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Lilac Bloomsday Run

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Lilac Bloomsday Run
2010 finish line at Monroe Street Bridge
DateFirst Sunday in May
LocationSpokane, Washington, U.S.
Event typeRoad
Distance7.456 miles (12 km)
Established1977, 47 years ago
Course recordsMen: 33:51 (2008); Micah Kogo
Women: 38:03 (2016)
Cynthia Limo
Official sitebloomsdayrun.org
Spokane is located in the United States
Spokane
Spokane
class=notpageimage|
Location in the United States
Descending Fort George Wright Drive in 2008

The Lilac Bloomsday Run, also known as Bloomsday, is an annual timed road race in the northwest United States, held on the first Sunday of May since 1977 in Spokane, Washington.[1][2][3][4] The course length is 12 km (7.456 mi).

The run had over 38,000 participants every year since 1986 until 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Registration peaked in 1996 at 61,298 with 56,156 finishers.[6] Lineth Chepkurui set an unofficial 12 km world record in the 2010 women's race.[7][nb 1]

The course record of 33:51 was set 16 years ago in 2008 by Micah Kogo, a pace of 4:32.4 per mile and an average speed of 13.217 mph (21.3 km/h). The women's record of 38:03 was set in 2016 by Cynthia Limo, a 5:06.2 per mile pace and an average speed of 11.758 mph (18.9 km/h).

Don Kardong, who founded the race, explained the name as "a starting event for the Lilac Festival … you know, lilacs blooming. And of course, I like it because it rhymes with doomsday."[1] The shortened name Bloomsday is usually associated instead with James Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses and celebrations of June 16, the day in the life of Leopold Bloom that the novel chronicles.

Kardong had hoped for five hundred participants for the inaugural edition in 1977,[1] and got nearly triple that.[3] The second edition had over five thousand,[11] and the third in 1979 was over ten thousand, with fifty thousand spectators lining the streets.[12] The sixth edition in 1982 had over 22,000,[13] and despite rain and some snow, there were over 30,000 in 1984.[14]

The early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length.[3][11][12][15] A new course was introduced in 1980.[16]

Course

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The course starts in Downtown Spokane and heads northwest along the far west end of town, passes by Mukogowa Ft. Wright Institute and Spokane Falls Community College before heading up "Doomsday Hill" and back downtown past the Spokane County Courthouse and ending at the Monroe Street Bridge. Every finisher of the race receives a Bloomsday T-shirt.

