The majority of times I go to a race, I'm a participant, but for the GoLite Boulder Backroads Marathon and Half Marathon, I came out to watch, which I found out is a whole sport in and of itself. Held on Sunday, Sept. 24, the weather was perfect for running, but a bit cool at the start for those watching.

For the hundreds who gathered to watch, the time spent between the starting gun to the finish line was a perfect time to spend enjoying the Boulder Reservoir. Some of the spectators were well-seasoned professionals such as Mike O'Conner, whose fiancé was running the half marathon.

" I consider myself to be her official manager," he said, and pointing to his dog, " Shui is the assistant manager in charge of logistics."

Nuta Olaru of Romania, currently a Niwot resident, was the overall winner in the marathon, but with runners from 30 states entered in the race there were elements to the race that trascended winning times.

Some fans traveled distances to see there loved ones and enjoy Boulder. Barbara Chaitin came from Michigan to see her son.

" If I had the option of retiring, I'd be here (Boulder) in a minute," she said.

From Chicago, Mario Benedetto joined Golden resident Eric Chester on a picnic bench to await their loved ones. And what about a great photo opportunity for the Waggoner family from Loveland and Denver who toted signs cheering on their Moms?

Five-time finisher Randy Marcove was working the finish line due to an injury.

" For years I took and took and it's my time to give back," he said.

CSU students, and finish line volunteers, Peggy Walsh and Elodie Chaplain brought their books along for the wait for the finishers to begin arriving.

This year marked the eighth year of the Backroads Marathon and Half Marathon. It's the largest combined race of those distances in the state and this year registration for both races were full, with 800 runners entered in the marathon and 2,200 runners registered in the half marathon.

I've run this race before, and trained on this course many times, but watching it from the sidelines was a special and I learned a lot about the sport of being a spectator.