Boilermaker adds walking event to race weekend lineup

UTICA, N.Y. — After a four-year hiatus, the Boilermaker Walk returns to the lineup of Boilermaker weekend events.

“As part of the Boilermaker’s efforts to help our community get back to normal, we are very excited to bring back the popular Boilermaker Walk this year,” Mark Donovan, Boilermaker president, said in a press statement. “We recognize that not everyone is physically able to participate in either of our road races but want to be part of the Boilermaker experience. The walks provide them an opportunity to participate in race weekend and fall in line with our mission to help change people’s lives in a positive way.”

Walks can choose between a three-mile or four-mile course beginning at Mohawk Valley Community College (MVCC). The walks begin on July 9 at noon.

They are held in conjunction with the Olmsted 200 celebration to commemorate the work of landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, who designed Central Park, and his sons. One son, Frederick Jr., designed Utica’s parkway and Roscoe Conkling and F.T. Proctor parks.

The walking courses wind through T.R. Proctor Park for the three-mile walk and F.T. Proctor Park for the four-miler before returning to the MVCC campus.

“We’ve planned the walks to help highlight the Olmsted family’s many contributions to the city’s footprint,” Donovan said. “With 2022 ringing in the nationwide Olmsted 200 celebrations, we designed the courses to align with the efforts of the Olmsted City of Greater Utica organization whose mission is to promote the well-being and awareness about the parks and neighborhoods in and around Utica.”

Members of the organization will be on hand along the routes to point out historical facts and showcase the work they are doing to restore some features.

Registration for the walk is open and available at www.boilermaker.com. The fee is $8 and all registered walkers receive a commemorative walk bib and finisher’s pin.