The Boulder Dash 5K/10K race was selected as a top 20 event in the Southeast for the month of April by the Southeast Tourism Society.

The Boulder Dash was recognized for its unique scenery and setting at Martin Marietta’s Bluegrass Materials Quarry off Ronald Reagan Boulevard. The active quarry is closed to the public every day of the year, except for the day of the Boulder Dash, when runners begin at Northside Hospital Forsyth and weave through rock deposits and heavy construction machinery.

“It’s an incredible bucket list item for racers to check off,” said Michelle Daniels, director of tourism with the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce.

Nominated events had to be three years old, have a minimum of 1,000 participants and be within the Southeast Tourism Society’s 12-state footprint that includes Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia.

More than 1,300 runners participated in last year’s Boulder Dash, which has been hosted by the Chamber with Northside Hospital Forsyth every year since 2009. The race is followed by the Bluegrass Spring Fling Festival with food and vendors, and portions of the event’s proceeds go to the Forsyth County Parks Foundation, a nonprofit that helps support local park development.

This year’s race on Saturday, April 27, will be the 10th annual, and organizers plan to add a dose of technological enhancements for “fun and unique photo opportunities for the social media savvy,” Daniels said.

“The team at the Cumming-Forsyth Chamber, Northside Hospital and Martin Marietta have upped the ante,” she added.