Course map of the Lilac Bloomsday Run

Results

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Year Date(s) Registrants Finishers Men's winner Country Time Women's winner Country Time
2024 May 5 32,000+ 27,889 Tebello Ramakongoana  Lesotho 34:40 Sarah Naibei  Kenya 39:00
2023 May 7 30,000+ 25,882 Jemal Yimer (2)  Ethiopia 33:58 Yeshi Kalayu  Ethiopia 38:49
April 27 - May 7 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2022 May 1 24,096 21,088 Charles Wanjiku  Kenya 35:08 Biruktayit Degefa  Ethiopia 38:47
April 28 - May 8 5,448 5,276 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2021 April 30 - May 9 28,824 23,029 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2020 September 18-20* 21,149 20,999 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
2019 May 5 38,559 35,244 Gabriel Geay  Tanzania 34:50 Rosemary Wanjiru  Kenya 39:06
2018 May 6 41,702 38,210 Jemal Yimer  Ethiopia 34:18 Buze Diriba (2)  Ethiopia 39:27
2017 May 7 42,986 39,371 Gabriel Geay  Tanzania 34:31 Buze Diriba  Ethiopia 40:19
2016 May 1 46,566 43,018 Philip Langat  Kenya 34:26 Cynthia Limo (2)  Kenya 38:03
2015 May 3 46,914 43,026 Lani Rutto  Kenya 34:22 Cynthia Limo  Kenya 39:27
2014 May 4 49,094 44,681 Allan Kiprono (2)  Kenya 34:11 Mary Wacera  Kenya 39:36
2013 May 5 51,613 47,298 Belete Assefa  Ethiopia 34:21 Buzunesh Deba  Ethiopia 39:53
2012 May 6 53,296 48,229 Allan Kiprono  Kenya 34:29 Mamitu Daska  Ethiopia 38:26
2011 May 1 56,652 51,303 Simon Ndirangu  Kenya 33:58 Misiker Mekonnen  Ethiopia 40:25
2010 May 2 55,090 50,721 Peter Kirui  Kenya 34:15 Lineth Chepkurui (3)  Kenya 38:10
2009 May 3 51,259 45,477 John Yuda  Tanzania 34:36 Lineth Chepkurui  Kenya 38:37
2008 May 4 47,528 43,640 Micah Kogo  Kenya 33:51 Lineth Chepkurui  Kenya 39:47
2007 May 6 44,180 40,362 John Korir (3)  Kenya 34:18 Edna Kiplagat  Kenya 38:52
2006 May 7 44,756 40,809 Gilbert Okari  Kenya 34:14 Isabella Ochichi  Kenya 38:38
2005 May 1 43,842 40,012 John Korir  Kenya 34:16 Asmae Leghzaoui  Morocco 39:33
2004 May 2 43,514 39,695 Simon Wangai  Kenya 34:59 Albina Ivanova  Russia 39:22
2003 May 4 44,641 40,027 John Korir  Kenya 34:16 Lyudmila Biktasheva  Russia 40:01
2002 May 5 51,282 45,775 James Koskei  Kenya 34:25 Colleen De Reuck  United States 38:53
2001 May 6 49,532 45,346 Dominic Kirui  Kenya 34:30 Elana Meyer  South Africa 39:24
2000 May 7 50,401 45,538 Reuben Cheruiyot  Kenya 34:10 Jane Omoro (3)  Kenya 40:08
1999 May 2 53,898 47,215 Joshua Chelanga  Kenya 34:18 Jane Omoro  Kenya 39:37
1998 May 3 53,389 48,453 Hezron Otwori  Kenya 34:23 Jane Omoro  Kenya 40:14
1997 May 4 55,270 49,467 Lazarus Nyakeraka (2)  Kenya 34:19 Kim Jones  United States
 Washington 		40:34
1996 May 5 61,298 56,156 Lazarus Nyakeraka  Kenya 34:07 Colleen De Reuck  South Africa 38:48
1995 May 7 59,100 54,154 Josphat Machuka (2)  Kenya 33:52 Delillah Asiago  Kenya 38:31
1994 May 1 60,037 55,195 Josphat Machuka  Kenya 34:10 Olga Appell  United States
 New Mexico 		38:57
1993 May 2 57,680 53,206 Arturo Barrios  Mexico 33:55 Anne Marie Letko  United States
 New Jersey 		39:19
1992 May 3 57,651 53,303 Yobes Ondieki  Kenya 33:55 Lisa Ondieki  Australia 39:02
1991 May 5 60,104 55,794 Steve Moneghetti  Australia 34:52 Lisa Weidenbach  United States
 Washington 		40:03
1990 May 6 54,869 51,122 Germán Silva  Mexico 34:42 Anne Audain (7)  New Zealand 39:40
1989 May 7 56,280 52,457 John Halvorsen  Norway 34:21 Lynn Williams  Canada
 Saskatchewan 		39:30
1988 May 1 57,298 53,155 Peter Koech  Kenya 34:22 Anne Audain  New Zealand 39:35
1987 May 3 54,261 50,946 Steve Binns  United Kingdom 34:38 Lesley Welch  United States
 Massachusetts 		39:22
1986 May 4 48,406 45,541 Jon Sinclair  United States
 Colorado 		34:25 Anne Audain  New Zealand 38:48
1985 May 5 39,662 37,736 Paul Davies-Hale  United Kingdom 34:27 Anne Audain  New Zealand 39:20
1984 May 6 33,312 30,463 Ibrahim Hussein  Kenya 34:33 Regina Joyce  Ireland 40:28
1983 May 1 28,173 25,932 Jon Sinclair  United States
 Colorado 		34:55 Anne Audain  New Zealand 39:29
1982 May 2 22,210 20,540 Henry Rono  Kenya 35:49 Anne Audain  New Zealand 40:02
1981 May 3 17,000 15,546 Duncan McDonald  United States
 California 		35:34 Anne Audain  New Zealand 41:54
1980 May 4 13,576 11,962 Mark Anderson  United States
 Colorado 		36:22 Gail Volk  United States
 Washington 		46:27
1979 May 6 10,082 10,070 Ric Rojas  United States
 Colorado 		37:07 Cathy Twomey  United States
 Oregon 		43:56
1978 May 7 5,460 5,024 Bill Rodgers  United States
 Massachusetts 		37:07 Marty Cooksey  United States
 California 		43:24
1977 May 1 1,400 1,198 Frank Shorter  United States
 Colorado 		38:26 Joan Ullyot  United States
 California 		53:26

