| Bgcolour: | Orchid |
| Date: | First Sunday in May |
| Location: | Spokane, Washington, U.S. |
| Type: | Road |
| Distance: | 12sp=us3sp=us |
| Est: | 1977, |
| Record: | Men: 33:51 (2008); Micah Kogo Women: 38:03 (2016) Cynthia Limo |
| Homepage: | 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 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.[1] Registration peaked in 1996 at 61,298 with 56,156 finishers.[2] Lineth Chepkurui set an unofficial 12 km world record in the 2010 women's race.[3]
The course record of 33:51 was set in 2008 by Micah Kogo, a pace of 4:32.4 per mile and an average speed of 13.217mph. 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 11.758mph.
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,[4] and the third in 1979 was over ten thousand, with fifty thousand spectators lining the streets.[5] The sixth edition in 1982 had over 22,000,[6] and despite rain and some snow, there were over 30,000 in 1984.[7]
The early editions were around 8miles in length.[4] [5] [8] A new course was introduced
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.
| Year | Date(s) | Registrants | Finishers | Men's winner | Country | Time | Women's winner | Country | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | May 5 | 32,000+ | 27,889 | Tebello Ramakongoana |  | 34:40 | Sarah Naibei |  | 39:00 | |
| 2023 | May 7 | 30,000+ | 25,882 | Jemal Yimer (2) |  | 33:58 | Yeshi Kalayu | | 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 | | 35:08 | Biruktayit Degefa | | 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 | 34:50 | Rosemary Wanjiru | | 39:06 | ||
| 2018 | May 6 | 41,702 | 38,210 | Jemal Yimer | | Buze Diriba (2) | | |||
| 2017 | May 7 | 42,986 | 39,371 | Gabriel Geay | Buze Diriba | | ||||
| 2016 | May 1 | 46,566 | 43,018 | Philip Langat | | Cynthia Limo (2) | | |||
| 2015 | May 3 | 46,914 | 43,026 | Lani Rutto | | Cynthia Limo | | |||
| 2014 | May 4 | 49,094 | 44,681 | Allan Kiprono (2) | | Mary Wacera | | |||
| 2013 | May 5 | 51,613 | 47,298 | Belete Assefa | | Buzunesh Deba | | |||
| 2012 | May 6 | 53,296 | 48,229 | Allan Kiprono | | Mamitu Daska | | |||
| 2011 | May 1 | 56,652 | 51,303 | Simon Ndirangu | | Misiker Mekonnen | | |||
| 2010 | May 2 | 55,090 | 50,721 | Peter Kirui | | Lineth Chepkurui (3) | | |||
| 2009 | May 3 | 51,259 | 45,477 | John Yuda | Lineth Chepkurui | | ||||
| 2008 | May 4 | 47,528 | 43,640 | Micah Kogo | | Lineth Chepkurui | | 39:47 | ||
| 2007 | May 6 | 44,180 | 40,362 | John Korir (3) | | 34:18 | Edna Kiplagat | | 38:52 | |
| 2006 | May 7 | 44,756 | 40,809 | Gilbert Okari | | 34:14 | Isabella Ochichi | | 38:38 | |
| 2005 | May 1 | 43,842 | 40,012 | John Korir | | 34:16 | Asmae Leghzaoui |  | 39:33 | |
| 2004 | May 2 | 43,514 | 39,695 | Simon Wangai | | 34:59 | Albina Ivanova | 39:22 | ||
| 2003 | May 4 | 44,641 | 40,027 | John Korir | | 34:16 | Lyudmila Biktasheva | 40:01 | ||
| 2002 | May 5 | 51,282 | 45,775 | James Koskei | | 34:25 | Colleen De Reuck |  | 38:53 | |
| 2001 | May 6 | 49,532 | 45,346 | Dominic Kirui | | 34:30 | Elana Meyer |  | 39:24 | |
| 2000 | May 7 | 50,401 | 45,538 | Reuben Cheruiyot | | 34:10 | Jane Omoro (3) | | 40:08 | |
| 1999 | May 2 | 53,898 | 47,215 | Joshua Chelanga | | 34:18 | Jane Omoro | | 39:37 | |
| 1998 | May 3 | 53,389 | 48,453 | Hezron Otwori | | 34:23 | Jane Omoro | | 40:14 | |
| 1997 | May 4 | 55,270 | 49,467 | Lazarus Nyakeraka (2) | | 34:19 | Kim Jones | | 40:34 | |
| 1996 | May 5 | 61,298 | 56,156 | Lazarus Nyakeraka | | 34:07 | Colleen De Reuck | | 38:48 | |
| 1995 | May 7 | 59,100 | 54,154 | Josphat Machuka (2) | | 33:52 | Delillah Asiago | | 38:31 | |
| 1994 | May 1 | 60,037 | 55,195 | Josphat Machuka | | 34:10 | Olga Appell | | 38:57 | |
| 1993 | May 2 | 57,680 | 53,206 | Arturo Barrios |  | 33:55 | Anne Marie Letko | | 39:19 | |
| 1992 | May 3 | 57,651 | 53,303 | Yobes Ondieki | | 33:55 | Lisa Ondieki |  | 39:02 | |
| 1991 | May 5 | 60,104 | 55,794 | Steve Moneghetti | | 34:52 | Lisa Weidenbach | | 40:03 | |
| 1990 | May 6 | 54,869 | 51,122 | Germán Silva | | 34:42 | Anne Audain (7) |  | 39:40 | |
| 1989 | May 7 | 56,280 | 52,457 | John Halvorsen |  | 34:21 | Lynn Williams |  | 39:30 | |
| 1988 | May 1 | 57,298 | 53,155 | Peter Koech | | 34:22 | Anne Audain | | 39:35 | |
| 1987 | May 3 | 54,261 | 50,946 | Steve Binns |  | 34:38 | Lesley Welch | | 39:22 | |
| 1986 | May 4 | 48,406 | 45,541 | Jon Sinclair | | 34:25 | Anne Audain | | 38:48 | |
| 1985 | May 5 | 39,662 | 37,736 | Paul Davies-Hale | | 34:27 | Anne Audain | | 39:20 | |
| 1984 | May 6 | 33,312 | 30,463 | Ibrahim Hussein | | 34:33 | Regina Joyce |  | 40:28 | |
| 1983 | May 1 | 28,173 | 25,932 | Jon Sinclair | | 34:55 | Anne Audain | | 39:29 | |
| 1982 | May 2 | 22,210 | 20,540 | Henry Rono | | 35:49 | Anne Audain | | 40:02 | |
| 1981 | May 3 | 17,000 | 15,546 | Duncan McDonald | | 35:34 | Anne Audain | | 41:54 | |
| 1980 | May 4 | 13,576 | 11,962 | Mark Anderson | | 36:22 | Gail Volk | | 46:27 | |
| 1979 | May 6 | 10,082 | 10,070 | Ric Rojas | | 37:07 | Cathy Twomey | | 43:56 | |
| 1978 | May 7 | 5,460 | 5,024 | Bill Rodgers | | 37:07 | Marty Cooksey | | 43:24 | |
| 1977 | May 1 | 1,400 | 1,198 | Frank Shorter | | 38:26 | Joan Ullyot | | 53:26 |
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