Utica, N.Y. - For the registered 14,500 runners and the many more thousands of spectators that turned out to support them, Boilermaker Sunday was picture perfect.
After a brutal 6 day stretch of extreme heat here in Central New York, the hot weather moved out on Friday, just in time for Boilermaker Weekend.
On Sunday, Michelle Greer of Canastota was among those who lined Culver Ave. at 8:00 A.M. to watch the sea of runners come down the Culver hill toward the one-mile marker. Greer was rooting on her son, "He comes every year and I’m here every year and I love to watch it."
Vladimir Bondarchuk of Frankfort brought his whole family, at least those that weren't already running in the race, "My two sons run, and also my daughter and son-in-law."
Stephanie Megginson is up visiting from Tarpon Springs, Florida and ran the 15-K. She says her favorite part of the course, which she has run before, is Unity Mile between the 1-mile marker and the 2-mile marker, "The different kinds of people that come out and just the crowd, the crowd is what makes Utica."
Along the 8-mile marker sits Ronnie K, whose Ronnie K DJ Service pumps the runners up as they make their way toward the final mile as they make the turn from Champlin Ave. to Whitesboro St., "I like to rock this corner." And he definitely does that.
