The Washington State Department of Revenue has issued a directive that fees charged to participate in an athletic activity are subject to state sales tax. However, state law also provides an exemption from sales tax for entry fees for fund-raising events. Whether entry fees for Bloomsday and other athletic events organized by 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations fall under this exemption is still under consideration by the Department of Revenue. For now, the Bloomsday entry fee has been raised to include any applicable sales tax that may be charged by the State of Washington.
The course closes at 1:30 p.m., or when the sweep vehicle passes, whichever comes first. If you haven't reached the finish line by that time, you can keep going as long as you move off the roadway onto the sidewalk. Traffic will be allowed back on the streets, volunteers will begin cleaning up and packing up, but you can keep going anyway. Just move to the sidewalk and follow all traffic laws while completing your journey.
If you complete the course after the finish line has closed and you don't receive a T-shirt, please contact the Bloomsday office after Tuesday to make arrangements for your shirt.
Downtown businesses are open and eager for visitors on Bloomsday weekend, and there's plenty of parking. Plan to do some shopping or dining, then drop by the Convention Center to pick up your race number. Click for downtown Spokane parking information. For information on parking close to the Convention Center, click here.
Parking is more limited on Bloomsday morning due to street closures, but there are a number of options. Many downtown parking lots are open, and the Spokane Arena also has parking available (just a short walk through Riverfront Park to the starting areas). In addition, thousands of Bloomies take special bus shuttles to and from the start/finish each year. If you'd like to join them, contact STA at 509-328-RIDE, or visit the STA booth at the Bloomsday Trade Show for information and tickets.
Your shirt is your reward for finishing the Lilac Bloomsday Run. If you can't participate, you will not be able to get a shirt. This isn't meant to be punitive or exclusionary, just a way of preserving the notion that the T-shirt is an award for reaching the finish line.
Bloomsday starts in waves. The first few groups are competitive wheelchair racers, beginning at 8:40 a.m. They're followed at 8:45 by elite (prize money) women. The first large group, which includes Elite, Second Seed, and Corporate Cup starts at 9:00 a.m. Entrants with yellow, green, orange, blue and red numbers start at intervals after that (to be determined on race morning). Timing of each runner will begin when he/she crosses the starting line, and ends when he/she crosses the finish.
For more information on Bloomsday starting procedures and estimated starting times for different color groups, click here.
Yes! Bloomsday encourages the participation of anyone capable of completing the 12-kilometer distance, including children. Running is a safe activity, and every year thousands of kids successfully run, jog or walk the Bloomsday course. At a time when youth fitness nationally is in decline, parents in the Spokane region have a great opportunity to motivate kids by encouraging them to get in shape to complete the 7.46-mile Bloomsday Run. We leave it to parents and guardians to decide whether a child is mature enough to enjoy the challenge, and sufficiently trained and capable of going the distance.
But please note: To make sure kids have a safe and positive experience, Bloomsday discourages participants age 12 and younger from competing for a fast time or place. While we know competition can be a great motivator and lots of fun, the large number of adult runners in Bloomsday increases the risk to children who are trying to run as fast as possible. In addition, anecdotal evidence indicates that competition over long distances does not help prepubescent youngsters develop into more successful adolescent or adult runners, and more often leads to early "burn-out." Kids are also more susceptible to heat-related problems, and when the urge to compete overrides the body’s signals to slow down, trouble lies ahead.
For these reasons, Bloomsday believes that participation for those age 12 and under should focus on enjoyment rather than competition. Going the distance is the key, and preparation is encouraged. To underscore this, Bloomsday will not seed runners to the front of the pack until they’re at least 13 years of age, no matter how talented they are. In addition, Bloomsday will not publish comparative placing in divisions below age 13. In our book, every kid who runs, jogs, walks or wheels 7.46 miles is a winner. And we encourage parents to make sure that message comes through loud and clear.
Yes, you can purchase STA passes at the STA booth at Check-In (Friday, May 4th, 11:30 a.m. - 8:00 p.m., or Saturday, May 5th, 9:00 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.) You can also pay for the STA shuttle on race morning, but the cost is $1.50 each way, and exact change is required.
The Bloomsday Food Court in Riverfront Park after the run functions on a cash only basis. No passes are sold in advance, so remember to bring some cash.
No. Bloomsday numbers are not like a ticket to a show or concert. We need to know that the person with the number is the same person whose name and information is in our database. This is a matter of safety. Also, running with another person's number ruins the race results, since the person using the number might be a different gender and age from the person who originally entered.
