Bloomsday returns to Spokane Sunday boasting larger turnout; trade show kicks off Friday

Bloomsday will grace Spokane streets this weekend, and organizers expect it to be their biggest spring fling since before the pandemic.

Race organizers say 33,300 racers have signed up to participate in Spokane’s iconic 12-kilometer race as of Wednesday afternoon, compared to more than 29,000 in 2022 and around 30,000 a year ago. So far 2,713 of those registered will be virtual participants who run the distance on their own time and course and submit their results online.

This year’s turnout is about half of the record turnouts the race saw in the 1990s, hitting a registration peak of 61,298 people in 1996.

The uptick in registered racers this year follows a record turnout for the Junior Bloomsday race on April 14, when around 2,900 third through seventh graders competed on a mile-long course.

Lilac Bloomsday Association spokeswoman Bethany Lueck said the number of racers usually climb as race day inches closer. Those interested in participating can still register in-person for a $50 fee at the Bloomsday Trade Show at the Spokane Convention Center, which will run from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.

Lueck said this will be her second Bloomsday with the organization, and she’s excited to share the joy it brings with her fellow Spokanites. The race is an opportunity for the community to connect and have some fun at the benefit of their own city, she said. Bloomsday organizers select a community nonprofit or charity to sponsor each year, and proceeds from Bloomsday 2024 will benefit Shriners Children’s Spokane hospital.

Downtown Spokane is expected to be “In Full Bloom” this weekend, in line with this year’s theme. The 50th anniversary of Expo ‘74 celebration will kick off 3 p.m. Saturday at Riverfront Park.

Lueck said she does not expect the Expo festivities to impact those visiting the trade show to peruse vendor offerings and pick-up their bibs, aside from a few parking spot battles on neighboring streets.

“It should be really, really great,” Lueck said. “There’s a lot of great vendors, and it’s all sorts of different companies. A lot of people don’t know this, but the trade show is open to the public, so you are welcome to come and explore even if you’re not participating.”

Lueck looks forward to the second running of the College Cup this year, which she said seems to have risen in popularity.

Like the Corporate Cup for local businesses, the College Cup allows university students to compete as a team to win bragging rights for their institution. There are eight teams signed up this year from a variety of colleges and universities in the region, including Whitworth University, Gonzaga University and Eastern Washington University.

“We’re trying to make the race accessible to all the local college age kids and get them plugged into Bloomsday,” Lueck said.

Also returning for a second year is the Bloomsday race app, which allows participants and spectators to access event information, track their progress on the course and stay up-to-date on the times and locations of participating friends and family members. The app can be downloaded through the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store.

“It’s actually really nice and really easy to use,” Lueck said. “I actually already have my family loaded up on mine so I can follow them on the course and try to meet up with them at the finish line.”

Just about all of the 75 “perennials,” individuals who’ve raced in every iteration of Bloomsday, have signed up for another round, Lueck said. They range in age from the lower 50s to the upper 80s, and will be easy to spot due to the bright pink shirts they’ll be sporting Sunday.

Lueck advised that those who typically park on the streets that make up the course move their cars Saturday, before the city begins street sweeping at 5 a.m. Sunday morning. Vehicles obstructing the course will be towed at the owner’s expense.

The elite wheelchair racers will kick off the race at 8:30 a.m. Sunday, followed by the elite women at 8:45 a.m. and the elite men, Corporate Cup participants and the brown group at 9 a.m. The last wave of racers will start an hour and a half after the initial wave.

The weather on Sunday may not be the best for racing, with intermittent rain showers forecast to begin just before the first wave starts. Showers will lighten after 11 a.m. and temperatures are expected to hit a high of just 48 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.

Aside from some chilly temperatures and precipitation, Lueck said the 48th running is shaping up to be a great installment of the Bloomsday tradition. There’ll still be live music drifting from lawns along the course, spectators tempting racers with sweet treats and cold beers and an exceptionally large vulture overlooking racers at the top of Doomsday Hill.

All the usual fun will be had, Lueck said, before offering a few words of wisdom to Sunday’s Bloomies.

“I think at this point, it’s just about having fun,” Lueck said. “I wouldn’t stress too much about it. I would just make sure you’re hydrated before the race, and doing your stretching, all of that.”