Bloomsday official souvenir booklet 4/12/2018

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OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

A DVE R TISIN G SUPPLE ME N T PRO D UCE D BY TH E IN LA N D E R

42ND ANNUAL

MAY 6, 2018

INVOLVED Inlanders love to get out and Then we give it away at 1,100

do stuff. They love patronizing a new brewpub down the street.

locations all over the region.

They love volunteering for a

So you can read it over coffee to

good cause. They even love

find the next new play. Throw it in

supporting local theater. And

your backpack to share with your

at the Inlander, we love and

friends. Or read it at work when

support that stuff, too. In fact,

you’ve exhausted the Internet.

we fill our newspaper with it

Heck, you can wrap a birthday

every week.

present with it if you want – we’re cool with that, too. As long as it helps you do the stuff you love.

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2 BLOOMSDAY 2018 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

DON’T MISS OUT!

There’s still time to sign up for the 42nd running of Bloomsday. Whether you want to push for a personal best, jog, race in a wheelchair, push a stroller or maybe just take a 7.46-mile stroll with some good friends, there’s a spot for you in Bloomsday. And, if you reach the finish, you get a T-shirt, too.

HOW TO REGISTER:

ONLINE: head to bloomsdayrun.org

BY MAIL: Find an entry form online or in print locally at Washington Trust Bank branches, Safeway and Albertsons stores, Franz Bakery outlets, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Premera Blue Cross, Holy Family Hospital or Sacred Heart Medical Center. When you complete that form, mail it to the below address by April 17: Lilac Bloomsday Run 1414 Belt St. Spokane, WA 99201 PRICE: $20 plus fees if you register online by April 22 $40 plus fees if you register between April 23 and 29 LATE REGISTRATION: Stragglers can register for $40 at the Bloomsday check-in on Friday, May 4 (11:30 am – 8 pm) and Saturday, May 5 (9 am – 6:30 pm) at the Spokane Convention Center.

JUST KEEP RUNNING! A

few weeks before Star Wars debuted on movie screens across America, an Olympic marathon runner who had recently moved to the Lilac City saw his dream come true on the streets of Spokane. On May 1, 1977, not quite 1,200 fitness aficionados joined Don Kardong on the inaugural Lilac Bloomsday Run, with finishers winning a Tshirt for their sore legs. In Year Two, 5,000 turned out, delivering a simple message: We Love Bloomsday!

Like that other immortal runner once said, Spokane “just felt like running.” But while For-

rest Gump ran for “3 years, 2 months, 14 days and 16 hours,” Spokane hasn’t stopped. In fact, 88 of those finishers from 1977 have not missed a Bloomsday since.

On May 6, as another Bloomsday Founder generation gathers in the Don Kardong streets of downtown Spokane, awaiting that starting gun and the Tshirt at the end of the course, Don Kardong’s crazy little idea will mark its 42nd go-round.

CONTENTS

THE OFFICIAL EVENT GUIDE IS A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN BLOOMSDAY AND THE INLANDER.

CHARITY 4 TRADE SHOW 5 PERSUASION 6 VULTURE 8 PERENNIALS 9 MUSIC 10 TECH 11 ELITE LOCAL 12 SHIRTS 13

COURSE MAP 14

OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLOOMSDAY 2018 3

CHARITY SPOTLIGHT

SUPPORTING THE GUILDS’ SCHOOL

Bloomsday is proud to have selected the Guilds’ School and Neuromuscular Center as our Official Charity for 2018. The Guilds’ School is a 57-year-old nonprofit that provides a high-quality early-intervention program for children, from birth to age 3, who are impacted by developmental disabilities and delays. The Spokane Guilds’ S c h o o l serves children who were born prematurely, have cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, muscular dystrophy, autism, chromosomal deletions, various syndromes, shaken baby syndrome and general delays.

