On May 1, 1977, just over 1,000 runners unknowingly participated in the birth of Spokane's greatest tradition.
Nearing its 50th year, Bloomsday is an annual milestone in nearly every Spokanite's life. The race marks the start of spring after another treacherous winter — a sign of better things to come. Completing the race, receiving your finisher T-shirt, and donning it proudly the next day at work or school is a rite of passage.
But those 1,000 runners in 1977 had no idea what Bloomsday would come to represent. They were just in it for the thrill of the race.
"Bloomsday is an event where everybody is able to participate," says Michael Kiter, Bloomsday's board president. "Whether you're an elite athlete, a walker, pushing a stroller or you're wearing a chicken suit, Bloomsday is for you."
At its peak, Bloomsday recorded 61,298 participants in 1996 coming from near and far to run the race's stunning urban course. Though about 65% of runners hail from the Spokane area, over 4% of participants come from other countries.
Like other large-scale events, the COVID-19 pandemic presented plenty of challenges for the Bloomsday team. The worldwide lockdown began just two months before Bloomsday 2020 was set to happen, forcing a cancellation.
In July 2020, the Bloomsday team announced all participants would be signed up for an all-virtual edition of the road race in September of that year.
"Our biggest challenge was trying to keep the spirit of Bloomsday alive during a virtual race," Kiter says. "We were able to pull it off, and that just goes to show the community that we have and the resilience of our participants."
Participation dipped in 2020 and 2021, but Kiter says last year's race numbers were on par with those of 2017 and 2018 and continue to climb. Bloomsday is still offering its virtual option, but Kiter says it probably won't stick around forever.
He and his team are, of course, focused on this year's race, but are excitedly anticipating next year's huge 50th anniversary celebration. Kiter can't disclose exactly what they have in store for Bloomies, but he urges them to wait and find out.
"It's a Spokane tradition," Kiter says. "We obviously want to make it bigger and better every year. The hardest year is gonna be our 51st because: How do you go bigger than your 50th?"
2nd PLACE: The Boulevard Race
3rd PLACE: Spokane River Run
NORTH IDAHO'S BEST: Shoes and Brews, Post Falls
