Sunday would have been the day tens of thousands of people flocked to Culver Ave.
To participate in America's greatest road race.
This year, the race went virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, it didn't stop dozens of people from running the 9.3-mile course on Sunday morning.
Evening-- i'm callihan marshall.
It's the second sunday in july and for many people, it would have been boilermaker sunday.
The race was cancelled due to the pandemic and now it's going virtual in september.
That didnt stop dozens of people from running the 9.3 mile course- today.
Here's newschannel 2's brent kearney.
.
None .
None "4 3 2 1 go" and they're off,this group of runners beginning their 9.3 miles journey.
Sticking to their own tradition on what would be boilermaker sunday.
And they're not alone.
"gia constantino, utica "it's a tradition in our family we come here every year it's a holiday.
20+ years and running they started running when they were 12 the full tng.
We'vegot e ready.
"coraline constantino, albany" this is totally different i wasn't sure what to expect when i got here.
This is good i'm glad there's not too much of a crowd.
This run isn't an official boilermaker event.
Meaning no support crews or police to block the roads.
"norris pearson" i think if you're an experienced mind forerunner you keep that in mind and you realize that that's a several thousand pound vehicle and you give them the right of way because they may not realize what's going on.
Nats shoes or cheering out on the course, mile by mile runners making their way across utica.
"this year had the most meaning for me out of all the boilermakers i've ran."
And they got plenty of support along the way too.
Nats bell "we want to support people who are here for fitness."
"alexandria polozzi, washington d.c."
"we're all just going to rally behind one another and still show up this is a tradition so we're gonna keep it that way."
"verneil johnson, westmoreland" "people are still running they still need support and they still need water.
It's a great idea i know my son has gotten in shape for it and it's good for fitness and it's good for the community."
"brent kearney, bkearneywktv" and after nine long miles these runners are now making their way back onto corey street across the finish line and while they're getting quite welcome back.
Nats bagpipes "judy reilly, mohawk valley frasers" "i play every year with the mohawk valley frasers.
So it's only me today you know we're missing it we all are."
"mark donovan, boilermaker road race" "i've got two words boilermaker spiro.
This is what this is all about every shot you've taken wherever it's been.
You know these people they were not going to let covid-19 stop them from doing this on the second sunday in july.
It's obviously a we couldn't do it at the scale but here they are."
"earlier i told you was probably the coolest day ever and utica decided to hear me and cranked up the humidity."
"we are just so grateful to the city of utica for coming out here and cheering even people going to church honking their horn's.
"they're coming over one at a time two at atime.
The cheering and the bagpipes, so it's a smaller scale.
Second sunday in 2021, scale it up and we'll be back."
In utica brent kearney news channel 2> the virtual boilermaker will take place from