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. Registration peaked in 1996 at 61,298 with 56,156 finishers. Lineth Chepkurui set an unofficial 12 km world record in the 2010 women's race.
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 . Veronica Loleo, of Kenya, broke the Women's course record by one hundredth of a second in 2025. Loleo navigated the 49th annual edition in 38:00.02. The previous best, 38:00.03, was set in 2016 by Cynthia Limo.
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, and the third in 1979 was over ten thousand, with fifty thousand spectators lining the streets. The sixth edition in 1982 had over 22,000, and despite rain and some snow, there were over 30,000 in 1984.
The early editions were around in length. A new course was introduced
Course 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.
Results YearDate(s)RegistrantsFinishersMen's winnerCountryTimeWomen's winnerCountryTime2025May 432,92630,029Patrick Kiprop34:08Veronica Loleo38:00.022024May 532,000+27,889Tebello Ramakongoana34:40Sarah Naibei 39:002023May 730,000+25,882Jemal Yimer (2)33:58Yeshi Kalayu38:492022May 124,09621,088Charles Wanjiku35:08Biruktayit Degefa38:47April 28 - May 85,4485,276N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A2021April 30 - May 928,82423,029N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A2020September 18-20*21,14920,999N/AN/AN/AN/AN/AN/A2019May 538,55935,244Gabriel Geay34:50Rosemary Wanjiru39:06 2018May 641,70238,210 Jemal Yimer Buze Diriba (2) 2017May 742,98639,371 Gabriel Geay Buze Diriba 2016May 146,56643,018 Philip Langat Cynthia Limo (2) 2015May 346,91443,026 Lani Rutto Cynthia Limo 2014May 449,09444,681 Allan Kiprono (2) Mary Wacera 2013May 551,61347,298 Belete Assefa Buzunesh Deba 2012May 653,29648,229 Allan Kiprono Mamitu Daska 2011May 156,65251,303 Simon Ndirangu Misiker Mekonnen 2010May 255,09050,721 Peter Kirui Lineth Chepkurui (3) 2009May 351,25945,477 John Yuda Lineth Chepkurui 2008May 447,52843,640 Micah Kogo Lineth Chepkurui 39:47 2007May 644,18040,362 John Korir (3) 34:18 Edna Kiplagat 38:52 2006May 744,75640,809 Gilbert Okari 34:14 Isabella Ochichi 38:38 2005May 143,84240,012 John Korir 34:16 Asmae Leghzaoui 39:33 2004May 243,51439,695 Simon Wangai 34:59 Albina Ivanova 39:22 2003May 444,64140,027 John Korir 34:16 Lyudmila Biktasheva 40:01 2002May 551,28245,775 James Koskei 34:25 Colleen De Reuck 38:53 2001May 649,53245,346 Dominic Kirui 34:30 Elana Meyer 39:24 2000May 750,40145,538 Reuben Cheruiyot 34:10 Jane Omoro (3) 40:08 1999May 253,89847,215 Joshua Chelanga 34:18 Jane Omoro 39:37 1998May 353,38948,453 Hezron Otwori 34:23 Jane Omoro 40:14 1997May 455,27049,467 Lazarus Nyakeraka (2) 34:19 Kim Jones 40:34 1996May 561,29856,156 Lazarus Nyakeraka 34:07 Colleen De Reuck 38:48 1995May 759,10054,154 Josphat Machuka (2) 33:52 Delillah Asiago 38:31 1994May 160,03755,195 Josphat Machuka 34:10 Olga Appell 38:57 1993May 257,68053,206 Arturo Barrios 33:55 Anne Marie Letko 39:19 1992May 357,65153,303 Yobes Ondieki 33:55 Lisa Ondieki 39:02 1991May 560,10455,794 Steve Moneghetti 34:52 Lisa Weidenbach 40:03 1990May 654,86951,122 Germán Silva 34:42 Anne Audain (7) 39:40 1989May 756,28052,457 John Halvorsen 34:21 Lynn Williams 39:30 1988May 157,29853,155 Peter Koech 34:22 Anne Audain 39:35 1987May 354,26150,946 Steve Binns 34:38 Lesley Welch 39:22 1986May 448,40645,541 Jon Sinclair 34:25 Anne Audain 38:48 1985May 539,66237,736 Paul Davies-Hale 34:27 Anne Audain 39:20 1984May 633,31230,463 Ibrahim Hussein 34:33 Regina Joyce 40:28 1983May 128,17325,932 Jon Sinclair 34:55 Anne Audain 39:29 1982May 222,21020,540 Henry Rono 35:49 Anne Audain 40:02 1981May 317,00015,546 Duncan McDonald 35:34 Anne Audain 41:54 1980May 413,57611,962 Mark Anderson 36:22 Gail Volk 46:27 1979May 610,08210,070 Ric Rojas 37:07 Cathy Twomey 43:56 1978May 75,4605,024 Bill Rodgers 37:07 Marty Cooksey 43:24 1977May 11,4001,198 Frank Shorter 38:26 Joan Ullyot 53:26 *Delay due to COVID-19 pandemic. First virtual race. Key: Early editions were around in length.
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