This year’s Boilermaker Weekend will feature the return of the Boilermaker Walk after a four-year hiatus, race officials announced Wednesday. Walkers have the option of a three-mile or four-mile course, which will begin at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC) Utica Campus on Saturday, July 9, 2022, at noon.
“As part of the Boilermaker’s efforts to help our community get back to normal, we are very excited to bring back the popular Boilermaker Walk this year,” said Mark Donovan, president of the Boilermaker. “We recognize that not everyone is physically able to participate in either of our road races, but want to be part of the Boilermaker experience. The walks provide them an opportunity to participate in race weekend, and fall in line with our mission to help change people’s lives in a positive way.”
According to Donovan, the races are being held in conjunction with the Olmsted 200 celebration, which commemorates the work of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (designer of Central Park) and his sons, one of whom, son Frederick, Jr., designed Utica’s parkway and Roscoe Conkling and F.T. Proctor parks.
The walking courses will wind through TR Proctor Park (three miles) or FT Proctor Park (four miles) before returning to the MVCC campus. “We’ve planned the walks to help highlight the Olmsted family’s many contributions to the city’s footprint,” Donovan said. “With 2022 ringing in the nationwide Olmsted 200 celebrations, we designed the courses to align with the efforts of the Olmsted City of Greater Utica organization whose mission is to promote the well-being and awareness about the parks and neighborhoods in and around Utica.”
Members of the Olmsted City of Greater Utica organization will be on hand along key points of the course in F.T. Proctor Park to point out historical facts and showcase the work they’ve been doing to restore some of the wondrous features the Olmsteds incorporated into its overall design.
Registration for the walk opens at noon on Wednesday, June 8, and can be accessed via www.boilermaker.com. The fee for either distance is $8 and all registered walkers will receive a commemorative walk bib and finisher’s pin. Bib and pin pickup will be held in the Performance Gym of the Jorgensen Center on the MVCC Utica campus during the Expo hours (Friday, July 8th from noon to 7:00 pm or Saturday, July 9th beginning at 8:00 am).
Photo Captions
Boilermaker President Mark Donovan, right, looks on as Phil Bean, chair of the Olmsted City Committee speaks about the nationwide Olmsted 200 celebration. The pair announced the return of the Boilermaker Walk, after a four-year hiatus. The walk will take place on Saturday, July 9 at Noon from the Utica Campus of Mohawk Valley Community College and continue along the Parkway into Proctor Parks. The walk’s courses were designed to highlight the work of famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted (designer of Central Park) and his sons, one of whom, son Frederick, Jr., designed Utica’s parkway and Roscoe Conkling and F.T. Proctor parks.
(File photo) More than 500 people participated in the 2017 Boilermaker Walk. Officials from the Boilermaker Road Race announced that the walk will return this year with three and four-mile courses. The walks will take place on Saturday, July 9, 2022, from the Utica Campus of Mohawk Valley Community College. Anyone wishing to sign up for the walk can do so via www.boilermaker.com.
Recognized as the “Best 15K in the USA”, the Boilermaker Road Race is in its 45th year. The Boilermaker, a proud member of the PRRO Circuit, is the premier event of Boilermaker Weekend. The race consistently attracts elite runners from all over the world, including Olympians and world record holders, and features distance running’s most enthusiastic fans, as well as the sport’s best post-race party, hosted by The F.X. Matt Brewing Company. To register for other Boilermaker events visit the official Boilermaker web site at boilermaker.com. Hotel accommodations and information about other local attractions can also be found on the site.
