Lilac Bloomsday Run facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lilac Bloomsday Run |
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2010 finish line at Monroe Street Bridge
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| Date | First Sunday in May |
| Location | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Event type | Road |
| Distance | 7.456 miles (12 km) |
| Established | 1977, 47 years ago |
| Course records | Men: 33:51 (2008); Micah Kogo Women: 38:03 (2016) Cynthia Limo |
| Official site | bloomsdayrun.org |
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. 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. Registration peaked in 1996 with 61,298 and 56,156 finishers. Lineth Chepkurui set an unofficial 12 km world record in the 2010 women's race.
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." 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, and got nearly triple that. The second edition had over five thousand, and the third in 1979 was over ten thousand, with fifty thousand spectators lining the streets. The sixth edition in 1982 had over 22,000, and despite rain and some snow, there were over 30,000 in 1984.
The early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length. A new course was introduced in 1980.
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
Results
| 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.
