue with the hills). However, I decided I don't like the two loop format. The run started out with lots of people around, and there were a few spectators riding their bikes to be able to be at multiple mile markers. However, once I completed the first loop and was on to the second loop, there was pretty much NO ONE. All the runners around me were only doing the half, so suddenly I was running all alone, and the few spectators that were there in the first half were no longer there. I'm pretty sure I only saw 3 groups (families) of spectators after the second half. It pretty much just felt like another training run... running all alone with me and my music. If you are someone who likes running with a big crowd, with people cheering you on, this is NOT the race for you. If you like your solitude, then you'll probably enjoy it. I felt that there were plenty of aid stations along the way (every few miles or so if I remember correctly), however my biggest complaint is that there was just about nothing at the finish line. There was water, but I couldn't find any sports drinks anywhere! Also, since there was a 10k, half marathon, and full marathon, all the snacks were picked over by the time I finished. I didn't run fast, but I finished in less than 5 hours... I mean, that's not THAT slow to run a marathon. There were people finishing after me, so I feel like there should have been more snacks available. There were literally only bags of chips left at the snack table. There was also no excitement going at the finish line. I'm used to doing runs where there are festivities and music and fun things going on, but there wasn't any of that. All I did was drink a few cups of water and then leave to go get some lunch/something to drink other than water so I could replace some of those electrolytes I lost. To sum it up, it basically just felt like another training run for me. I'm not sure why the entry fee was $100 when all I got out of them was free water and a bag of chips (that I couldn't even eat because my stomach couldn't handle it).

I ran the half marathon and absolutely loved it! It was very well organized, we got great swag, the course support and aid stations were outstanding! It is also one of the most beautiful courses I have run in years! I am so glad a quality race organizer revised this great event and hope to see many, many more participants in years to come.

I ran the 1/2 marathon. Loved the start time of 7:15, and the course was awesome. Slightly uphill going out, but coming back the slightly downhill helped me run a negative split! Excellent after-race refreshments. The new organizer was on top of everything, from packet pickup to parking to the start line. I will definitely run this every year now. Great experience.

I did the half-marathon this year. The course is absolutely spectacular. I've done a few out-and-back races at the reservoir and those are fine, but this course just had eye candy at almost every turn. The race was well organized, lots of aid stations well-staffed, and the post-race beer and food was outstanding. I'll definitely do this one again.

This was a great course with lots of race marshals, volunteers at aid stations to cheer you on, and a clearly marked course. It was smoothly run from start to finish. Thank you for bringing back this course, and doing it so seamlessly. I'll be back next year for sure!

The year I ran (2012) I really didn't have any complaints, and as far as I can recall I had a pretty good time. It was my first marathon, so I could be biased from all the happy-chemicals my brain was making at the finish, but I remember the race fondly and I'm glad to have run it. It was hot toward the end, but the course support was adequate - plenty of water, gels, orange slices, bananas, and sports drink, and the finish had all the bells and whistles you'd expect. There were also plenty of portopotties available too, so the lines weren't too long at the start/finish. The shirt and medal were nice, the post-race vendors were good, the emcee was funny and full of pep, and there was still food left when I finished in 4:30 (yay!), although I could tell some of the more desirable snacks had been picked over pretty well by earlier finishers. I still have my pint glass, technical hat, and race poster (they had a local artist do unique artwork each year and everyone got to take home a big poster). Mine obviously got crinkly because I never bothered to go get it framed, but it was still a cool touch and something I hadn't seen at any other races before or to date since. The course is nice in that it's almost entirely dirt road, and I guess the views are nice (I live in Boulder and train there all the time, so I must be jaded). There isn't a ton of shade, but being able to dip your legs into the chilly reservoir after is a big bonus. The race has changed ownership this year (2015) after a controversy with the past director, and I have faith in the new director (Henry) to put on a good race. So if you've been turned off by some of the negative reviews, let it be known that 1) Some of us had a great time running it in 2012, and 2) Things will be different under the new director.

The race support, ambulances, and vendors left before the race was over. If you run over a 2:30 half, this is not the race for you. I finished to no water and no food; I lived. The 20-year-old that collapsed and suffered 20 minutes of chest compression while waiting for an ambulance did not. Course was open to traffic.

I don't understand the negative comments, so I'll tell you my experience. 1) Beautiful course. Hilly, so not a PB for me, but one of the prettiest runs you can imagine. 2) The shirt was weird, but the beer glass made up for the lame shirt! 3) The beer at the end (Boulder brewery?) was superb! 4) Small feel to this marathon, under-rated in all respects. 5) No crowd support of any size, but enthusiastic small groups. 6) Expensive, but still worth it IMHO.

