Dave Herbert’s Debut Boilermaker Race Report

I had heard there would be a lot of people at the 2019 Boilermaker, but nothing prepared me for the actuality of it all. I’m a small town kind of person, this was very much out of my realm! From the expo on Saturday, to the start line Sunday morning, crowds, and nerves, were high. As I did some random stretching outside of our corrals, my anxiety about the task at hand grew.

Fortunately, I managed to come in contact with the great contingent of Road Kill members who decided to take on the legendary event. This lessened my tension greatly, surrounded by some great people, just having fun. Time ticked on as the start loomed near. A delay, some friendly banter, and a team cheer later, we were off! The first 5k went by very quickly. The crowd, and support on the course was unlike anything I’d ever imagined. Signs, bands, excessive water stops, the energy on the course was palpable. Despite a decent amount of uphill running (more gradual than anything), I was ahead of where I planned to be pace wise.

The author leading the RKR contingent through the streets of Utica

The second 5k was the breath of fresh air I had been waiting for. The uphills ceased, and the downhills took their turn! Gravity was not only on our side, but the crowd, as well! They cheered us on as we continued to grind, getting ever closer to the post race party. It was around 4 miles that I found another runner, who was interested in working together to move up. We traded the lead a few times, breaking the wind for one another. He eventually dropped me (soon after 10k), but I’m very grateful that we got to help each other for a while.

New member Matt Palmer on his way to a 58-minute finish

The last 5k, while elevation friendly, was rough for me. I had passed the 10k mark a mere ~20 seconds slower than my flat out personal best. My legs stopped firing as quickly as they had 6.2 miles before, and I was wondering if I had written checks my body couldn’t cash. Mentally, I just needed to make it to the eighth mile. I figured after that, any kind of crash wouldn’t be too bad. Mile 8 came, and went. Before I knew it, the ninth mile reared it’s glorious head. My legs found new life, as I made a sad attempt at a kick to get through the finish line.

The Matt brigade (and Kraig’s side) running tough!

Despite not regrouping with my teammates after the race, I had nothing to regret on that day. I went out harder than I felt I should, and it paid off (in this particular case!). The team as a whole had a stellar showing, and enjoyed some beer, and glory after their races! The Boilermaker is a staple race in not only New York, but the country as a whole. It’s a bucket list race that I feel all runners should experience, at least once in their lives. Great showing, Roadkill! On to the next one! For Beer, and Glory, Dave

Kraig’s wife Chelsea won wife of the year for walking nearly 3 miles through the streets of Utica to meet the racers at the finish
Most of the squad after the race

Matt’s note: Roadkill Racing had a great contingent with lots of stellar performances on Sunday! Here are the results I know about:

Dave Herbert – 54:16
Matt Palmer – 58:05
Matt Roberts – 58:15
Kraig Connor – 1:02:15|
Ryan Sullivan – 1:02:26
Dan Sackett – 1:11:58
Lindsay Rynders – 1:17:04
Davida Graham – 1:31:40