SPOKANE, Wash. — Bloomsday runners should be able to drop their masks after a recent announcement by Gov. Jay Inslee. The Governor announced this week that the outdoor mask mandate will be lifted on Feb. 18.
The masking rule changes mean people will no longer be required to wear masks at large outdoor events, like Bloomsday.
Jon Neill, race director for Bloomsday, joined Up with KREM on Friday morning and confirmed that as long as there is no mask mandate in place at the time of Bloomsday, runners will not need to wear one
"We'll be certainly following what state guidelines are in place and making sure what we're doing for Bloomsday offers the safety for all of our participants," Neill said.
"But certainly it's welcome news, it's great news. Certainly from a public health standpoint an indicator that we are turning the corner on this and very excited to be able to look at hosting events the way we used to be able to do so and to celebrate as a community."
This is the first time Spokane’s annual run will be held in person in two years. The race was moved to a virtual event in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Although the race will be held in person this year, participants can still run virtually if they choose to. Virtual participants will complete a 7.46 mile run on any course they choose between April 28 to May 8.
Registration for Bloomsday 2022 is now open. The race will be held in person on May 1, 2022.
Registration between Jan. 1 to March 19 is $28. The registration cost after March 19 will increase to $35. A $9.99 shipping cost is also applied to the registration cost.
Participants must register by March 19 for guaranteed delivery of the virtual Bloomsday race bib before April 28, the first day of the virtual race.
Bib numbers must be picked up at the Spokane Convention Center on Friday, April 29 or Saturday, April 30. Out-of-town participants can pick up their bib number on Sunday, May 1.
More information on bib pick-up and race day procedures will be communicated in March or April.
Registration is also available for Jr. Bloomsday which is back for an in-person race on Saturday, April 16, 2022. The course is in a new location at Spokane Falls Community College .
Kids in the third grade and younger can register for the Marmot March on Saturday, April 30, 2022. The course will be in Downtown Spokane, although the exact route has not yet been announced. There is also a virtual race option for the Marmot March.
For more information about the race, click here.
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