Guilds’ School staff members are experts at engaging infants and toddlers in activities that seem like play, but are in reality developing brain connections and muscle strength. Having a child with special needs can be expensive. The Guilds’ School relies on caring individuals to make contributions that help cover costs and copays for struggling families and to help fund a wealth of services. Thanks for adding a donation to your Bloomsday entry to show your support for the great work done at the Guilds’ School. 

PEEPS

THE HOME STRETCH

“I

Tyler Byers completed his first Bloomsday at age 5.

t’s that feeling when you’re done with Doomsday Hill and you still have energy. You’re going strong down Broadway, looking good for the crowd, and they’re cheering you on.”

When asked about his ultimate Bloomsday moment, wheelchair athlete Tyler Byers remembers that home stretch the first time he finished under 30 minutes. He remembers his top finish: second place. He also remembers the year a KREM 2 camera man perfectly captured his spectacular, hurtling crash into the bushes.

Born with sacral agenesis, a congenital anomaly in the lower spine, Byers received developmental support from the Guilds’ School and completed his first Bloomsday in 1987, at age 5. In 1992, he was ready to race in the wheelchair division. “At that time, Craig Blanchette was this legend, an eight-time Bloomsday champion. I was a kid, so those athletes left me behind after the

first 30 seconds. But it was pretty cool to at least start with these guys I looked up to.”

Though he’s still a young man, this year’s Bloomsday will be Byers’s 25th time competing in the men’s wheelchair division. A data scientist based in Denver, he has also represented the U.S. in the Paralympics in 2004 and 2008. “Bloomsday is special, but I have to say doing a track race in Beijing in front of 80,000 screaming fans was also pretty unique,” he says.

Though he doesn’t compete as much now — he and his wife, Analee, have four kids age 6 and under — Bloomsday holds a very special place in Byers’s life.

And this year’s race will be even more emotional, because the couple is celebrating a homecoming: Byers has accepted a new job in downtown Spokane, and the couple will soon be returning to their hometown to raise their family here. 

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4 BLOOMSDAY 2018 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

CAMERA READY

GEAR UP

RUNNING IS AN INDUSTRY

N

ot only is Bloomsday one of the biggest races in the country, it also hosts one of the most robust running and fitness industry expos you’ll find anywhere.

The Bloomsday Trade Show takes place on both Friday, May 4 (11:30 am-8 pm) and Saturday, May 5 (9 am-6:30 pm) at the Spokane Convention Center (334 W. Spokane Falls Blvd.) in Exhibit Hall B, which is next to the hall where you’ll go to check in for the race.

At the Trade Show, you’ll find several hundred vendors from across the industry. You can check out the latest shoe designs, learn about training techniques and programs and also buy some gear if it catches your eye. And don’t forget to snap a pic at the Bloomsday Selfie Station! 

Check in for the race — and then check out the massive Bloomsday Trade Show May 4 and 5 at the Spokane Convention Center.

GO GET ‘EM BLOOMIES! Our communities are healthier because of you.

D o n’ t l e t s p r a i n s , s t r a i n s a n d minor injuries slow you down.

GET IMMEDIATE RELIEF AT Providenceexpresscare.org

Official Bloosmday training sponsor this year.

OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLOOMSDAY 2018 5

CHECK THE RESULTS

Watch the Inlander on May 10 for overall Bloomsday 2018 winners, top age finishers, wheelchair winners and Corporate Cup results.

To check your own time, log into bloomsdayrun.org anytime after the race on May 6. Bloomsday and the Inlander will not be publishing a separate post-race results booklet, but all runners’ times are available online.

You’re never really alone when it comes to Bloomsday.

ART OF PERSUASION

NO EXCUSES

Y

ou are a person who loves Bloomsday.

Who wouldn’t? you ask yourself. You even love training for it. For you, a morning person, it’s easy to get out of bed, go on a jog and enjoy the birds chirping, the dogs chasing you, the crisp air filling your chest. And this Bloomsday, with all the nerdy enthusiasm of an overachieving fifth-grader who just studied hard for an exam, you tell yourself that you’re going to rock it.