If someone else wears your number, there is a possibility that that person and YOU will both be disqualified from running Bloomsday for up to five years.
Due to the method used to process entries that are mailed, we can't keep groups together for entries that arrive in the mail. Mailed entries are seeded individually based on information we have for each entrant and the amount of space available for each color group at the start. Unfortunately, this sometimes means runners who mail in their entries together and list the same estimated finish time may be seeded into different color groups.
The simplest way to keep a group of runners together is for everyone to enter online at the same time (or for the same person to do all the registrations for the group), because there's a way for us to keep online registrants together (see instructions during the online entry process). In that case, your group will all be seeded to the color group of the person in your group with the slowest qualifying time.
If you pick up your number at Check-In and you find that you’re not in the same group with people you want to participate with, keep in mind that you’re allowed to move BACK to a color group that starts later than yours. You can’t move forward to a faster color group, but it’s fine to move back. So if members of your group don’t have the same color, you don’t need to do anything other than move back on race morning to the color group of the member of your group who starts latest.
If moving back isn’t an acceptable solution for some reason, please ask volunteers at the Solutions desk at Check-In for assistance.
Yellow Start-Special Notice:
The Yellow starting group will only be available to runners who have run 1:12 or faster in any Bloomsday since 2008 to the present. If you have a qualifying time and list an estimated finish time of 1:12 or faster when you enter, yellow seeding should be automatically assigned to you.
If you do not have a Bloomsday time (2008-2011) that is under 1:12, you may still qualify for the Yellow start by providing proof of your recent participation (within the past two years) in any accurately measured race 5 miles or longer, with a finishing time averaging 9:40 pace or better. After entering Bloomsday through the mail or online, mail verification separately (copy of results) to: Bloomsday Seeding Committee, 1610 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane, WA 99201. This information must be received at the Bloomsday office by April 23.
You may also be able to receive Yellow seeding by bringing verification of recent qualifying performances to the Solutions desk at Bloomsday Check-In on race weekend.
They're welcome! For safety reasons, operators and occupants of strollers, Baby Joggers, and non-competitive wheelchairs MUST line up in the Red section and MUST WALK the entire course. In addition, anyone with a Red number, even if not pushing a stroller or chair, must walk the entire course. Any operator or occupant of a stroller or wheelchair, and anyone wearing a red number, whose net finish time is faster than 1:40 will not be timed and may be disqualified.
Also, both operators and occupants must be officially entered by paying the entry fee. That way everyone's time will be recorded, and everyone will receive a finisher's T-shirt. Your infant or toddler may not be able to wear that shirt now, but he or she will thank you for it later!
You'll receive this information when you pick up your runner number on Bloomsday weekend. For a schedule of when you can pick up your number, click here.
The Lilac Bloomsday Run has been held in all kinds of weather, so dress accordingly. Average temperature at the start is approximately 50 degrees, but it has occasionally been in the high 70s. We have also started with snow on the streets.
We don't ever anticipate having to cancel or reschedule Bloomsday. However, it's conceivable that there may one day be conditions--either because of extreme weather or due to some other unforseen difficulty--that will cause the run to be cancelled. This will only be done if, in the judgment of the Lilac Bloomsday Association, holding the event would risk the health or safety of participants.
Yes, all participants, whether running, walking or being pushed MUST register for Bloomsday. We have youth medium and youth large shirts for young registrants. Your infant may not be able to wear that shirt now, but he or she will thank you for it some day!
Water stations are located periodically along the course. Both sides of the street will have water. The 1st water aid station is at Greenwood Cemetery, the 2nd at Spokane Falls Community College, 3rd is at the top of Pettet (Doomsday) hill. The 4th is on Broadway & Nettleton. The 5th is located past the finish line, before the T-shirt distribution areas. For more info.
Only Corporate Cup participants and Elite Athletes with race numbers under 500 will have their stuff held. All others should come dressed and ready to run.
Medical Aid stations are spread throughout the course, either right before or just past each water aid station. There are five Medical Aid stations along the course, one at the finish line, and one in Riverfront Park. Look for Medical Aid banners. Medical Aid volunteers will be wearing red vests.
T-shirts are awarded only to finishers, not entrants. T-shirt distribution is located a short distance after the finish line. All T-shirt lines have all sizes. Only one shirt per person. Each finisher must pick up his/her own T-shirt. Please have the T-shirt tag removed from your runner number and ready to turn in to volunteers. No tag, no T-shirt!
Official Bloomsday merchandise will be for sale at the Bloomsday Trade Show on Bloomsday weekend. Click the Bloomsday Gear button on our website for more information.
