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Warming up with some Bloomsday nuts and bolts

New chip, adjusted route and more

Hilary Kraus  •  Staff writer
Published April 14, 2006

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The inquiries range from the specific to the general.

Then again, with more than 50,000 participants expected at the 30th annual Lilac Bloomsday Run on May 7, there are bound to be questions: How can I register? How come the price went up?

Most of the time, Bloomsday workers have answers, although not always serious ones.

"I got a call from an out-of-towner who asked if there will be any lines," said Mandi Chiacone, a Bloomsday employee.

"I told him, 'There won't be any lines – on May 8.' "

Some information, such as anything about this year's Bloomsday T-shirt, is guarded better than some classified documents in the White House.

"We get calls from people who want to know what color the T-shirt is going to be this year," Chiacone said. "But we can't tell. I don't even know."

Don Kardong, Lilac Bloomsday Association founder and executive director, freely answered other common questions:

Q: How does the new computer chip work?

A: An antenna is connected to an identity number. There's no battery.

Participants put it on their ankle using a Velcro strap, provided by Bloomsday. When the antenna crosses a mat at the starting line, the mat energizes the antenna and registers when that person started. It does it again at the finish and people get a net time.

Times will be posted on www.bloomsday.org by Sunday afternoon.

Q: If a person who has run in the past walks this year, will that affect his or her color group next year?

A: No. The computer looks back at four years worth of Bloomsday results and gives the participant "credit" for the fastest year. One slow year, or even several, won't affect the color group.

Q: Now that the route has been changed (moving the starting line up and the finish line to the Monroe Street Bridge), will the mile marks be readjusted?

A: Yes. The course recently was recertified (a standardized measurement process), and new mile marks were identified. A list of those has been forwarded to the city, with a request that the signs identifying those mile marks be moved to the new locations.

Keep in mind, except for runners who start at 9 a.m., the times won't be accurate. But that's been true in the past, too, and people still like to hear the times read out.

Q: What if a person registers and for some reason can't participate? Can he or she get a T-shirt?

A: No. You don't get a shirt unless you get to the finish line. We're not trying to be hard-nosed about it, we just know it's important to people. It's part of the spirit of the event. It's hard for me to think of ever making an exception.

Q: What happens to the extra T-shirts?

A: We give them to Catholic Charities and they send them to a different country.

Q: What if a person misses the late entry deadline?

A: We've added a new deadline called late-late entry.

After the two days of online late entry (April 24-25), people can do late-late entry until April 30. It's still a $30 late fee, but a different process. People pick up their numbers at the solutions desk at the check-in.

Q: Is there still a need for volunteers?

A: Yes. Because of the new process there's a higher need for volunteers to assemble runners' packets. Those interested should come to the processing building at 1859 W. Broadway between 9 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. from Monday to April 28. They can call ahead at (509) 327-4117.