The flat and fast course will now be accessible for wheelchair athletes at the 2024 event
BOULDER, Colo. — Ahead of their 2024 event, Boulderthon, one of the fastest-growing races in the U.S., has announced major changes to their 5K race to be held on Sept. 29, 2024. The Boulder Community Health (BCH) Heart to Heart 5K will feature an all-road, fast and flat experience for all participants, allowing for wheelchair athletes and those utilizing wheeled vehicles, like duo runners, to take part in the event. You can view the new course on the Boulderthon website here. Registration for the 5K, as well as for the 10K, half and full marathon is open now on boulderthon.org.
The 5K was named one of the top 10 5Ks in the country by USA Today’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.
“Our 5K race was a success in previous years, but I took note of runners’ feedback about the tight trails and saw an opportunity to not only improve the runners experience, but to also create a course accessible that welcomed wheeled athletes,” said Phil Dumontet, founder and president of Boulderthon. “Our 5K race was recently voted one of the top 10 5Ks in the nation for 2024 by USA Today, and I expect that our participants will continue to rank it as highly with these updates to the new BCH 5K.”
BCH is excited to partner with Boulderthon to present the 5K event, billing the race as the Heart to Heart 5K. Research has shown that physical activity is one of the most important things you can do for your health, particularly cardiovascular health. Physical activities, such as running and walking, have been shown to reduce heart attacks, strengthen heart muscles and reduce blood pressure, amongst other benefits.
“BCH is proud to offer our area’s only full-service cardiology program at Boulder Heart with a full range of life-saving treatments, experienced cardiologists and surgeons as well as advanced technologies to keep our community’s hearts healthy,” said Dr. Robert Vissers, BCH CEO and President. “The Heart to Heart 5K supports our vision of partnering to create and care for the healthiest community in the nation by offering a fun way for people to come together in community and wellness through movement as a means to better health.”
Additional sponsorship provided by local organizations includes Balfour Senior Living, DeNucci & Associates, CAPROCK, Elements Massage, BoulderCentre for Orthopedics & Spine, Zio by iRhythm and NextHealth. These organizations will support the BCH Foundation’s Heart to Heart Fund which provides financial assistance to cardiac patients at Boulder Heart to help them overcome barriers to accessing and optimizing care. You can read more about the Heart to Heart Fund here.
The Heart to Heart 5K will serve as the culminating event for BCH’s annual Movement Challenge, a month-long event that encourages participants to move each day and log their results to be entered to win a daily prize. The Movement Challenge will begin on Sept. 1 and conclude with the Heart to Heart 5K on Sept. 29. For more information on the 2024 Movement Challenge, visit bch.org/move.
Some other additions to the 2024 Boulderthon event include a new prize purse for the other Boulderthon race distances, as well as a new elite coordinator joining the Boulderthon team to encourage more top athletes to join the field.
Boulderthon’s marathon and half marathon courses will continue with their start and finish lines in downtown Boulder. Along the course, participants will take in different landscapes set at the foothills of the Flatirons, with views of the Boulder Reservoir, Table Mountain and Haystack Mountain along their way. The fast, flat course features limited elevation change and multiple straightaways, making for high-quality race day performances. The 10K course will run participants through the streets of Boulder showcasing the scenic town, before leading them to Downtown Boulder for the iconic finish on the historic Pearl Street Mall.
The top-rated, fast-growing race series became the second-largest marathon series in Colorado in its first year of existence, and the largest fall running event in the state. In its third annual edition, Boulderthon drew 7,000 runners from all 50 states as well as 18 countries, as the signature marathon showcased the world-class city of Boulder. In 2023, Active.com named Boulderthon one of the Top 5 Best Half Marathons in the United States, and the following year the 5K and half marathon courses were both named a top 10 in their categories by USA Today’s 10Best Readers’ Choice awards.
For more information on Boulderthon, visit www.boulderthon.org, and follow the event on Facebook and Instagram.
ABOUT BOULDERTHON®
Boulderthon® was created in 2021 by avid New York Road Runner, Phil Dumontet, with the goal of bringing a world-class marathon to one of the great running hubs of the country. It is a Boston Marathon Qualifying (BQ), USATF Sanctioned Event, measured by a Level A USATF Course Measurer, representing the highest level of certification for a marathon race series. The race offers a full marathon, half marathon, 10K, 5K and children’s races. For more information, visit www.boulderthon.org.
ABOUT BOULDER COMMUNITY HEALTH
Boulder Community Health is a non-profit, independent, integrated, regional health system with facilities throughout Boulder County. Boulder Community Health is known across Colorado for its clinical excellence in heart care, neurosurgery, stroke care, maternity services, orthopedics and cancer care. Our mission is to provide our community with the highest value health care in an innovative, patient-centric environment. Our vision: We are partnering to create and care for the healthiest community in the nation. For more information, visit www.bch.org and connect with BCH on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