But you’re getting sick of pretending the thousands of people running with you on Bloomsday are

your running partners. This year, you want your real friends to run with you.

It’s a sad truth, but most people, your friends included, are not like you. To them, the idea of running in an event like Bloomsday sounds like a chore.

Actually practicing running is ridiculous. And it may shock you to learn that they do not consider waking up early on a Sunday and being around thousands of other people “added perks.”

How can you convince them to run with you?

Easy.

We’re here for the long run.

We applaud all participants in the 42nd running of Bloomsday.

We look forward to seeing all of you at the top of Doomsday Hill.

6 BLOOMSDAY 2018 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

It involves some friendly persuasion, maybe a little bit of deception and some light bribery:

PRETEND YOU’RE SAD Go ahead and appeal to their sympathetic side.

Tell them you’re going through a lot right now (because of course you are). Tell them you’re still getting over that break-up from a year ago. Tell them your fish died and you just can’t get over it because it reminded you of a childhood crush. At this hard time in your life, you say, Bloomsday is the only thing

you’re looking forward to. If they’re a real friend, they’ll have no choice.

REMIND THEM THEY NEED EXERCISE Look, there’s a good and bad way to do this. You know they need to exercise more, they know it, everyone knows it. But you can’t just come out and say it. The key here is to be a little passive-aggressive.

Launch into a conversation about how you just can’t get enough exercise, you’re an addict, and then say,

“I wish I was like you and could relax, eat whatever I want and still feel comfortable with myself.”

Sure, they’ll still hate you a little. But it’s subtle enough that they won’t confront you (well, hopefully not), and there’s a chance it motivates them to prove you wrong, by running Bloomsday with you.

GO OUT FOR DRINKS WITH YOUR FRIENDS Take a group of friends out somewhere and buy them drinks. Casually bring up Bloomsday, like it’s

something you’re hardly interested in. “Yeah, I don’t know if I’ll do it this year, I’ve just been super busy lately,” you lie.

A few minutes later, you have an idea: “What if we all do it together?!” You all take a shot. There’s some yelling and high-fiving and enthusiastic nodding. Then, a couple days later, when the hangover has worn off, start a group text and make sure everyone is still in. Someone is bound to respond.

Then, the next thing you know, everyone’s in. 

FUEL YOUR RUN! Best wishes for a great race!

Stop by Safeway & Albertsons before the race and find everything you need to nourish your body, from race day to every day.

Proud sponsors of the 2018 Lilac Bloomsday Run OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLOOMSDAY 2018 7

FULL OF CHARACTERS

ARTS AND VULTURE

I

n the months before Bloomsday, Bill Robinson jogs on the Centennial Trail in a weighted vest, working toward the big day. One key difference between Bill and his fellow joggers: He’s not training to run, but to stand still.

“Wearing a 10-foot-tall vulture costume with a 16-foot wingspan is a serious workout, especially for an old fat man,” he says with a good-natured laugh.

This year’s race will be Robinson’s 31st consecutive year as the Doomsday Hill Vulture. In his early 30s, he built the contraption in a dire effort to win a KZZU Halloween costume contest.

“The year before, I had this great big praying mantis costume, and I was beat out by someone in Gene Simmons Kiss makeup,” he remembers. “So I went bigger, inspired by a close encounter with a turkey vulture I had when I was 12. I built it and won in ’87, with a $500 grand prize. I had spent more than $500 just on adhesives, but that wasn’t the point.”

The vulture was taking up a whole stall in Robinson’s garage, so he decided to use it again in the spring. In a stroke of insight, he connected the vulture with the feeling runners have at the top of Bloomsday’s iconic incline. The rest is history.

“It made more of a splash than I thought it would,” he says. “I had news helicopters hovering overhead, and people just responded to the idea. I knew it would have to be back by popular demand.”