The Boulder Backroads Marathon was my 20th marathon and is one of my favorites to date. The scenery was breathtaking - especially the sunrise race start - the course was relatively flat and the organization was good. The spectator rating was given a 3-star, only because there just weren't that many people out. Those that were out were very supportive and kind. If you feed off crowd support, you will go hungry. I personally appreciated the lower spectator numbers. I ran Chicago two weeks prior and you can't find a moment's quiet in that marathon. The marathon was run almost entirely on compacted dirt roads and that was very easy on the joints. I was only a little sore the next day and I attribute that to not running on blacktop or cement. All in all a great run!

Let me start by saying that Boulder, CO is a fantastic place to run and spend a long weekend. The 26.2 miles of the race were very nice, fairly scenic, plentiful enthusiastic volunteers, with lots of well-stocked aid stations. The race organizers did a great job with this part of the weekend. Unfortunately, everything else, both pre- and post-race needs help. At packet pick-up, no one knew where the packets were. Initial pick up was at Fleet Feet, who sent me to the race site, who said to go back to Fleet Feet for it, who then sent me back to the race site, where I got my bib, shirt, but not the souvenir pint glass. I had to go back to Fleet Feet after the race for this. Traffic into and out of the race area was very congested. The website warned of this, so those arriving late have no excuse. However, it took me 30 min to get out of the parking area and onto the road after the race. Also, the finish area was too congested. After crossing the line, the medals were laid out on tables, and you could just pick one up. I intially picked up a medal for the 5mile race finishers. No one bothered to hand you the correct one. There was 1 tent with orange and banana slices, and coolers with water and cups. No bottles of water, no cokes. After a marathon, I didn't want to stand there repeatedly filling a 4oz cup with water. There was a large area with sponsor tents set up. Evol Burritos had a truck, but the line had >50 people in it, and after standing around waiting at the water cooler, I didn't want to stand any longer. The beer tent had an even longer, slower moving line. Again, the race itself was nice, the surrounding town was great. The organization was poor. My main suggestions would be to limit the finish area just to actual runners, not family, too. Also, keep the food close by and make it more easily accessible. I applaud the efforts of keeping this a 'green' event, but please offer bottles of water/gatorade/coke/anything at the finish, so we don't have to stand there refilling small cups over and over again. Once I made it to the car, I needed about 10 of those cups or 1 bottle of something. Finally, please do something to ease traffic. There were lots of police on the course, maybe one could be repositioned in the parking lot.

The race website describes this a relatively flat course, but there is over a 1000' in elevation gains. If you are going to run this race, you must integrate lots of hill training or you will end up with leg cramps from the steep grades, especially a long slow elevation gain from mile 18 to 21. The race was generally well organized except the finish was over uneven ground and the sharp elevation increase within the final 100 feet was a complete joke.

I want to like this race and have run the full and half marathon previously. I ran the full again this year and they have made some things better others are still poor. The Good: They started earlier (7 AM) to beat the heat (beautiful weather for October!). The bad: they ran out of timing chips days before the race so you had to pick up one on race morning after sitting in a line for an extremely long time. As always if you run the marathon and finish in the 4 hour range don't expect any food because the 5 mile and 1/2 marathoners got it all. I wish the organizers of this race would take lessons from the Bolder Boulder organizers because they just don't get it right.

Wow! Great organization, awesome T, good course support and BEAUTIFUL scenery! Folks - this is a tiny one with lots of rolls and a great warm up for a later fall marathon. Didn't like the last quarter mile through a 'weedy' grassy section to the side of the parking lot. Oranges and bananas were gobbled up by the half marathon finishers so there were none left when I arrived and I was NINTH! Otherwise, Bravo, team. Good job. Thank you!

Where to start? I decided to run this race because it was close and the Blue Sky Marathon in Ft. Collins was closed. Problems: timing system. You have to wear this archaic-looking band - either on your wrist or ankle. The director said he "invested in a system." Well... it's time to get a new one. It starts to feel really bulky after awhile and cuts into you. Also, there were only two checkpoints, and my time wasn't even recorded on one! AND they don't post results. It's way too expensive for what you get. I just didn't see it. There wasn't any food left for the back-of-the-packers. There was still an hour or so left on the course. I got brown bananas and the last orange piece. Fans were extremely sparse, but encouraging. The course certainly isn't friendly for your family seeing you throughout. Parking was odd - we were in one of the first cars but didn't get prime parking. The course isn't all that scenic, really. Bottom line: do yourself a favor and pick another race. You won't regret it.

