The Boilermaker It’s more than a race.
So promises the decades-long motto of international 15K that first took off in downtown Utica in 1978.
And, racers and fans alike, showcased that motto July 12.
Making friends
Shelby Kurtz and Kimberly Heinkn looked like Boilermaker 5K buddies, collapsed together in the shade of the steps of St. Joseph St. Patrick Catholic Church, draining bottles of water over a chat, only to learn they had randomly collapsed together there, with Kurtz, from Syracuse with her husband of Boilermaker Sunday, down the thruway a few exits, where she runs the 5K, then cheers him on as he finishes 15 kilometers.
Heinkn was a rookie at the iconic race, traveling from Knoxville, TN, to run its 5K for the first time before rooting for her niece to finish the long run.
“We do it every year,” said Kurtz, “it’s a tradition.”
Part of college graduation festivities
Bryan Christmas and son Joshua, who had just graduated from Boston College, flew in from Fredericksburg, VA to run the race together.
Running to raise cancer awareness
Chelsey Stape, Erin Miglin, and Delia Lynch, in town from the Pocono Mountain region of Pennsylvania, grabbed some complimentary bottled water and fruit as – manned with their handmade signs, including one reading “Straight outa chemo” – they prepared to go out and find a cozy spot along the race course to wave them for friend, Becca Torres.
Torres suffers from pancreatic cancer and is running with “Project Purple,” the fundraising and advocacy non-profit that supports those challenged by the disease.
“She’s running to raise money,” said Stape, “but also to prove that she can!”
Adam Aronson and his 13-year-old daughter, Willa, traveled from Toronto to run the Boilermaker 5K together, Willa’s first ever, to honor a friend who died of the disease.
Said Adam Aronson, “she was a runner.”
Aronson shared that they, too, were with a cohort of runners and fans representing Project Purple from places like DC, Boston, Nashville, and New York City, using the occasion of the Boilermaker to raise awareness and funds.
Said Aronson, “We’ve raised between $2,000 to $3,000 for Project Purple.”
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: The Boilermaker is more than just a race
