UTICA — Utica’s premier summer sports event is back.
The 46th edition of the Boilermaker Road Race — on its traditional second Sunday in July — returns with smaller fields similar to recent years.
Both the 15K and the 5K reached their registration caps this year. The cap for the 15K was 8,500 while the 5K reached its 3,500 cap in the days leading to Boilermaker Weekend.
That means about 12,000 people will hit the Utica streets Sunday in addition to the thousands that line the course. There are also others who are participating in a virtual edition.
As participants hit the pavement, here are things you need to know ahead of the race:
Repeat winner?
Jemal Yimer, who won the Boilermaker last July, is set to run again this year.
Last year, he set course and event Men’s Open records with a time of 42 minutes, 38 seconds.
Other notable men include: Cherry Blossom 10-Mile winner Tsegay Kidanu and Americans Sam Chelanga, Reid Buchanan, Fernando Cabada and 2021 Boilermaker winner Stephen Rathbun.
For the women, it is unclear if 2022 winner Rosemary Wanjiru will be in the field. The group does include 2023 Bloomsday winner Yeshi Kalayu, 2016 Boilermaker winner Cynthia Limo, and Boilermaker women’s course record holder Edna Kiplagat, who is part of the Masters category.
A notable American in the women’s elite field is Jessie Cardin, who participated in the Kids Run in the early 2000s and won the Boilermaker 5K three times.
New wheelchair champ
Daniel Romanchuk is not in the wheelchair field due to a conflict with the World Paralympic Championships in Paris.
A top athlete, Romanchuk has claimed the Boilermaker’s 15K wheelchair division title in five of the last six races. He also has the course record.
Utica’s Hermin Garic, who won the 2021 race, is in the field, as is five-time winner Krige Schabort.
Other winners in the field include Josh Cassidy (2015), Tyler Byers (2005) and Tony Nogueria (1998).
On the women’s side, Jenna Fesemyer — who won last year and in 2019 — is in the field.
Amanda McGrory, who won the Boilermaker seven times between 2011 and 2018, retired in 2022.
5K
While not the main event of Boilermaker weekend, the 5K (3.1 miles) is still a key part of it all.
A different runner has claimed first in each of the last five years the 5K has happened.
The last winner from the Utica-Rome area was Boonville’s Tyler Fauvelle in 2018. New Hartford’s Casey Malloy was third overall in 2022.
Start times
The 5K event — which starts on the bridge on Burrstone Road in Utica — is set for 7:15 a.m. Sunday.
The start for the wheelchair race and the 15K race is on Culver Avenue near ECR International in Utica.
The wheelchair race is set for 7:45 a.m. The 15K is scheduled to begin at 8 a.m.
Both the wheelchair race and 15K start on Culver Avenue in Utica.
Course potpourri
There are water stations throughout the course for participants.
These are the cutoff times for participants in each race: 15K: 2 hours, 30 minutes. 5K: 45 minutes.
There are various road closures around the city because of the race.
There is some street parking near the start line near ECR International and near the finish line at the F.X. Matt Brewing Company. Space is limited to public streets. There is no special reserved parking.
The course is restricted to registered runners and official race personnel. Walkers, pets, skateboards, in-line skates, roller skates, bicycles and baby joggers/strollers are prohibited. Boilermaker officials “strongly discourage the use of headphones.”
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