The Bolder Boulder is experiencing a resurgence as entrant numbers climb to pre-pandemic levels.
After a period of uncertainty, the annual Memorial Day running event is once again thriving. The 46th annual Bolder Boulder is set to take place with nearly 53,000 entrants. This represents the largest number of registrants since the post-pandemic return of 2022.
Bolder Boulder Regains Momentum
Race director Cliff Bosley once wondered if the COVID pandemic would permanently halt his life’s work. The Bolder Boulder suffered a loss of momentum after a two-year hiatus with no races in 2020 and 2021.
The 2022 race drew 33,991 entrants, the lowest mark since 1991. However, the event has gradually rebuilt, with 40,044 entrants in 2023 and 43,971 in 2024.
“Broadly, running still just continues to increase in popularity,” said Bosley.
Record-Breaking Interest in the Race
The Bolder Boulder has seen a top-five mark in total registrations in the race’s history. From 2007 to 2019, the race welcomed at least 50,000 entrants 10 times.
The peak was in 2011 with 54,554 entrants. Between 2007 and 2016, nine races out of 10 had at least 50,000 entrants. The only exception was in 2013, when the Boston Marathon bombing contributed to a total of 48,300 registrants.
Operational Capacity Leads to Early Closure
The Bolder Boulder closed registrations before the final pre-race weekend for the first time since its inception in 1979. This was due to the need to stay within operational capacity.
As of Friday, registrations had about 700 more entrants than 2025. Typically, the race welcomes at least 1,000 registrations on race morning, but that won’t be the case this year.
Bosley couldn’t pinpoint one specific reason for the registration surge. The numbers align with local trends. The Denver Colfax Marathon sold out its half-marathon.
“That’s another race in our area that’s also seeing a good amount of interest,” Bosley said.
After increasing to 52,054 last year, the Bolder Boulder has once again experienced significant gains.