As soon as you see the craggy Flatirons heading west on Highway 93, you’ve crossed over into a running utopia full of shortie-shorts and sinewy muscles. Boulder is home to one of the more serious running communities in the country. The outdoor mecca’s easy access to challenging trails has lured in Olympians and recreationalists alike.
It’s one reason why we decided to be the first-ever presenting sponsor for the October 10 Boulderthon half and full marathon, where 3,000 athletes will compete in the inaugural race.
With such a vibrant running culture, the announcement had people wondering why there wasn’t a national race already. That’s what New York transplant, restaurant owner, health entrepreneur, and Boulderthon director, Phil Dumontet questioned when he started entertaining the idea of creating one.
“Coming from the East Coast, some of my favorite days were the marathon days,” Dumontet said. “Not just as a runner but as a spectator and a volunteer. These are days where people come together from the whole community and it’s such an inspiring and powerful day.”
Boulder already hosts the BolderBoulder, the third-largest running challenge in the U.S., which attracts 50,000 participants each year. Dumontet said the popularity of the 10K is why nobody ever pushed for a longer challenge. Simultaneously, Dumontet heard many runners say they had to travel to San Diego or Seattle if they wanted to run a 26.2 miler. (Colfax Marathon takes place the following weekend in strictly a city setting.)
“Right away from Day 1, I said I don’t want to compete with [BolderBoulder],” Dumontet said. “Boulderthon will always be on the bookend of race season… I don’t want people to have to choose between the two. “
Boulderthon gives people the opportunity to compete in a more challenging nature-city hybrid race and stay here in Colorado.
Both the natural and urban beauty of Boulder inspired the geographically diverse course. Because of the city’s busy event calendar, Boulderthon acquired a smaller local trail race (about 400 people), Boulder Backroads, and incorporated some of the most scenic sections of the trail race into the marathon route.
“We used a lot of the elements people liked about the [Backroads]—starting at the reservoir, those sweeping views of the Flatirons, those beautiful views of Boulder,” he said. “Then we wanted to make sure to end downtown at Pearl Street and have the afterparty.”
Sharing the same Boulder pride, Extract Labs jumped at the opportunity to sponsor. The pervasiveness of CBD in the sports world continues to grow due to cannabidiol’s recovery and anti-inflammatory properties.
“It makes sense for us to sponsor the first-ever Boulderthon,” said our CEO, Craig Henderson. “CBD and athletics are a natural fit. We are seeing more and more professional athletes and fitness enthusiasts use cannabidiol before, during, or after exercise for pain relief and recovery.”
Dumontet, a runner himself, just recently started focusing more on recovery. He now uses Extract Labs muscle cream and CBD daily. After just a few months of continual use, he’s witnessed surprising results.
“I love numbers and tracking things,” Dumontet said. “Ever since I started taking daily doses of CBD, I’ve noticed my heart rate go down about 10 percent over a period of about 2 months.”
His heart rate went down from sea turtle to blue whale. His 44 resting heart rate dropped to 41, a number that would have most people’s FitBits alert them they are about to die.
“I’ve had more stress and more projects—starting Boulderthon, the restaurants, I have a nine-month-old. My heart rate should be going up,” he said. “[CBD] is the one thing that I changed.”
Extract Labs will be at the race passing out samples and coupons to the runners and spectators. Be sure to stop by our booth for great deals on premium CBD!
