Stories from The Spokesman-Review

Free daily coverage from the newspaper.

Get stories via RSS     Return to headline list

Bloomsday entries already setting pace

Pia Hallenberg Christensen  •  Staff writer
Published February 27, 2008

It's a sure indicator that spring is around the corner when Don Kardong, founder and race director of Bloomsday, gathers his troops and kicks off another Bloomsday season.

"Our entry forms are out and about," Kardong said, "and our Fit For Bloomsday Program, which we are really proud of, is at over 60 schools in the area, reaching more than 5,000 kids."

John Neill, Lilac Bloomsday Association president, said registration for the race is twice as high as it was the same time last year.

"We are really excited about this early boost in registration, and we hope it follows through," Neill said.

Last year, 44,180 runners and walkers registered for Bloomsday. The highest number of registered participants was 61,298 in 1996.

For the first time this year, participants will be able to buy personalized Bloomsday souvenir gear online. Runners and walkers can add their names, the number of Bloomsdays they've been in and other information to their shirts, or they can dedicate their run to a loved one.

A percentage of each purchase will go to this year's Bloomsday charity, Cancer Patient Care this year. Bloomsday also is pushing a tobacco-free message by declaring the Bloomsday weekend tobacco free.

As always, the race will be the first Sunday of May – May 4 – and it's preceded by a trade show starting May 2 at the Spokane Convention Center.

This year's guest speaker is Kathrine Switzer, the first woman to officially enter and complete the Boston Marathon, in 1967. An official famously tried to "bounce" her out of the race.

Switzer will speak May 3 at 2 p.m. at the DoubleTree Hotel.

Registration is available online. This year, online registrants will receive notification of their race number and color group about a week before the race, making it easier to keep families and groups of friends together at the start.

The registration fee is $15 until April 15, then $30.

All information is available at www.bloomsdayrun.org.