Boilermaker: Security

You can't have a race without runners, runners can't go without sneakers and most importantly you can't have a race the size of Boilermaker without security. Executive Director Tim Reed says, "I don't think that any race of significance will last for a long period of time without total cooperation and support of the municipality that their in."

            Since the boilermaker crosses several municipalities they all coordinate with many area law enforcements agencies including the Utica Police Department. Sgt. Steve Hauck of the Utica Police Department says, "We literally start planning right after the Boilermaker ends the previous year. Logistically for us there's a lot of moving parts here. We cover the traffic for the entire race through the city, we also have to have all the security for the race itself and the post-race part which is a mass gathering."

            The combination of forty thousand people infused into the Greater Utica area on a Sunday in the middle of July during the hottest part of the summer is a recipe for disaster. But for the most part the community comes together and there are often little or no issues. Reed says, "We've got neighbors there, we've got people that don't run and this is their community too and this is a big community celebration. So you're mixing a lot of people together so is there always the potential for issues in regards to it and it's a hot day and whatever it is sure there is." Sgt. Hauck added, "For several years now we've had the same people involved in the planning process. There's a whole committee that meets regularly but to make sure that whatever concerns there were from the previous year there addressed in the current year. And so far so good it's worked out very good. For as many people as we put in such a small area we have little to no problems."