After taking an in-person break in 2020, the Boilermaker Road Race returned in 2021, but it was very different. Rather than taking place on the traditional second Sunday of July, it was held in the fall. Fewer people raced and restrictions were in place. Last year, things were more regular, but the pandemic and the cancellation of the 2020 race still affected the 2022 event.

“We're dealing with the residual effects of it that aren't necessarily clinical in any shape or form," Boilermaker President Mark Donovan said.

Donovan said consumer behavior has changed, specifically, what they want to do, when they’ll do it and when they’ll make those decisions – an important note as the race is something folks must register for.

Race Director Jim Stasaitis had to make a number of changes when the in-person race started up again in 2021, such as planning crowd mitigation and adjusting for a smaller amount of runners.

“I still have all that information, but we don't have to use it. But it's there, just in case," said Stasaitis.

He said one of the biggest impacts of the pandemic was the number of runners who haven’t returned. But he’s hopeful for the future.

“We're 18% ahead where we left last year. And that's good. That's a good rate for us to grow. And I think eventually, we will get back to where we were. It may take some time, but I'm positive that we're going to get back there," he said.

Fewer runners the past few years has meant planning around caps and finances for the Boilermaker team. For example, last year the 15,000 cap on participants was set at 14,500 people and wasn’t met. So this year, it was lowered to 8,500 and has been met. The Boilermaker 5K was capped at 4,500 people this year and has also sold out.