SPOKANE, Wash. — Since its inception in 1977, Bloomsday has grown to become one of the most anticipated and celebrated events in Spokane. It has attracted runners from all over the world for the past four decades and shows no signs of slowing down.
But how did Bloomsday come to be, and how did it grow into what it is today?
The history of the event can be traced back to one man, Don Kardong. A newcomer to the Lilac City in 1974, Kardong competed in several national class road races before participating in the 1976 Olympic Marathon. Later that fall, he suggested to a local reporter that Spokane should have its own downtown run.
After making its way to the newspaper's headlines, the idea began to gain traction. At the time, Spokane was seeing a renewed interest in its downtown area, as the city was fresh off its heels from hosting the 1974 World's Fair. Former Mayor David Rogers encouraged Kardong to pursue his "fun run" idea, and the local Jaycees adopted it as a project, complete with financial support and organizational expertise from Medical Service Corp (now known as Premera).
Bloomsday's first race on May 1, 1977 saw more than a thousand runners and was billed "Run with the Stars." The inaugural run saw Olympic gold and silver medalist Frank Shorter cross the finish line first, followed by Herm Atkins of Seattle and Kardong himself.
The success of the first race saw an even greater turnout the following year, as a sanctioning dispute helped expand the race to more than 5,000 runners. Despite being only two years in, Bloomsday was already gaining national attention.
As the years went on, the event saw greater and greater numbers of participants before reaching an all-time high of 61,298 runners in 1996. The event has since been featured in magazines such as Runner's World and The Runner, and has been televised on ESPN, Fox Sports Northwest and the Outdoor Life Network.
Aside from its notoriety, Bloomsday has also played a part in giving back to the Spokane community. Since 1987, the event's "Fit For Bloomsday" program has encouraged fitness among nearly 6,000 participating elementary students every year. In addition, since 1993, the Lilac Bloomsday Association has provided 30 airline tickets every fall for the area's top high school cross country runners to attend the Footlocker Western Regional Cross County Championships in California.
Four decades. 47 races. It's safe to say that Bloomsday is a Spokane staple. But, the event's legacy doesn't lie in its fastest runners or the grueling trek up "Doomsday Hill." It lies in its power to give back to the Lilac City and bring the community together as the bitter chill of winter gives way to springtime.
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