*Delay due to COVID-19 pandemic. First virtual race.

Key:   Course record   Virtual race
  • Early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length.[3][11][12][15]

Notes

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  1. ^ The International Association of Athletics Federations, the international governing body for the sport of athletics/track and field, does not recognize world records or world bests in either an indoor or outdoor 12 km.[8] The Association of Road Racing Statisticians does recognize a world record in the outdoor 12 km, however, their record keeping rules state: "A record quality course is defined as having not more than 1 m/km net drop between the start and finish and not more than 30 percent of the race distance separation between that start and finish, e.g. not more than a 3 km separation for a 10 km race [or 3.6 km for a 12 km race]. Records will only be accepted for record quality courses."[9][10] Per ARRS standards, the course for the Lilac Bloomsday Run fulfills these conditions. Although Chepkurui ran a 38:07 two weeks later on May 16, 2010 at the Bay to Breakers (presumably the fastest 12 km ever for a woman), the course is not considered a "record quality course" in that the start and finish are separated by approximately 10.5 linear kilometers.

References

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  1. ^ a b c Payne, Bob (March 15, 1977). "Lilac Bloomsday Run - Kardong creation". Spokesman-Review. p. 17.
  2. ^ Payne, Bob (May 1, 1977). "It's 'Bloomsday' – and Spokane's ready to run". Spokesman-Review. p. D1.
  3. ^ a b c d Payne, Bob (May 2, 1977). "Horde of runners captures Spokane". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Lilac Bloomsday 12 km Race Winners (41 runnings)". ARRS. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  5. ^ Morgan, Kelsie (7 May 2019). "35,233 people cross Bloomsday finish line, lowest turnout in 35 years". KXLY. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Lilac Bloomsday Run". www.bloomsdayrun.org. Retrieved 2023-05-08.
  7. ^ Richardson, Jared (2 May 2010). "Chepkurui sets world record on Bloomsday course - News Story - KXLY Spokane". kxly.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.
  8. ^ "100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2014". iaaf.org. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
  9. ^ "ARRS ROAD RECORDS". ARRS. 26 March 2000. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Association of Road Racing Statisticians". ARRS. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
  11. ^ a b c Payne, Bob (May 8, 1978). "Spokane streets jammed with mass of humanity". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  12. ^ a b c Gerheim, Earl (May 7, 1979). "10,000 runners cram the streets of Spokane". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  13. ^ Mills, Judy (May 3, 1982). "'Twas bloomin' beauty of a run for over 22,000". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  14. ^ Morlin, Bill (May 7, 1984). "Bloomsday's 30,465 sets record". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  15. ^ a b "Rodgers wins Spokane run". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 8, 1978. p. 6C.
  16. ^ "New course for Bloomsday Run". Spokesman-Review. February 26, 1980. p. 20.
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