Lilac Bloomsday Run

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Lilac Bloomsday Run
Bloomsday Run Finish Line 2010.jpg
2010 finish line at Monroe Street Bridge
DateFirst Sunday in May
LocationSpokane, Washington, U.S.
Event typeRoad
Distance7.456 miles (12 km)
Established1977, 45 years ago
Course records33:51 (2008); Micah Kogo
Women: 38:03 (2016)
Cynthia Limo
Official sitebloomsdayrun.org
Spokane is located in the United States
Spokane
Spokane
Location in the United States
Spokane is located in Washington (state)
Spokane
Spokane
Location in Washington

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).

The run has had over 38,000 participants every year since 1986,[5] and peaked 26 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 14 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 … you know, lilacs blooming. And of course, I like it because it rhymes with doomsday."[1] 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,[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 Men's 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  Kenya 34:22 Cynthia Limo  Kenya 39:27
2014 (2)  Kenya 34:11 Mary Wacera  Kenya 39:36
2013  Ethiopia 34:21 Buzunesh Deba  Ethiopia 39:53
2012 Allan Kiprono  Kenya 34:29 Mamitu Daska  Ethiopia 38:26
2011  Kenya 33:58  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  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  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 (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  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  United States
 Colorado 		34:55 Anne Audain  New Zealand 39:29
1982 Henry Rono  Kenya 35:49 Anne Audain  New Zealand 40:02
1981  United States
 California 		35:34 Anne Audain  New Zealand 41:54
1980  United States
 Colorado 		36:22  United States
 Washington 		46:27
1979  United States
 Colorado 		37:07  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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c d Payne, Bob (May 2, 1977). "Horde of runners captures Spokane". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  4. ^ "Lilac Bloomsday 12 km Race Winners (41 runnings)". ARRS. 10 May 2017. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  5. ^ Morgan, Kelsie (7 May 2019). "35,233 people cross Bloomsday finish line, lowest turnout in 35 years". KXLY. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  6. ^ Reang, Putsata (May 6, 1996). "Harmonious convergence". Spokesman-Review. p. A1.
  7. ^ "Lilac Bloomsday Run". Bloomsday. 9 May 2021. Retrieved 2015-09-21.
  8. ^ Richardson, Jared (2 May 2010). "Chepkurui sets world record on Bloomsday course - News Story - KXLY Spokane". kxly.com. Archived from the original on 3 May 2010. Retrieved 3 May 2010.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  9. ^ "100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor - 2014". iaaf.org. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
  10. ^ "ARRS ROAD RECORDS". ARRS. 26 March 2000. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  11. ^ "Association of Road Racing Statisticians". ARRS. Retrieved 2014-08-07.
  12. ^ a b c Payne, Bob (May 8, 1978). "Spokane streets jammed with mass of humanity". Spokesman-Review. p. 1.
  13. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b "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[]

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