Boilermaker: Developmental Runs

As you hit miles three, four and five of the Boilermaker road race, you'll hit valley view road up through the golf course and eventually onto the Parkway. The Parkway where the Utica road runners train for many events throughout the summer but maybe none more important than the Boilermaker. Mike Kessler of the Utica Roadrunners says, "I started with the Utica Roadrunner about 10 years ago. Linda Turner talked me into running the Boilermaker, I couldn't run nine feet and I ran 9 miles. So I joined the Boilermaker training through the Utica Roadrunners."

Mike says the roadrunners have a ten week training process for the boilermaker and many runners just use their run to train. Kessler continued, "You'll never experience the Boilermaker twice, so you do it your first time and you get that whole experience of crossing the finish line. If you want to replicate it bring a friend, bring a family member, or bring a co-worker, I say bring an enemy make a run. But bring somebody and help them get across the finish line if you want to get that feeling again."

Allison Gleba ran the Boilermaker six years ago and this will be her second. She says she's trying to duplicate the feeling by running with her daughter. Allison added, "I set a goal for myself to run the Boilermaker when I turned 40, which I did and I made it through. And this time through I'm running the 5K because I'm helping my daughter Danielle." Danielle says, "My Mom and I just set a goal for myself that I just set a goal for myself that I would actually be able to run a three mile race or more. Right now since we just train to run the big one, it should be a breeze for me, but I want to do the big one next year so it might be more nerve racking."