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The 10K Bolder Boulder road race and the Boulder Creek Festival are threatened this morning by a new Boulder County Public Health directive that backs the canceling of large events, due to concerns over COVID-19, the new coronavirus.

Later today, University of Colorado Boulder officials announced an employee had tested presumptive positive for the virus.

“We would recommend cancellation of the Bolder Boulder and Boulder Creek Fest as well as any other large events like that,” said Boulder County Public Health spokeswoman Chana Goussetis. “I don’t want to single them out.”

She said it was too soon to speak directly to the planned Dead & Company shows at Folsom Field in the University of Colorado Boulder campus July 10 and 11, but that organizers of large events as the year goes on should monitor the situation closely.

The Bolder Boulder has never before been postponed or cancelled in its 41-year history. Race Director Cliff Bosley said today he was unaware that the recommendation of cancellation was coming, before learning of it from a reporter.

“We’ve been having discussions and working very closely with the city of Boulder, brainstorming and having specific conversations about contingency planning,” Bosley said. “It’s not a surprise to us, as we’ve been following the conversation. As we’re having conversations with the city and discussions with the city, it is for the purpose of a backup plan, should a backup plan be necessary.”

Bosley went on to say, “We just learned this morning that the Boston Marathon (set for April 20) has been doing the same kinds of logistics planning and brainstorming meetings that’ we’re doing, to look at a reschedule date in the fall. And that’s also the nature of the planning and conversation that we’re having with the city of Boulder.”

Asked whether the Bolder Boulder would take place May 25, as currently scheduled, he said, “I’d sure like to have a contingency plan in place before I tell you that and that’s a collaborative effort with the city.”

Bosley did not provide a timeline for when such a plan would be settled on or announced.

A representative for the Boulder Creek Festival, set to run May 23-25 and conclude the same day as the Bolder Boulder, said it’s too soon to know how the festival will respond.

“I don’t have anything to say. Everything is just so fluid,” said Jason Ornstein, president and owner of Team Player Productions, the city’s production partner on the festival, which draws 100,000 to 150,000 to the city over its three-day span. “We’re still in conversation with the city and parks and recreation. We’re still trying to figure out our direction.

“If for some reason we do need to cancel the event, we will be rescheduling the event” for later in 2020. “It will not be canceled for the year.”

The guidance from Boulder County Public Health Executive Director Jeff Zayach said, “CDC guidance recommends that cancelling large gatherings early in the transmission within the community can have a significant impact in reducing communitywide spread and reduce the number of people who become ill.”

The lengthy statement goes on to say that “It is very likely that there will be community transmission very soon, at which point events will be required to be cancelled. Organizers should consider the importance of the event and the anticipated attendance level and consider cancelling voluntarily.”

Additionally, it notes that in the potential event of “A positive case (including “presumptive positive”) of COVID-19 in Boulder County with unknown and uncontained exposure, meaning the virus is circulating in the community and transmission will accelerate… special events (e.g. races, festivals, concerts etc. where large numbers of people will gather) will be cancelled.”

The county health guidance came just six days after statements by a race official that the event was still planned to go forward as scheduled on Memorial Day, May 25.

But that was before known cases in Colorado climbed to 33, before the University of Colorado Boulder and Naropa University instituted only online classes, before CU Boulder cancelled multi-day events or gatherings of more than 150 attendees, and also before Gov. Jared Polis’s declaration on Tuesday of a state of emergency.

In a late afternoon news conference Wednesday, Polis warned Coloradans that the state stands “at a tipping point” for the risk of community spread in the metro area, that the situation “will get worse before it gets better,” and that “there are more difficult days ahead.”

On Thursday, following the health department’s announcement, Boulder spokesman Patrick von Keyserling issued this statement: “Regards to the Bolder Boulder and Boulder Creek Festival, no decisions have been made. Staff has spoken with the Bolder Boulder staff to inquire if the event is canceled, are there potential future dates to reschedule the race. Staff also has spoken with Team Player Productions about the Boulder Creek Festival.

“Because the event is nearly 12 weeks away, it is too early to make a decision about canceling the event. We are continuing to closely monitor COVID-19 and will make appropriate decisions closer to the event date based on public safety.”

Frozen Dead Guys already shelved

Zayach, county health department’s executive director, sent a briefer directive Wednesday to Nederland officials and organizers of the three-day Frozen Dead Guy Days celebration that had been scheduled for this weekend. It stated that “Since it has been determined that there is community transmission of COVID-19 that is not linked to known cases or to travel, Public Health recommends cancelling large event activities.”

Nederland trustees Wednesday night voted to recommend cancelling of the winter festival, and its organizers said they would abide by that decision.

The latest bulletin from county health officials said, “Cancellation of regular day-to-day business events (e.g. dance classes, meditation groups etc.) are not required to be … in this context; however, organizations should consider how important it is that the activity continue and whether it could be halted for a few months, as well as strategies to minimize exposure, such as providing services remotely and assuring social distancing.”

Bosley said last week that in 2019, the roughly 47,500 participants in the hugely popular Bolder Boulder citizens race had included 47 competitors from outside the United States, representing 13 countries. The pro division, he said, featured 66 athletes representing 16 countries.

John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber, said the Bolder Boulder, which in recent years has drawn about 50,000 participants — including runners from all 50 states and numerous foreign countries — puts about $10 million into the local economy each year, citing data from the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Boulder still ‘open for business’

Mary Ann Mahoney, CEO of the Boulder Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the Bolder Boulder puts far more than just cash into the Boulder economy.

“They give so much to our community, by the people they bring into the community who volunteer. The Bolder Boulder always gives back,” Mahoney said. “They do a whole kids training program for middle schoolers to get them up and active.

“So, it’s not just the event itself, but the values the Bolder Boulder creates, as part of the Boulder value of being outdoors and being active and running in a great space. All of these values are so important and the Bolder Boulder is such a responsible organization. They listen to the residents, and listen to the city, and they always make immediate corrections to be able to make the best race ever, each year. It continually improves and is just an incredible community asset.”

Mahoney emphasized that the possible loss of this year’s Bolder Boulder would not have to signal the end of warm weather fun in the area, noting that in making his announcement of a state emergency on Tuesday, Polis said Colorado nevertheless remains “open for business.”

Boulder is too, she said.

“We were just talking this morning about how Boulder has this great asset, a lot of open space,” Mahoney said. “If people are stressed, we want to encourage them to go into the open space, take a walk and really enjoy the fresh air. When you get out in open space and go for a walk your breathing changes and you start feeling better and you start getting back to who you are.”