And so, this mild-mannered market researcher

transforms himself yearly into the Doomsday Hill Vulture. Here are some key vulture facts to impress your friends after taking this year’s selfie with the foreboding bird.  The vulture started out far more macabre: sharper beak, threatening talons, fake carrion.

Bill has toned it down to better fit in at a family event.  Many ask if Robinson gets too hot, but his climatecontrol is dialed in. His biggest fear? Wind. “One year, there were 38-mile-per-hour gusts, and I could feel my feet leaving the ground a couple times,” he says. Unlike a real vulture, he has no desire to circle overhead.  He originally planned “an olfactory component” to the Halloween costume, fanning the smell of rotting meat outward for effect. “My handlers wouldn’t go for that,” he says. So he scrapped the idea.  The vulture has even led to a small business: From time to time Robinson specializes in helping create giant-yet-wearable costumes for TV commercials. His proudest accomplishment in that field?

The giant sperm costumes he helped build for an award-winning TV spot. 

®

nakedbreads.com

8 BLOOMSDAY 2018 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

Meet the man inside the bird.

PERENNIALS

AN UNSTOPPABLE FORCE Of the 1,198 finishers of that very first Bloomsday, these 88 hardy souls (soles?) have been back every year. They’re known as “The Perennials” because, wait for it, they “bloom” every year.

PERENNIALS

KEEPING THE STREAK ALIVE

A

s a high school freshman on May 1, 1977, Laurie Rhodes competed in the first Lilac Bloomsday Run as part of a fun hobby she had picked up with her dad, John Black. She hasn’t missed one since, and today, she is the youngest female Bloomsday “Perennial.”

“My dad had picked up running in his 40s, and it became something fun we did together,” Rhodes says. “I’d tag along with him to the Hart Field track to get a run in.

Soon, we were trying longer routes and entering fun runs together.”

Every year, Rhodes gets a bit emotional at the starting line, partly because of all the memories that rush back to her, and partly because of how big the race has become for Spokane. “There’s this tremendous intake

Laurie Rhodes, in 1982.

of emotion to be part of this community event that has become so special to thousands and thousands of people,” she says.

This year, there will be extra emotion.

In late May 2017, Black passed away at 86. Though he had hung up the running shoes in his 70s, this will be Rhodes’s first Bloomsday since his passing.

In their heyday, Rhodes and her dad were competing hard to beat each other, finishing around the 50-minute mark. A favorite memory was her senior year of high school: a well-trained Lewis and Clark cross country runner, she earned household bragging rights by a minute and a half.

“I’ll continue to do it as long as I can, in memory of my dad,” she says. “Hopefully I’ll make it into my seventies, too.” 

Aldrich, Roger Arnold, Marji Arnold, Michael Baker, Dick Barbero, Bob Barbero, Rick Barnes, Bernard Bean, Charles Berg, Gary Bischoff, Max Blessent, John Boucher, Chris Brewster, Robert Bruhn, Dianne Bryan, Carolyn Cadwallader, Richard Carlson, Shelley Chapman, Paul Charbonneau, Jack Clark, Douglas Davidson, George Day, John Douglas, Ron Doyle, Dennis Duncan, Dean Edwards, James Fagan, Mary Felton, Bobby Fleming, Michael

Franklin, Don Gardner, Jon Gillespie, Daniel Gorton, Lawrence Grier, James Haagenson, Dean Hemingway, Terry Hill, Ken Hogue, Mike Howland, Richard Kardong, Don Kenna, Brian Kirpes, Ted Kittredge, Martin Klohe, Von Lalonde, Keith Landers, Rich Law, Keith Leonard, Thomas Macphee, Glen Maudlin, Robert McComas, Floyd McDavis, Bruce McElroy, Wilson McKenna, Michael McMullen, Dennis Moe, Steven Murphy, Thornton Olson-Wood, Kris Palmer, Joel

