The Road Runners Club of America (RRCA) recently announced that Boulder, CO, was one of two new cities that have been added to its list of Runner Friendly Communities. Boulder’s nomination for the designation was spearheaded by Boulderthon, which is billed as… ‘the fastest growing running event in Colorado.’
The RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community committee selects cities by reviewing the following four components:
Community infrastructure
Community support
Local government support
Additional support
Cities must meet some or all of the above criteria in order to be considered applicable and to be awarded the title of a Runner Friendly Community by the RRCA. This isn’t the first time Boulder has received an accolade for its welcoming community, as it was also named a top place to live in America in back-to-back years by US News & World Report from 2020-2022.
The goal of the RRCA’s Runner Friendly Community program is to shine a spotlight on communities that standout as runner-friendly and provide incentives and ideas for communities to work towards becoming runner-friendly communities.
‘Runner Friendly Communities can increase the quality of life; improve physical activity for residents; and provide for increased economic impact for the community.’
“Communities play a vital role in making running safe and accessible for everyone,” said Jean Knaack, RRCA CEO. “The references from city and state government leaders for this round of Runner Friendly Communities demonstrates the impact of positive relationships between runners and local officials.”
Phil Dumontet, founder and race director of Boulderthon, said “I am so thrilled to hear the great news of Boulder being named a Runner Friendly City by RRCA – myself and those who collaborated on the nomination felt it was long overdue for our iconic running city.
“As an avid runner in Boulder and founder of Boulderthon, I have seen the incredible things that this city has to offer for runners, and I couldn’t think of a more deserving city to receive this honour.”
This news comes just over a month before Boulderthon, takes place in the city of Boulder on October 8. After nearly tripling in size last year and selling out, Boulderthon has instituted a new 8,000 runner cap. In 2023, Active.com named Boulderthon one of the Top 5 Best Half Marathons in the United States.
www.boulderthon.org
www.rrca.org
