Lilac Bloomsday Run

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).

Lilac Bloomsday Run
2010 finish line at Monroe Street Bridge
Date	First Sunday in May
Location	Spokane, Washington, U.S.
Event type	Road
Distance	7.456 miles (12 km)
Established	1977, 44 years ago
Course records	33:51 (2008); Micah Kogo Women: 38:03 (2016) Cynthia Limo
Official site	bloomsdayrun.org

Spokane

Location in the United States

Spokane

Location in Washington

The run has had over 38,000 participants every year since 1986, [5] and peaked 25 years ago in 1996 with 61,298 registered.[6] The number of finishers in 2015 was 43,206.[7] Lineth Chepkurui set an unofficial 12 km world record in the 2010 women's race.[8][nb 1]

The course record of 33:51 was set 13 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 Bloomsday race,[1] cites James Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses as the inspiration for the name Bloomsday.

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,[12] and the third in 1979 was over ten thousand, with fifty thousand spectators lining the streets.[13] The sixth edition in 1982 had over 22,000,[14] and despite rain and some snow, there were over 30,000 in 1984.[15]

The early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length.[3][12][13][16] A new course was introduced in 1980.[17]

Course

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

Descending Fort George Wright Drive in 2008

Year	Winner	Country	Time	Women's winner	Country	Time
2019	Gabriel Geay	Tanzania	34:50	Rosemary Wanjiru	Kenya	39:06
2018	Jemal Yimer	Ethiopia	34:18	Buze Diriba (2)	Ethiopia	39:27
2017	Gabriel Geay	Tanzania	34:31	Buze Diriba	Ethiopia	40:19
2016	Philip Langat	Kenya	34:26	Cynthia Limo (2)	Kenya	38:03
2015	Lani Rutto	Kenya	34:22	Cynthia Limo	Kenya	39:27
2014	Allan Kiprono (2)	Kenya	34:11	Mary Wacera	Kenya	39:36
2013	Belete Assefa	Ethiopia	34:21	Buzunesh Deba	Ethiopia	39:53
2012	Allan Kiprono	Kenya	34:29	Mamitu Daska	Ethiopia	38:26
2011	Simon Ndirangu	Kenya	33:58	Misiker Mekonnen	Ethiopia	40:25
2010	Peter Kirui	Kenya	34:15	Lineth Chepkurui (3)	Kenya	38:10
2009	John Yuda	Tanzania	34:36	Lineth Chepkurui	Kenya	38:37
2008	Micah Kogo	Kenya	33:51	Lineth Chepkurui	Kenya	39:47
2007	John Korir (3)	Kenya	34:18	Edna Kiplagat	Kenya	38:52
2006	Gilbert Okari	Kenya	34:14	Isabella Ochichi	Kenya	38:38
2005	John Korir	Kenya	34:16	Asmae Leghzaoui	Morocco	39:33
2004	Simon Wangai	Kenya	34:59	Albina Ivanova	Russia	39:22
2003	John Korir	Kenya	34:16	Lyudmila Biktasheva	Russia	40:01
2002	James Koskei	Kenya	34:25	Colleen De Reuck	United States	38:53
2001	Dominic Kirui	Kenya	34:30	Elana Meyer	South Africa	39:24
2000	Reuben Cheruiyot	Kenya	34:10	Jane Omoro (3)	Kenya	40:08
1999	Joshua Chelanga	Kenya	34:18	Jane Omoro	Kenya	39:37
1998	Hezron Otwori	Kenya	34:23	Jane Omoro	Kenya	40:14
1997	Lazarus Nyakeraka (2)	Kenya	34:19	Kim Jones	United States  Washington	40:34
1996	Lazarus Nyakeraka	Kenya	34:07	Colleen De Reuck	South Africa	38:48
1995	Josphat Machuka (2)	Kenya	33:52	Delillah Asiago	Kenya	38:31
1994	Josphat Machuka	Kenya	34:10	Olga Appell	United States  New Mexico	38:57
1993	Arturo Barrios	Mexico	33:55	Anne Marie Letko	United States  New Jersey	39:19
1992	Yobes Ondieki	Kenya	33:55	Lisa Ondieki	Australia	39:02
1991	Steve Moneghetti	Australia	34:52	Lisa Weidenbach	United States  Washington	40:03
1990	Germán Silva	Mexico	34:42	Anne Audain (7)	New Zealand	39:40
1989	John Halvorsen	Norway	34:21	Lynn Williams	Canada  Saskatchewan	39:30
1988	Peter Koech	Kenya	34:22	Anne Audain	New Zealand	39:35
1987	Steve Binns	United Kingdom	34:38	Lesley Welch	United States  Massachusetts	39:22
1986	Jon Sinclair	United States  Colorado	34:25	Anne Audain	New Zealand	38:48
1985	Paul Davies-Hale	United Kingdom	34:27	Anne Audain	New Zealand	39:20
1984	Ibrahim Hussein	Kenya	34:33	Regina Joyce	Ireland	40:28
1983	Jon Sinclair	United States  Colorado	34:55	Anne Audain	New Zealand	39:29
1982	Henry Rono	Kenya	35:49	Anne Audain	New Zealand	40:02
1981	Duncan McDonald	United States  California	35:34	Anne Audain	New Zealand	41:54
1980	Mark Anderson	United States  Colorado	36:22	Gail Volk	United States  Washington	46:27
1979	Ric Rojas	United States  Colorado	37:07	Cathy Twomey	United States  Oregon	43:56
1978	Bill Rodgers	United States  Massachusetts	37:07	Marty Cooksey	United States  California	43:24
1977	Frank Shorter	United States  Colorado	38:26	Joan Ullyot	United States  California	53:26

Key:   Course record

• Early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length.[3][12][13][16]

Notes

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.[9] 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."[10][11] 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

1. 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. Payne, Bob (May 2, 1977). "Horde of runners captures Spokane". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
4. https://www.arrs.run/HP_LcB12.htm
5. https://www.kxly.com/news/35-233-people-cross-bloomsday-finish-line-lowest-turnout-in-35-years/1075705255
6. Reang, Putsata (May 6, 1996). "Harmonious convergence". Spokesman-Review. p. A1.
7. . BloomsdayRun.org. Retrieved on 2015-09-21.
8. Richardson, Jared (2010-05-02). Chepkurui sets world record on Bloomsday course Archived 2010-05-03 at the Wayback Machine. KXLY. Retrieved on 2010-05-03.
9. "100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2014". iaaf.org. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
10. https://www.arrs.run/WG_Rec_ENG.htm
11. "Association of Road Racing Statisticians". ARRS. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
12. Payne, Bob (May 8, 1978). "Spokane streets jammed with mass of humanity". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
13. Gerheim, Earl (May 7, 1979). "10,000 runners cram the streets of Spokane". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
14. Mills, Judy (May 3, 1982). "'Twas bloomin' beauty of a run for over 22,000". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
15. Morlin, Bill (May 7, 1984). "Bloomsday's 30,465 sets record". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
16. "Rodgers wins Spokane run". Eugene Register-Guard. Associated Press. May 8, 1978. p. 6C.
17. "New course for Bloomsday Run". Spokesman-Review. February 26, 1980. p. 20.

External links

• Official website