This is a POOR race. Don't be fooled by the runner-crazy location - pick another race or you'll be disappointed. I ran this as a half in '08 and a full in '09. The organizers made a big deal about how good the food would be in '09. Wrong! I finished over 4 hours, and all they had were some white buns and weak bagels. 'Real' food? Pizzas you could BUY for $1. Are you kidding? For your $80+ fee you don't get food? I would have paid at that point, but DUH. I don't carry cash during a race and my car was parked too far away to go get it. VERY disappointing. Medical support looked good, however, as I saw at least a half-dozen people being treated, likely for heat-related injuries. They should start the marathon at 7, not 8.

This was a good race, and there were definitely difficult parts that were to be expected in Colorado. The altitude and heat were a lot more challenging than I thought. The course, start time, and organization of the mile markers left much to be expected.

I was fooled by the hype about the new race director, new sponsors, new traffic flow, etc. Unfortunately its the same miserable race with the worst organizers imaginable. Why? First of all, they have not given promised medals to many of the winners for several years now - including 2009! Need more? How about running out of water, only filling the cups 1/4 full, and running out of food. I still have three scars on my ankle from the chip timer that cut me - that's never happened to me after over 50 races. Need more? The late start in a hot September under dusty conditions can really compound the lack-of-water problem. Several dozen finishers actually refused to accept the medal at the finish out of protest. The race director never even showed his face the day of the event.

I have been racing for 25+ years (second marathon, lots of halfs, etc.), and this was by far the most poorly organized race I've run. The heat was a factor, and not the fault of the organizers, but they were unprepared. An email was sent out claiming that it was much hotter than predicted, but that is not the case. I watched the weather all week and it was clear that it was going to be very hot for a marathon. With that knowledge, I went equipped with water, and I'm glad I did. But racers should not have to carry their own water and/or have family meet them along the way for more water in order to complete a race. We have paid a substantial entry fee. Running out of water, which happened at several stations, is just not acceptable. The relay race also introduced some problems: Vans carrying runners to their transition points kicked up dirt, slowed down right in front of runners, and blew their horns at marathoners (!) and the relay racers stood in the middle of the road waiting for their teammates, forcing marathoners to literally push through the crowd. Cresting the last big climb, just after 20 miles, I had to shoulder my way through runners just standing in the way. Please, start the race earlier (I'd rather deal with parking in the dark then running in the heat), make sure you have adequate supplies (hey, aim for having too much water, and food at the finish), and nix the relay - it's a menace. The shirt and hat are nice, but that's pretty much all that was good.

Even though this year was my best time for the three Boulder Marathons I have run, the experience was the worst. Moving the start from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. makes no sense at this time of year in Colorado. It gets too hot and there were more ambulances leaving with sirens on than I have ever seen. Some of the aid stations were out of water or Gatorade in heat that hit the mid-80s. We stood around and waited for the delayed start while they put together the start/finish line apparatus, all while the temperature rose. The Velcro band with the timing chip for your ankle ended up leaving me with a cut just above my shoe line so I switched ankles mid-race. I saw others who just removed theirs entirely. Then, the run up to the finish line was really poor, through a parking lot in a field, not on a path, trail or road, with three 90-degree turns, and you could not see the finish line until you were right on top of it. The finish line chute has been different all three years that I have run. Can't they get this figured out? There was very little to eat at the finish but I did find enough water there. The course is beautiful and the Buffalo Gold beer tasted great at the finish, but the organization and logistics are poor and I won't be doing the Boulder Marathon again.

Parking was pretty far from the start. The start line wasn't obvious until only a couple of minutes before the race, and it was delayed since they didn't even have the start/finish line up. The weather was hot, and they RAN OUT OF WATER! And some stations ran out of cups. Absolutely no excuse! I saw the hardcore runners walking a lot more than usual. With the relay situation, it meant a lot of traffic on the dirt roads, which kicked up rocks and dust and was an extra pain in the butt. To add insult to injury, for the slower runners the post-race food was PITIFUL! Green bananas, sliced bread, cold cereal, and some oranges. Beer was packed up. There were no chairs or places to sit other than the ground.

