Boilermaker Limiting Number of Participants

Utica, NY (WIBX) - Entering its 34th season the Boilermaker Road Race is changing the way they do business by limiting the number of participants."For the 2011 Boilermaker we will be instituting a registration cap for both the 15 and the 5 K races. For the 15K, the cap will be set at 13,000 runners and for the 5K at 4,000 runners," said Executive Director, Tim Reed. He said organizers wanted to apply lessons learned to minimize some of the problems they've encountered like local participants getting pushed out of the event, overcrowding and runners stumbling over each other. He said moving forward the new limit will allow for a better experience for all.

Traditionally registration for the next race starts the day after the Boilermaker Road Race but this year organizers closed the registration process to work out a new plan for the 2011 event. Reed said by this time about 1,000 runners would have already signed up to run the 2011 Road Race but the cap is being implemented to stay ahead of the trend that's showing an increase in race participants throughout the country.

He said leaving registration unchecked would mean the possibility of over 14,000 runners signing up for the event. "So at some point in time, bigger is not necessarily always better. My concern with this race is always been, I want people leaving this race to say, 'I just ran one of the best races in the country,' and not necessarily worrying that they ran one of the biggest races in the country," Reed said.

The new guidelines are as follows:

• On-line registration will open on Saturday, January 8th at Midnight.
• Paper applications will be available on Saturday, February 5th at locations yet to be determined.
• Credit card payments will only be accepted for on-line registration and no longer for paper applications.
• A $2 paper processing fee will be charged for the 15K, 5K and 3-Mile Walk. All processing fees for the 3-Mile Walk will be donated to The Neighborhood Center--the selected 2011 charity.
• The 5K is being renamed a "Race" rather than a "Run" and the top three male and female finishers will be recognized but there will be no cash prizes.
• The 5K Race is being moved from 7:30AM to 7:15AM.

The 34th Boilermaker Road Race will take place Sunday July 10, 2011.

More information can be found at: www.boilermaker.com.