Parry, James Peters, J. William Peterson, Lawrence Purcell Sr., Lewis Quinn, Patrick Quinn, Sylvia Ray, Maury Rennebohm-Lutz, Sally Rhodes, Laurie Risinger, Roger Rogers, Jack Rusch, Steve Sampson, Linnwood Savka, Nick Serns, Rick Sleeth Jr., Bill Snow, Jeffery Tenold, Jack Thompson, Peter Thornton, Bob Thornton, Bruce Tobey, Michael Trautman, Phil Travis, Lorinda Vigus, Stephen Wendt, Ken Whitten, Terence Williams, Jack Wright, Greg

Official Sponsor of the 42nd Bloomsday Corporate Cup Enjoy participating in this year’s Bloomsday! We love to see our patients and community members flourish, and are inspired to see you stay planted in a healthy and active lifestyle.

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OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLOOMSDAY 2018 9

BLOOMSDAY AND FREE SPEECH At Bloomsday, we pride ourselves in creating a spectacular experience for our participants on one of the most beautiful and music-filled race courses in the country. We are also lucky to have thousands of spectators, families and friends who line the 12k course and cheer Bloomies on their way to earning the coveted Finisher’s T-shirt.

Unfortunately, some of those lining our scenic course route are not applauding. Some are demonstrating for causes or vocalizing beliefs in a way that the great majority of us find to be extremely distasteful and inappropriate for this family event.

While Bloomsday is certainly in agreement that the race day should be free of offensive language and pictures, we do not control areas outside of the race course itself.

On race day, protesters, without our approval, occupy private or public land along the course and exercise their First Amendment rights of free speech.

Thank you for understanding that these activities are in no way condoned, authorized, sanctioned or permitted by the Lilac Bloomsday Association.

— BLOOMSDAY BOARD OF DIRECTORS

MUSIC

LIVE PLAYLIST

B

loomsday is for runners, of course, but it’s also for walkers and joggers and people who simply love a little music with their workout. Each year, some two dozen bands line the course, pumping out everything from classic rock to bluegrass. You can even vote for your favorite race-day band after Bloomsday at bloomsdayrun.org.

have been rs e n n ru ty a e w s ousands of ars now. e Yep. And tens of th y 2 4 n o g in o g r feeling the burn fo n!

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A proud Bloomsday partner since 2005 10 BLOOMSDAY 2018 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

RECORD BOOK

BLOOMSDAY FUN FACTS FASTEST MAN Micah Kogo, Kenya: 33:51 in 2008

FASTEST WOMAN Cynthia Limo, Kenya: 38:05 in 2016 MOST DOMINANT TEAM EWU Red Team is the winner of 21 straight Corporate Cup titles, dating back to 1997 BIGGEST FIELD 56,156 runners and walkers finished the race in 1996 WARMEST BLOOMSDAY The temperature hit 83° during the day of Bloomsday in 1990 IMPRESSIVE RUNS Saul Mendoza won 10 straight men’s wheelchair titles between 1998-2007; Jean Driscoll won 12 straight among women’s wheelchair racers between 1989-2000.

TECHNICALLY SPEAKING

HIGH-TECH MILES

N

ot a whole lot about Bloomsday has changed over the years. The course has mostly remained constant, as have many of the traditions, like tossing your warmup sweatshirt into the trees in the minutes before the race begins.

The technology of Bloomsday, however, has advanced significantly since the late ’70s when runners were funneled through chutes to determine their finishing times. For the past few years, Bloomsday has employed the ChronoTrack timing system that features a computer chip in the back of each participant’s bib to accurately track each racer’s time.

These days, Bloomies, as they’re affectionately known, actually bring their own technology with them. A survey of Bloomsday participants after the 2017 run found that about 72 percent of Bloomies have a smart phone with them during the event, according to Bloomsday race director and founder Don Kardong.

With this in mind, this year’s Bloomsday will have seven

The ChronoTrack timing system accurately tracks each racer’s finishing time.

different SnapChat filters along the course and surrounding events for Bloomies to have a little fun with as they document their race. The location-specific filters feature spots like the starting line, Doomsday Hill, Cemetery Hill, and the finish line, among others.