I ran this as a half in '08 and a full in '09. The organizers made a big deal about how good the food would be in '09. Wrong! I finished over 4 hours, and all they had were some white buns and weak bagels. "Real" food? Pizzas you could BUY for $1. Are you kidding? For your $80+ fee you don't get food? I would have paid at that point, but DUH. I don't carry cash during a race and my car was parked too far away to go get it. VERY disappointing. Medical support looked good, however, as I saw at least a half-dozen people being treated, likely for heat-related injuries. They should start the marathon at 7, not 8.

This was my first marathon so I am in no way qualified to rate it as compared to other marathons. I had no problems figuring out where everything was and I felt like there was always enough water/Gatorade/fuel. It was super hot and sunny, but I trained for that because I know how Colorado is; September can be wicked hot or freezing cold.

This was my first half-marathon experience, and I was shocked to find that they were OUT of water at both the 5-mile-mark and the finish line. I wouldn't be surprised if people passed out. Looks like I need to start running with my own water supply. Disappointing organization. You should NEVER run out of water. EVER.

The race started at 9 a.m., but needs to move back to 8 a.m. like last year. The heat was an issue this year and the late start only made things worse. Also, it's Tuesday and no results are up? The ankle straps that we had to wear for timing were really uncomfortable; I preferred the chip that goes on your shoe like last year. Otherwise, everything else was nice. I loved the t-shirt, parking was easy, and there was a good assortment of food.

Whew! This was a tough one! I've never run in such heat, but the next day it was 50 degrees, windy, and rainy, so I guess we were lucky. The hills and altitude were overwhelming for a flat-lander from Illinois. Yes, some water shortages were a problem, but handing out bottles of water worked great. Carrying that water bottle and knowing that I had water at all times was reassuring in the 80-degree heat. I wished for food at the end that wasn't the same as what I found throughout the race, but there was still food for old, slow people like me! I loved the dirt/gravel roads, the open space, the views, and the countryside. As a trail runner, this was perfect. This was the most difficult race of my 20 marathons, but I would recommend it.

It was hotter than expected. Many people struggled. I like the back road-course, and spectators were there at times, but this is not the race to run if fans are a priority. It was a well supported course until mile 23 when water/Gatorade seemed low. I got what I wanted but I was surprised that at this crucial time, the support was lowest. The parking situation was not ideal.

I enjoyed the dirt roads. Around mile 2 or 3, the course turned onto a paved road that was still open to traffic - horrible runner congestion! The little boy dressed as Batman near mile 6? Awesome. Why was the mile 13 marker so far from the finish line (like 0.2 miles instead of 0.1)? Why aren't results posted yet??

Suggestions: 1. The only thing I could find on all of the info I received was that packet pickup would be at the expo in the 29th Street Mall. Mentioning that it would be upstairs, at the east end of the mall would have been really helpful, as from the mall entrance I took, it took a good 40 minutes to find where this expo was. 2. Have enough food (and water and cups for water!) for all 3,000 finishers! Pizza Kitchen was selling pizza for $1 since they ran out of the sandwiches, but with the parking situation, getting to the car and back with any money was not easy. Then it was difficult to find any water when I finished, as they ran out of cups. Then, and this is my fault for not checking more closely on the start times, if a half-marathoner starts at 8:00, there is no good marking of the half turnaround. I ended up accidentally doing my first full marathon today. The announcer asked at the start, "Who is doing their first marathon today," and many hands went up. Then he asked, "Who is doing their first half-marathon today?" ...no hands. Maybe that should have been my clue, but he also could have added, "Good, because you guys don't start until 9:00?" :) According to some volunteers I spoke to, this has happened more than a few times. I did think that this was a beautiful course. It was better in the way of scenery than the half, which I ran last year. And there were plenty of porta-potties and aid stations, which is nice for someone like me who was 50% unprepared. I will do this again next year, on purpose, but would really like there to be enough food and water at the finish.

Worst run ever. It started too late, got too hot, and ran out of Gatorade and water! I think the half runners were taken care of but the marathon runners were left to struggle and suffer. No food left at the end!

I enjoyed the course very much although I am not a fan of the relay race option. I believe that people need to either be able to do the 26.2-mile distance or run the half-marathon course. Adding relay runners adds vehicular traffic to the course, and some of the relay participants seemed rude to the legitimate marathon runners (i.e., showing off, passing closely, standing in the middle of the course waiting for their realy exchange, etc.). I would also like to see the starting line-up organized better so it is not as difficult trying to get around the slower runners. It would also be nice to have vegetarian options for food and something besides water to drink (i.e., soda or Gatorade) at the post-race party. Last year seemed a lot better organized with better sponsors. (I realize that the recession probably has a lot to do with that.) Still, it`s a good race and an excellent course. Don't get too caught up in my negativity; it is meant as constructive criticism only. I will be back next year as long as I am physically able.

