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2023 Boilermaker Road Race route, registration changes: What you need to know

Snow may be on the ground, but Utica’s annual headline event sits less than seven months away.

The 2023 Boilermaker Road race will be held Sunday, July 9.

Here is what you need to know:

The Boilermaker Road Race unveiled the 2023 race logos at a press conference this morning. The logos were designed by McGrogan Design for the fifth consecutive year. From left: Mark Donovan, president of the Boilermaker Road Race, Ryan McGrogan, owner of McGrogan Design and Eve Van de Wal, regional president at Excellus BCBS, presenting sponsor of the Boilermaker 15K Road Race.

New race dates, route changes for Boilermaker

The 15K, 5K and wheelchair races will be on July 9, one of its earliest dates ever.

Boilermaker president Mark Donovan said he isn’t worried about the date’s proximity to July 4th since many people vacation in Central New York during that time.

The Boilermaker walk returns for a second year and is scheduled for Saturday, July 8, at Mohawk Valley Community College.

Boilermaker Walk Return:The Boilermaker walk returns after a four-year hiatus with a new mission

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The kids' run is set for that Saturday, and the virtual option is available again in 2023.

The health and wellness expo occurs Friday, July 7 from noon to 7 p.m. and Saturday, July 8 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at MVCC. Runners can pick up their packet and interact with different vendors.

Patrons pass hats and other clothing for sale at the MVHS Health and Wellness Expo Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Mohawk Valley Community College. The two-day expo precedes the Boilermaker 15K and other races Sunday.
Patrons pass hats and other clothing for sale at the MVHS Health and Wellness Expo Saturday, July 9, 2022 at Mohawk Valley Community College. The two-day expo precedes the Boilermaker 15K and other races Sunday.

Due to a New York state Department of Transportation construction project on lower Champlin Avenue, the course map will be changed slightly.

Instead of taking Champlin up to Whitesboro Street, runners will now turn right onto Caroline Street from Champlin near the 8-mile mark. They will then turn left onto Kellogg Avenue and finally right back onto Whitesboro for the home stretch.

Altered 2023 Boilermaker Road Race Course Map. See detour on lower Champlin Avenue nearly mile marker eight.
Altered 2023 Boilermaker Road Race Course Map. See detour on lower Champlin Avenue nearly mile marker eight.

Donovan said these changes reduce the length by a half-mile, so to compensate, the start lines will be pushed back slightly north on Culver Avenue for the 15k and slightly east on Burrstone Road for the 5k.

Race Director Jim Stasaitis said officials will post new mile markers on the course since the current ones can’t be moved.

Capacity limits added for race

The most significant change to the 2023 race will be a new capacity on the number of runners allowed.

A cap of 8,500 runners for the 15k and 3,500 for the 5k has been put in place. Donovan attributed the change to the loss of participants caused by the pandemic.

“Unless you are Taylor Swift or Paul McCartney or Elton John, there’s a whole bunch of small to midsize events that are in the exact same boat, whether it is the music or road running industry,” Donovan said.

Boilermaker President Mark Donovan announces the plans for the 2023 Boilermaker Road Race this morning. The 46th edition of the Boilermaker will be held on Sunday, July 9, 2023. Priority registration opens on January 9 for those who registered for last year’s races, and open registration begins on Feb. 1.
Boilermaker President Mark Donovan announces the plans for the 2023 Boilermaker Road Race this morning. The 46th edition of the Boilermaker will be held on Sunday, July 9, 2023. Priority registration opens on January 9 for those who registered for last year’s races, and open registration begins on Feb. 1.

He added the race lost all momentum it gathered in years prior.

In the decade leading up 2020, the race averaged 19,000 people between the 5k and 15k. In 2022, that number fell to just over 10,000 – a 40% decrease.

The cap of 12,000 is a 14% increase from the 2022 numbers, Donovan said.

2022 Race2022 Utica Boilermaker Road Race returned to its roots. Here's how the day unfolded

“Any expectations that road racing would simply pick back up to where it was before the pandemic were obviously bashed this year,” Donovan said.

The change is only for this year at the moment, but Donovan noted that it will take years to recover.

Race registration date change: Boilermaker spots open early

Runners make their way to the finish line during the Boilermaker 5K Road Race in Utica on Sunday, July 10, 2022.
Runners make their way to the finish line during the Boilermaker 5K Road Race in Utica on Sunday, July 10, 2022.

Due to the smaller race capacity, race officials are moving their registration date from early March to early January.

Priority registration kicks off Monday, Jan. 9, at 10 a.m. Unlike years past, priority is available to anyone who ran in 2022, not just runners who finished. It closes Tuesday, Jan. 31, at 11:59 p.m.

General registration begins the next day at 10 a.m. and remains open until July 4, unless capacity is hit beforehand.

The walk is capped at 1,000 people and registration for that launches Wednesday, Feb. 1, at 10 a.m.

Runners of the Boilermaker Road Races make their way down to the Saranac Post Race Party in Utica on Sunday, July 10, 2022.
Runners of the Boilermaker Road Races make their way down to the Saranac Post Race Party in Utica on Sunday, July 10, 2022.

Runners can register at boilermaker.com once it opens.

Donovan remarked that the change also gives race officials more time to buy supplies and prepare.

“We don’t know how many people would come to the party, but we had to buy all the supplies,” Donovan said.

Despite all these challenges, Donovan still said the Boilermaker is in a good place compared to other road races.

“Our community supports this event at levels that other races and other communities marvel at and are jealous of,” Donovan said.

Noah Ram is a sports reporter for the Observer-Dispatch. Email Noah Ram at nram@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Utica Boilermaker changes coming in 2023: What to know