No matter how long Cliff Bosley oversees operations of the Bolder Boulder, there always will be a part of the annual preparation in which he has to concede that father knows best.
That father, Steve Bosley, helped launch the race alongside local running legend Frank Shorter in 1979. With the 46th edition of the Bolder Boulder in the books, a Memorial Day showcase that drew one of the largest field of entrants in the race’s history, Cliff Bosley noted that not only was it his father who suggested this year’s tweak to the placement of the starting line, but he did so before the swell of registrations forced organizers to close registrations 54 hours before the start for the first time in history.
After that swell of registrations, Steve Bosley’s foresight in extending the starting space proved insightful.
“We’re also this year waging a ton of experiments with how we’re managing things,” Cliff Bosley said. “We didn’t like how we were managing things last year, and with last year’s start. We didn’t think we had enough space. So the course change was to move the start line north and see if we could better seed each of the runners in each of the groups. We could get our first 30 waves right there in the front, and that worked out really well.”
The Bolder Boulder finished with an entry total of 53,801, the first time the race has surpassed 53,000 since a record 54,554 registered in 2011. This year’s mark was the fourth-largest in Bolder Boulder history, trailing 2011, 2008 (54,040) and 2010 (53,992).
As the race turns the page with an eye on 2027 — and perhaps the gradual build-up to the Bolder Boulder’s milestone 50th edition, slated for 2030 — the question becomes how to increase the eventap operational capacity to meet the surging demand. Logistics require more than just additional manpower.
The Bolder Boulder started five minutes earlier Monday, with the first A wave launching at 6:45 a.m. Not only would more runners require more personnel, but more waves would mean the start time would have to keep getting pushed earlier to preserve one of the Bolder Boulder’s most unique attractions — runners taking seats at Folsom Field following their run for the pro races and the Memorial Day tribute.
Expanding the citizens field also creates requirements like additional security, longer working hours and more volunteers to pack even more snack bags. Yet they are hurdles the Bolder Boulder plans to examine ahead of 2027. Could the race hustle its way to 55,000 registrations and beyond? Sure. But making certain an expanded field has the same welcoming and memorable experience is an entirely different challenge.
“We started five minutes earlier, but actually the thinking was are we managing the race from the operational capabilities or capacity standpoint correctly? Do we have our eye on the right deal?” Cliff Bosley said. “We added seven overall minutes to the launch, but part of it is a function of time.
“The time then translates into personnel. Those awesome course marshals we have that are out there? The longer the day, the longer they have to stay. Whatap that point, by running the pro races last, whatap great is they have a seat to watch. So part of it is time.”
