The 2021 Boilermaker will take place Sunday, October 10, with in-person and virtual options available.
Participants must be fully vaccinated by September 22 in order to race in this year's Boilermaker with exceptions to youth participants 12 years or younger. In a similar fashion, officials say the Saranac Post-Race Party will be exclusive to registered and vaccinated Boilermaker participants only.
This year, a series of registration periods will begin on Thursday, prioritizing individuals with rollovers from 2020's Boilermaker that was canceled due to the pandemic.
The registration schedule is as follows:
- Rollovers from 2020: July 1, 12 p.m. — July 8, 12 p.m.
- Virtual Options: July 1, 12 p.m.
- 2020 Virtual Boilermaker Racers: July 9, 12 p.m. — July 15, 12 p.m.
- Open Registration: July 16, 12 p.m.
The Boilermaker typically takes place on the second Sunday of July each year, but has been moved this year as a safety precaution. Additionally, officials say the MVHS Expo is planned to be held in the former Macy’s space at the Sangertown Square Mall in New Hartford to accomodate a need for extra space.
Race packets can be picked up at the Expo with a valid ID and a completed proof of vaccination.
“The journey we have all been on over the past 15 months has been arduous and filled with uncertainty to put it mildly. Our goal throughout has been to be in a position to host a safe, in-person Boilermaker on a meaningful scale in 2021. Thanks to the whole of government efforts to execute on the distribution of vaccines and of Boilermaker Nation to diligently follow COVID mitigation protocols and get themselves vaccinated, we are extremely excited to be able to meet that goal,” said Boilermaker President, Mark Donovan. “The decision to allow only vaccinated participants in the races and the Saranac Post-Race Party was not taken lightly. We could have easily thrown all caution to the wind and pursued a path of normal capacities without restrictions; however, the Boilermaker has and always will prioritize public health and safety over revenue.”
This year, no elite athletes have been invited to participate in the Boilermaker and there will be no prize money offered.
All registrations for this year's race close October 1 at noon or when the race caps have been reached.
Hayley Foran - Digital Media Producer
Hayley Foran is a digital producer for Spectrum News, based in Syracuse. She recently graduated cum laude from Rochester Institute of Technology where she double-majored in journalism and political science and earned the Excellence in Journalism honor. Foran was a former production intern for Spectrum News in Rochester before joining the digital team in Syracuse.