The opening miles of the Utica Boilermaker Road Race in East Utica used to be a known as a dead zone, where few spectators stood to watch the race early Sunday morning.
“You see everybody park and watch the beginning and then hop in their cars and take off to the finish line,” Culver Avenue resident Carol Ambrose said.
That’s changed since 2006, however. The second mile of the race has been given a distinctly international flavor.
| NEIGHBORHOOD PROFILE |
| * Who: Don and Carol Ambrose * Where: Culver Ave.— Mile One of the Boilermaker * What: Don and Carol Ambrose watch every year as spectators and runners invade their front lawn, but they don’t mind. “We set up a table with bagels and some drinks,” Don Ambrose said. “It’s a big party.” Carol Ambrose said she loves to watch the wheelchair race that begins before the foot race. * Local Signature: “(Culver Ave) is tougher than you think; it’s a really gradual hill,” Carol Ambrose said. “We go for walks and you’d think it’s nothing, but after a while, it gets to you.” |
Now in its third year, the International Mile highlights the multicultural community of East Utica as well as the international appeal of the Boilermaker, said Jennifer Van Wagoner, director of development at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees.
“It was typically a section of the race course that there weren’t as many spectators as other sections,” Van Wagoner said. “This has been a great venue in terms of motivation and extra support early on in the race.”
The refugee center and Mohawk Valley Community College are partnering to sponsor the mile, providing volunteers as well as funding for event. Eleven different multicultural groups will be featured on race day, including a Caribbean steel drum band and a Bosnian band.
The mile has become the hallmark for East Utica in the annual Boilermaker Spectator Contest. The contest pits East Utica, West Utica, South Utica and New Hartford/Yorkville in a battle for the best spectators along their own portions of the race course. The contest challenges each neighborhood to bring out its unique contributions to the race.
The international theme taken by the East Utica team is fitting. According to United States census data, nearly 15 percent of residents in the 13501 zip code are foreign born and nearly a quarter speak a language other than English.
“The International Mile is really a reflection of the people that live in that area,” East Utica team captain Sharon Zohne said.
This year, the International Mile Running Team will make its first appearance on Boilermaker Sunday. The team is sponsored by Excellus BlueCross/ BlueShield and is made up of 20 refugees and five refugee center staff members. The team existed unofficially last year as a refugee running team.
Zohne, who has been East Utica team captain for three years, said the team and the International Mile have helped bring attention to the early portion of the race and the character of the neighborhood.
It also helped East Utica win the contest in 2006.
“If you’re not a runner, this is a great opportunity to be involved,” Zohne said “It’s sort of a thank-you to people who come out.”
