Registrations keep rolling in for 50th running of Bloomsday this weekend

Each tick of the clock brings Spokane's parade of runners closer.

More than 41,000 runners, joggers and stroller-walkers are registered for the 50th running of Bloomsday, and race organizers are ready to welcome them, said Lilac Bloomsday Association spokesperson Bethany Lueck. The 2026 registrations thus far have outpaced the year prior by more than 5,000, she said.

"We're just excited to have people back on the streets," Lueck said. "Personally for me it's just fun to hear random stories from folks who haven't done it since 1986, who are coming back now."

It's not too late to register; the cut off for online registration through bloomsdayrun.org is Saturday at 5:30 pm. Runners can begin picking up their bibs Friday, from 11:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., at the Spokane Convention Center. There also will be availability 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.

The race will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday with rolling starts for assigned groups.

The weather will favor spectators, but may add a degree of difficulty for race participants, said elite race organizer Andy LeFriec. The National Weather Service forecast for Sunday calls for a high near 80 degrees with limited cloud cover.

Still, LeFriec said he prefers the sunshine to 2024's rainy weather.

"The weather is going to be so nice for all of us, maybe a little hot for the elites," LeFriec said. "But we'll give that up and let all the masses, including me, enjoy a really nice day in the park."

Registration for the elite races is up from the year prior as well, with the women's and men's fields featuring a number of international and local talents, like Gonzaga University and Lewis and Clark High School alum Wil Smith. Smith, the first in Gonzaga program history to run a sub 4-minute mile, will be making his professional racing debut.

LeFriec said Smith will wear bib No. 7; lower number bids are reserved for the most competitive athletes.

"It's maybe the highest bib number ever worn by a Spokane resident," he said.

Following the race, spectators and Bloomies alike are invited to mark the 50th anniversary at a three-hour block party in Kendall Yards starting at 1 p.m. The event will include four stages featuring live music, free massages, food vendors and a Bloomsday history exhibit.

"It'll be a continuation of the party," Lueck said.

Lueck also encouraged local residents to visit the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture's exhibit "14 Million Miles: 50 Years of Bloomsday" while they still can. The exhibit, which explores the race's impact over the last several decades, ends on race day.

"I'm looking forward to the 50th year; it's going to be outstanding," LeFriec said. "Our registration is up. Hopefully it's climbing even higher, and we're going to have one of the best Bloomsdays ever."

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This story was originally published April 30, 2026 at 11:42 PM.