30th Bloomsday Run Unveils Changes
Posted Tuesday, 28 February, 2006
Spokane, WA, February 27, 2006—After nearly three decades and over
1,140,000 finishers, the Lilac Bloomsday Run is undergoing a major
operational overhaul that will change the way participants are timed, as
well as the way they start and finish.
“For thirty years our volunteers have done an outstanding job of
managing the start and finish so every finisher receives an accurate
time and place,” said Lilac Bloomsday Association President Al Odenthal.
“But this year we’re adopting a new timing system that will work even
better in recording how long it takes runners, joggers and walkers to
get from the start to the finish.”
The new system employs a computer chip 1-1/2 inches wide that attaches
to the ankle of each participant. When the chip crosses over a series of
mats at the start, timing is initiated for that participant using radio
frequency identification. Another series of mats at the finish record
the finishing time, and a net time for the individual is computed. Using
this system, delays getting to the start do not impact the time recorded
for each finisher.
“This new system adds some expense to our entry fee,” said Odenthal,
“But we think our entrants will really appreciate a system that tells
exactly how long it took them to cover the 12-kilometer distance.”
Along with the change in timing, Bloomsday officials will have all
participants start on Riverside this year, instead of the traditional
two-pronged start that also used Sprague. In addition, the finish line
has been moved to the north end of the Monroe Street Bridge, just above
the falls.
“The new finish area will be spectacular,” said Odenthal, “And it also
satisfies the requests of many participants who have asked us to move
the finish closer to downtown.”
After crossing the finish at the north end of the Monroe Street Bridge,
participants will continue across the bridge and take a sharp left onto
Spokane Falls Boulevard, reaching the southwest corner of Riverfront
Park near the runner statues. From there they’ll funnel into the park,
where a variety of activities are planned, including live music and a
Bloomsday Food Court.
Riverfront Park will also be the location of a new event called the
Marmot March on the day before Bloomsday. Open to kids grade one and
younger and their parents, the Marmot March will be a non-competitive
1.2-mile tour of the park. The Marmot March is open for the first 300
children who sign up, and joins “The World’s Largest Spaghetti Feed”
among Bloomsday activities in the Park on Saturday.
While many changes are in store for the 30^th Bloomsday, some things
will remain the same. Competition at the front end promises to be
fierce, as world-class racers and wheelchairs battle for prize money,
top age-group runners vie for medals, and businesses scramble for top
honors among over 250 teams entered in the Corporate Cup competition,
which this year is sponsored by Deaconess Medical Center.
For those farther back in the pack, on-course entertainment and the
cheers of spectators should help make the 7-1/2-mile journey fun and
memorable. During its nearly thirty years on the Spokane scene,
Bloomsday has become a favored spring gathering place for families and
friends, most of whom complete the course and collect the coveted
finisher’s shirt, the color and design of which are kept secret until
the finish line.
Bloomsday isn’t just for adults either. Last year nearly 10,000 entrants
age 18 or younger completed the course, and nearly 5,000 elementary
school children will soon take their first steps of the spring as part
of the /Fit for Bloomsday...Fit for Life/ training program, now in its
twenty-first year. 60 elementary schools have signed up for the program,
which is sponsored by Subway and Riverfront Park.
Bloomsday continues its policy this year of designating an official
charity, with the 2006 designation going to the Vanessa Behan Crisis
Nursery. Entrants are encouraged to make a donation when they sign up,
and a series of whimsical metal sculptures are being developed by artist
“Blowtorch Annie” to be placed along the course on race morning and
auctioned off after Bloomsday ’07. All proceeds will benefit the nursery.
Major sponsors for Bloomsday ’06 include Washington Trust Bank, New
Balance, Southwest Airlines, Premera Blue Cross, Holy Family
Hospital/Sacred Heart Medical Center, Snyder’s Bakery, Jerzees, Gart
Sports, Safeway, Microsoft, McDonald’s and The Inlander. Bloomsday is
also supporting the efforts of the Spokane Regional Health District
again this year by becoming an official tobacco-free event. As an event
that promotes health and fitness, Bloomsday encourages participants and
spectators alike to help keep all events and venues smoke-free on
Bloomsday weekend.
Online registration for Bloomsday ’06 is now open at
*www.bloomsdayrun.org*, and printed entry brochures will soon be
available at locations throughout the Inland Northwest. The on-time
entry fee for Bloomsday has been raised to $14.00 this year to implement
computer chip timing, but the fee is still one of the lowest in the
nation for a major running event. Mailed in entries must be postmarked
by April 18 to avoid the late entry fee of $30.00. In addition, Gart
Sports will be taking entry forms at their two local stores from now
until the entry deadline of April 18.
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