This year, Bloomsday will again be partnering with Photoboxx to offer runners free souvenir photos directly off of their Twitter or lnstagram accounts. Just include #BloomsdayRun in the description of your social media posts (on public accounts) and Photoboxx will automatically print your photos in under a minute. Photos can be picked up at Photoboxx in the post-finish area next to Spokane Falls Boulevard.

Another high-tech aspect of Bloomsday is the virtual course video for the iPad and Android tablets that allows you to view the course as you’re running on the treadmill. It’s a handy training tool for those rainy days when checking out the course isn’t an appealing option. You can find the video app on the Bloomsday website. 

Putting the finishers’ shirt on your back.

Washington Trust Bank is proud to be the Bloomsday finishers’ shirt sponsor since 2005.

Learn more at watrustology.com OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLOOMSDAY 2018 11

RUNNERS’ HIGH

POST-RACE FUN

It’s called Bloomsday, not Bloomsmorning, so make the most of your time with friends and family after the race. Here are a few things to check out for both locals and outof-towners alike.

 POST RACE PARTY: This will be one of the first things you see after finishing Bloomsday and is certainly worth checking out. There’s a bevy of food vendors, kids activities, entertainment and even a beer garden for you to cool off in. Open until 2 pm. Due to construction in Riverfront Park, most post-race activities will be in the downtown area following T-shirt distribution on Main Avenue.

 WHITWORTH SYMPHONY: You can rest your legs in the historic confines of the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox and relax to the sounds of the Whitworth University Symphony Orchestra at 2 pm.

 JAY LENO: The former Tonight Show funnyman is still touring and has two post-Bloomsday shows (4 pm and 7 pm) at Northern Quest Resort & Casino for you to keep the fun going into the evening.

RUN LOCAL

BREAKOUT TALENT

I

nland Northwest distance die-hards will remember her as Kinsey Gomez, but married now, she goes by Kinsey Middleton. Perhaps when they see her striding among the elite women in this year’s Bloomsday, it will click.

Yep, this is that Kinsey; the Coeur d’Alene High product who won seven state championships as a prep athlete, including the elusive distance triple crown: state titles in cross country and the two longest track events (1600m and 3200m) in a single school year. It’s the same Kinsey who developed into an All-American 10,000m runner at the University of Idaho.

“I started running in kindergarten and have loved the sport ever since,” she says. Today, she is a professional, running for Sketchers Performance and training out of Boise.

Keep an eye out for local star Kinsey Middleton.

Like many local runners, Middleton couldn’t race Bloomsday as a young athlete in the middle of a track season. So she has only run it twice, in seventh and eighth grade. Still, she recognizes the regional importance of the race, and her father, Shaun Gomez, has run it over 20 times.

“Ever since I’ve been a professional, I’ve wanted to race Bloomsday and be a competitive front runner,” says Middleton in an email from the World Half Marathon Championships in Spain.

“I’m so unbelievably excited to toe the line this year with some talented women and run my heart out,” she adds.

As for her father, this year he took himself out of the running. Instead he’ll stand on the sidelines to cheer on his elite daughter. 

All Bloomsday Roads Lead Here.

Proud to be the official headquarter hotel for the 2018 Bloomsday Run.

davenporthotel.com 333 W Spokane Falls Blvd, Spokane, WA 99201 800.918.9344

12 BLOOMSDAY 2018 OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET

THE FINISH LINE

NOT JUST A SHIRT

M

ost road races, be it a fun 5K or a marathon, provide a commemorative T-shirt, typically tucked inside your race packet — almost an afterthought.

Such is not the case with Bloomsday, which has developed a sort mystique around its finisher’s T-shirt that adds yet another layer of excitement to the esteemed event.

