It’s that time of the year again. Utica is getting ready to welcome thousands of runners, many coming from across the state, country, and even from around the world for the 47th annual Boilermaker race.

What You Need To Know

  • The 15K cap of 10,000 participants is already met, with many signing up on the waitlist – and more are encouraged to do so

  • Boilermaker President Mark Donovan said things are pretty much the same with the events this year – but there will be changes after the races to make things easier for finishers heading down Varick Street to the Post Race Party

  • Drinks and snacks will be made available to racers before they reach the Post Race Party

It’s shaping up to be another big Boilermaker for the city of Utica.

The 15% cap of 10,000 participants is already met, with many signing up on the waitlist – and more are encouraged to do so.

“With this time of year, people realize they haven't trained enough, they have an injury. They either drop out or they drop down to the 5K. So if you're interested and you get on the waitlist, there's a strong possibility your name will be picked," said Boilermaker President Mark Donovan.

The caps are reflecting about a 15% growth over last year, so expect more racers this time around.

Donovan said things are pretty much the same with the events this year, but there will be changes after the races to make things easier for finishers heading down Varick Street to the Post Race Party.

“Worked with our sponsor partner, Hannaford, to come up with a runner's snack and a bag that they can just grab and go and keep moving," he said. "We've got popsicles along the way for them. We've got chocolate milk from our sponsorship with McDonald's.”

It might sound like a small change, but Donovan said they want to have more efficiency for racers after crossing the finish line. 

A lot of these handouts used to take place at the Post Race Party, which is open to the public.

“It became more and more challenging to make sure that the runners were the ones getting the benefits. So the way we've set this up, the runners are going to get some hydration and get a little food. And then the post-race party is kind of the wild, wild west for everybody," Donovan said.

Speaking of the Post Race Party, Sen. Joseph Griffo said the state legislature passed a law last year that inadvertently repealed the law allowing the F.X. Matt Brewing Company to host and provide free beer during the Post Race Party.

In response, he and Assemblywoman Marianne Buttenschon introduced bills that authorize the issuance of a temporary permit for a brewer to sell or offer beer at certain locations.

Both bills passed in the Assembly and Senate. As of mid-June, the bills still awaited the governor's signature.