BOULDER, Colo. – As Colorado celebrates the 150th anniversary of statehood, the Denver Post has recognized BOLDERBoulder co-founders Steve Bosley and Frank Shorter among the state’s 150 most influential and notable figures. The honor recognizes individuals whose achievements have helped shape Colorado’s history, culture, and identity. The list can be viewed here (Denver Post subscription required).
For more than four decades, Bosley and Shorter have helped define Colorado’s running culture through the creation and growth of the BOLDERBoulder, an event that has become one of the world’s premier road races and a longtime leader in innovation within the running industry. Founded in 1979, the race began with approximately 2,200 finishers and quickly became a Memorial Day tradition. This year, 53,826 people registered for the BOLDERBoulder, with 47,645 crossing the finish line inside the University of Colorado’s Folsom Field, where runners, joggers, and walkers of all ages and abilities are welcomed and celebrated in one of the sport’s most unique finish-line experiences.
Named “America’s All-Time Best 10K” by Runner’s World, the BOLDERBoulder is the third-largest running race in the United States and the largest 10K in the world. The event has become an enduring symbol of Colorado’s active lifestyle, community spirit, and commitment to health and wellness, while establishing itself as one of the state’s most recognizable and beloved annual traditions.
Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon gold medalist and one of the most influential figures in American distance running, helped inspire the running boom that transformed the sport across the United States.
Bosley, a longtime community leader, entrepreneur, former president of the Bank of Boulder, and a member of the University of Colorado Board of Regents for 12 years, provided the vision and leadership that helped establish the race as an annual tradition. Together, they created an event that continues to bring together elite athletes, families, walkers, runners, volunteers, and spectators from all 50 states and around the world.
Following the race, the BOLDERBoulder’s annual Memorial Day Tribute serves as the grand finale inside Folsom Field, bringing participants, spectators, military members, veterans, and their families together to honor those who have served and sacrificed for our country. Featuring military traditions, special recognitions, skydivers, a flyover, and the playing of Taps, the Tribute has become an integral part of the BOLDERBoulder experience and a powerful reflection of the meaning of Memorial Day.
Frank and I never set out to create one of the world’s great road races. We saw that running was becoming an important part of people’s lives and recognized an opportunity to create something new; an event built from the ground up that could bring people together and showcase everything that makes Colorado special. Frank’s belief that it should be a 10K proved to be brilliant. From the beginning, creativity and innovation have been at the heart of the BOLDERBoulder. To see what started as an idea become part of the fabric of this state has been incredibly rewarding. To now be recognized alongside Frank as two of the people who have helped shape Colorado’s history is an extraordinary honor, particularly as our state celebrates its 150th anniversary. – Steve Bosley
The recognition comes during a year in which Coloradans are reflecting on the people, places, and events that have shaped the state’s first 150 years. As Colorado’s largest sports participation event, the BOLDERBoulder holds a unique place in that history, inviting tens of thousands of people each year not simply to watch, but to take part in a tradition that has become synonymous with Memorial Day in the Centennial State. For nearly five decades, the BOLDERBoulder has brought generations of Coloradans together in a uniquely Colorado celebration of competition, community, service, and active living.