“The mystique of the T-shirt has developed over time,” says Bloomsday race director and founder Don Kardong.

First off, the T-shirts are designed through a public call for art some eight months before the race. The winning artist receives $1,000 for their design, and then they’re sworn to secrecy. The artist can’t tell anyone that his or her design has been selected until the first run-

TOP COLORS

Every year, guessing the color of the official Bloomsday finisher’s shirt is the talk of the town. Here’s a look at the most frequently used colors over the past 41 races — plus a few one-hit wonders: Green: 8 Blue: 8 White: 4

ner crosses the finish line — because unlike other races, Bloomsday shirts are only distributed to finishers of the race, not merely those who bothered to sign up.

“We did have a finisher shirt the very first year, but there was no secret to either the design or the color,” says Kardong. “The secret just sort of developed over a number of years, and now it’s a big part of the fun.”

The shirts have engendered traditions of their own. If you drive by the Bloomsday runner statues at the southwest corner of Riverfront Park in the days before Bloomsday, you’ll see the 40 statues decked out in shirts from previous years’ races. This is the handiwork of Lala Gerber, who has been dressing the statues for more than 20 years and relies on donated shirts from the public to keep the tradition going.

There are also people like Diane Cronin of Spokane who have also gotten creative with the shirts. When her mother, Shirley Arnold, decided to hang up her shoes after 31 years of finishing Bloomsday last year, Cronin made a quilt from all of the shirts that accumulated over the years.

Kardong says there have been times over the long history of the event when they considered just handing out shirts at registration, but that the idea was quickly shot down.

In the end, tradition won out and finishers of Bloomsday 2018 will again get their shirt after the finish line. Then, of course, keeping with another tradition, many of those folks will wear their new and hard-earned shirt to work or school the following day.

“Most people collect the shirts, maybe just wear them once. But some people wear them until they wear out,” says Kardong.  Keep in mind: T-shirt distribution will be on Main Avenue as it was in 2017. Due to construction in Riverfront Park, most post-race activities will be in the downtown area following T-shirt distribution.

Orange: 1 (in 2006) Salmon: 1 (in 1989) Khaki: 1 (in 1997)

THE OFFICIAL FINISHER T-SHIRT OF THE 42ND ANNUAL BLOOMSDAY TM RUN

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OFFICIAL SOUVENIR BOOKLET BLOOMSDAY 2018 13

NEED TO KNOW

START TIME

Bloomsday begins at 9 am. Depending on your ability level and classification, you may cross the starting line after that time, but don’t be late.

GETTING THERE

Because of both the number of participants and the extensive road closures for the race, you might want to avoid parking downtown for Bloomsday. Spokane Transit Authority offers shuttle buses from the following locations from 6:20 am to 8:30 am on race day: • Spokane Valley Mall • Eastern Washington University (Cheney Campus) • Ferris High School • NorthTown Mall

MILE 3 START

The shuttle is $1.75 round trip per person and passes are available at Bloomsday check-in both Friday and Saturday at the STA booth or online when you register.

DOOMSDAY HILL

S ALL GE NE FCOLLE A K SPOUNIT Y M O C M

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14 BLOOMSDAY 2018 SOUVENIR BOOKLET

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OFFICIAL EVENT GUIDE BLOOMSDAY 2018 15

You do the hard part, we’ll do the rest.

Skip the fuss of downtown parking.

Whether you walk, run, roll or sprint, let Spokane Transit get you to Bloomsday easier.

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Questions? Need an all-day Bloomsday transit pass? Visit us at the tradeshow.

On race day, park at one of our designated lots.

Ride the shuttle to and from downtown.

Plan your trip to the race:

SpokaneTransit.com/Bloomsday Kids under 6 ride free.

Proudly Serves: Spokane, University District, Liberty Lake, Spokane Valley, Millwood, Airway Heights, Fairchild Air Force Base, Medical Lake, Cheney and other parts of Spokane County. (509) 325-6000 | SpokaneTransit.com