The Bolder Boulder is set to return to full strength on Monday for its 46th annual Memorial Day 10K, with nearly 53,000 registrants expected and the race on pace for one of the five largest entry totals in its history. The turnout marks the event’s biggest field since its post-pandemic comeback in 2022 and reflects a steady rebound after the race was canceled in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 shutdown.
Race director Cliff Bosley said the pandemic raised concerns about whether the event could regain its former scale, but participation has grown each year since the restart. The 2022 race drew 33,991 entrants, its lowest mark since 1991, before rising to 40,044 in 2023 and 43,971 in 2024. Last year’s total climbed to 52,054, and this year’s field has increased again. For the first time since the race began in 1979, registrations closed before the final pre-race weekend because organizers needed to remain within operational capacity.
Bosley said the surge mirrors a broader rise in running participation. He pointed to pandemic-era habits that pushed many people outdoors for exercise, as well as continued interest in road racing across the region. The Denver Colfax Marathon also reported strong demand last week, selling out its half-marathon, suggesting that running events are drawing larger crowds.
The Bolder Boulder has long been one of the country’s biggest 10K races. From 2007 to 2019, it topped 50,000 entrants in 10 of 13 runnings, peaking in 2011 with a record 54,554. A dip in 2013, when interest in the Boston Marathon was affected by the bombing there, was one of the few interruptions during that stretch.
This year’s citizen’s race will again be followed by the International Team Challenge and Memorial Day tribute. The elite race fields will feature eight men’s teams and seven women’s teams, though two repeat champions will be absent. Three-time men’s winner Conner Mantz is recovering from injury, and two-time women’s champion Grace Loibach Nawowuna of Kenya is not entered.
The men’s field will include an “All-Colorado” team made up of former University of Colorado runners Stephen Jones, Andy Wacker and Connor Winter. Among the featured American athletes is Ryan Ford, who recently placed 12th at the Boston Marathon and said he is eager to experience the Bolder Boulder’s finish at Folsom Field. Ford said he was glad to recover from Boston without issues and is looking forward to competing in the unique road-race setting.
As usual, the course will be lined with entertainment, cheering spectators and race-day tradition. CU president Todd Saliman will serve as the official starter, and runners from elite competitors to recreational participants will end at Folsom Field, one of the event’s signature features and a major reason for the race’s lasting appeal.
