The 31st Utica Boilermaker 15 road race went off this morning, almost without a hitch. Rain arrived about an hour before the 8 AM start but cleared out before the wheelchairs took off at 7:45. The streets were left wet and the air humid. Combined with a low 70′s start temp, these were not ideal conditions for fast times. The major hitch for the average runner was that the start mat failed about 10 minutes before the start, and consequently no chip times are available, only gun times.
Complete race results may be found here.
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A recent article in the Utica, NY Observer-Dispatch (sorry, no link) took a look at the changing demographics of the Boilermaker 15k with the assistance of the race’s former timer. Here’s a quick run-down:
In 1985, the average age was 33.5 for men and 30.3 for women. There was a steady increase until 2002 when the women peaked at 34.6 and in 2003 when the men peaked at 39.0 Since then, the averages have been flat, with the men at 38.6 and the women at 34.4 in 2006. So we’re looking at roughly a five year increase for the guys and four years for the gals. Breaking this down in terms of age-groups, last year’s 30th running showed the most-crowded group to be men 45-49 (838, one of them being yours truly), followed by men 40-44 (829), men 35-39 (761) and men 50-54 (727). With an average of under 40, this implies that a lot more men under the age of 35 ran the race than those 55 and over (not too surprising). For the women, the numbers have a decidedly different skew. The peak group is 20-24 (693), followed by 25-29 (678), 35-39 (600), and 40-44 (592). These data were only available for the 2007 race so I have no idea how the age groups have evolved over the past 20 or 30 years.
I think a couple of things are obvious from the numbers. First, distance running, or at least this particular 15k race, is attractive to women in their 20′s and men in their 40′s. (That’s an “interesting” pairing but it’s worthwhile to note that there are over 20 percent more 40-something men running than 20-something women running). Second, the road race age demographic in general is aging. This second statistic is borne out in other large US road races.
Why might this be? Here are a couple possibilities: First, people currently in their mid-40s to 50s represent the baby-boom. As such, they tend to skew the age participation data like a pig moving through a python; it’s a lump you can’t ignore. Second, running tends to be a life-long pursuit, unlike many other sports. The young people of the first “running boom” of the 1970s are now in their 40s and 50s. These items possibly explain what’s happening in general, and with the men in particular, but it doesn’t explain the women’s peak age-group participation (20-something). One associate suggested to me that it has to do with young women trying to stay in shape and “look good” (although that begs the question “Then why don’t young men care about staying in shape and looking good, or do they have other means?”). It may simply be that running and sweating next to 11,000 other people on a July morning is not a good definition of “fun” for many middle-aged women (while their male counterparts like to think “I’ve still got it!”)

The Utica Boilermaker 15k goes off once again this Sunday, July 13. Currently there are over 11,000 entries, including for the first time, the governor of New York State. The Boilermaker is known for many things, including an elite international field, huge community involvement, and perhaps one of (if not the) best post-race parties around, held at the Matt Brewery (one of the founding sponsors and brewers of Saranac). Another attribute of the Boilermaker is the weather. It tends to be hot. But no matter how hot it gets this Sunday, it’s not going to match this. Yep, it’s the “Boilermaker in Iraq”. Imagine running 15k in a bullet-proof vest in over 100 degree heat. That’s what 250 soldiers will be doing Sunday. I guess it’s a little slice of home in “hell”.
I only wish they could be here in Utica with the rest of us.