This was my first year running the half in Boulder. Most of the race was on dirt-packed roads, which is nice on your joints. Not a ton of fans; no fanfare but you don't need any of that because the scenery is amazing. The course is limited to, I think, 2,500 persons, so it is smaller in size, which makes it nice too. The goody bag was nice, with a technical t-shirt, hat and socks, etc. Good deal. My only negative was the parking situation. I got in early so that was not a problem, but leaving was a nightmare. Took me at least an hour to get out of the actual parking lot and onto the road. Just did not seem like it was managed well.

I'll jump in with the first comment on the 2008 race. After reading the '07 comments, I had written this race off. I think many of the wrongs were "righted" and the organization was much better. I decided to run it and had a very good experience. The weather was perfect (cloudy and cool)! Positives - Amazing goody bag (excellent tech shirt, hat and two pairs of socks). - Beautiful scenery. The race photographers took a lot of great shots all around the course. - Lots of porta-potties at the start. - Aid stations were well stocked. - Great post-race food/drink. The Chipotle burritos were cold... and delicious. - Nice, quality finishers medal. Cool race logo! - Well organized and good pre-race communication via email. Negatives - Hilly course and got a little boring at times. Since "backroads" has been removed from the name, it would be nice to have the course take in more Boulder sites closer to town. - Parking - those who showed up early were penalized by parking the farthest away. It took us an hour to get out of the parking lot after the race!! Sitting in traffic for an hour isn't what one needs after running 26.2 miles. - Fan support was sparse. - By starting the half-marathon an hour after the marathon, the marathoners ended up joining the "slower" half-marathoners for the last five miles. There was a lot of navigating around the slower runners.

I participated in the half in 2006 and the full in 2007 and I must say that 2007 was so disorganized and disappointing. The porta-potties were disgusting, with bile and filth everywhere. The aid stations were not well stocked; in fact, a few just had warm water and no volunteers at all. They ran out of medals, but we weren't told that... the medal came in the mail about a month after the marathon and the shirt was cheap! 2006 was much better with plenty of food afterwards, a cool shirt and better organization overall. On the positive side, I did like most of the course; it was very scenic and pretty. I emailed the "person in charged," but never received a response from them. Imagine that. I hope this year's will be better since it is the anniversary of the marathon. Come on, Boulder, you do such a great job with the Bolder Boulder; let's try and do better with this one.

I ran the half marathon several years ago and I hope that it has gotten better. However, during my race, porta-potties were extremely limited. Being that I am from Boulder, the scenery was not new to me, and I found the dirt roads long and boring. Not many spectators either. I hope that it has changed, but I was disappointed in my experience.

This being my first shot at a marathon, I didn't know much what to expect. Unfortunately, I was continuously disappointed, from the expo/packets, to the pre-race/parking/porta-potties, to the non-existent post-race festivities. Maybe my expectations were higher than they should have been with a smaller race like this, but next year, I'm going to try a bigger, more established race.

Well, I felt compelled to write some comments after reading the ones already posted. I have never run this marathon before, so my comments are not a comparison of old vs. new. I had a great time at this marathon! I have run almost ALL of Colorado's marathons and this one ranks as one of the best. Like someone mentioned, the support (aid stations) along the course was abundant and that is huge. I ran Steamboat and had one water station from the start to mile 10. I suffered from dehydration later in that race. The Clif Shots and drinks were always there when I needed them. The course has a nice balance between ups and downs. It was also perfect weather. I thought the giveaways were great because I can only wear so many Dri-Fit, so the cotton shirt is nice. (PLEASE KEEP IT COTTON!) Plus, the shirt is part of our bragging right and I don't wear Dri-Fits to dinner, or lunch, or anywhere for that matter. Overall, I felt great and had a great race, so that may have a lot to do with my overall good experience! But either way, it was just that - a good experience.

This was my first marathon and I was very excited for this race. The course had plenty to look at and the aid stations were fully stocked. Parking is backwards; I parked probably a half mile from the start. I didn't consider that to be a problem since I enjoy the walk before running to loosen things up, so to speak. I am also questioning the distance. My trusty Garmin 305 showed a distance of 26.43 miles. While this watch is not 100% accurate, it has never been that far off from actual mileage. The food issue after the race was also a bummer. I feel that I paid for a meal that was not served. The beer kept my temper in check over that issue! Overall, I really enjoyed the race, but will probably find something else for next year.