Bloomsday Launches Registration January 1
Thursday, December 31, 2020
For Immediate Release—December 31, 2020
BLOOMSDAY 2021 WILL BE A VIRTUAL RACE
Registration Kicks-Off With Race Officials Naming This Year’s Event “Bloomsday Worldwide”
Spokane, WA— The 45th running of Bloomsday - - dubbed “Bloomsday Worldwide” for its surprise global popularity in 2020 - - kicks-off registration on January 1, 2021. The entry fee will remain the same low price of just under $25 and the always celebrated finisher shirt will be mailed to finishers. Bloomsday entrants will be able to complete their 12k run or walk from Friday, April 30 through Sunday, May 9th.
To sign up for Bloomsday, go to www.bloomsdayrun.org. Registration will be exclusively online in 2021.
Entrants signing up for Bloomsday 2021 will receive a $10 off coupon from Safeway | Albertson’s grocery stores and also a $10 off coupon from ACE Hardware stores.
Bloomsday race officials had hoped to hold an in-person race this spring. However, the health crisis that continues to grip our nation has altered those plans for a community event as big as Bloomsday.
“Bloomsday will always be remembered for the gathering of 40,000 of your closest friends, family and neighbors,” said Mark Starr, Lilac Bloomsday Association President. “We miss those days and likewise miss high fives with the Doomsday Hill vulture, the friendly smile of 5,000 volunteers, and the electricity of race day. We look forward to getting back to those times as quickly as we can when state, city and health district officials say it is safe to do so. That may not be as early as this spring, but we are certainly looking forward to our full event in 2022. The safety of our participants, volunteers, and community will always be our top priority.”
Bloomsday 2020 was held in a virtual format and the 44-year tradition of awarding a finisher shirt was preserved. The event, which had approximately 26,000 entrants, was embraced not only by the Spokane community, but also runners and walkers from across the U.S. and the world. In total, more than 20 nations were represented. Given this global reach, the name Bloomsday Worldwide was born.
“The Bloomsday community was incredible in 2020,” said Bloomsday Race Director Jon Neill. “From homemade finish lines, to vulture replicas perched on steep hills, to families wearing their race numbers, to the inspiring destinations where they ran, we loved the enthusiasm and energy from our participants and volunteers. And along the way we were greeted with something fairly unexpected - - participation around the world. Bloomsday spirit swept the globe and finisher shirts are now worn in faraway places like Japan, Sweden, France, Switzerland, and China.”
For the 2021 virtual format, Bloomsday race officials have again prioritized the most time-honored traditions: the finisher shirt, race bib, the opportunity to run Bloomsday on the first Sunday in May, and the always popular finisher postcard.
Here are some of the great features for Bloomsday 2021:
- Entry fee of $24.49 and includes $10 Safeway | Albertson’s grocery coupon and $10 ACE Hardware coupon.
- Personalized race bib. Register by March 13, 2021 and your name will be printed on your souvenir race number. See this year’s design at bloomsdayrun.org
- Souvenir medal and shirts are available for purchase during the registration process with designs from local artists - Emerald Rose Dumas, Chris Bovey, Steve Kutsch, Donna Lange, Tom Plumb, and John Mujica.
Bloomsday Worldwide will work like this:
- Runners or walkers sign up for the race on the Bloomsday website. The special edition race bib and $10 coupons will be mailed to entrants in early April.
- Between Friday, April 30th and Sunday, May 9th participants run or walk any 12km (7.46 Mile) course of their choosing. The course can be anywhere in Spokane or around the world!
- Upon finishing their 12K, finishers report their time on the Bloomsday Results Portal on the Bloomsday website. The portal will open on April 30th.
- In approximately late May, the official finisher shirt and postcard is mailed to all finishers.
Ronald McDonald House Charities of the Inland Northwest will again be the official charity partner of Bloomsday 2021. Through generous donations from Bloomsday entrants and the sale of limited-edition socks, $33,000 was raised for the RMH charity in 2020. Bloomsday participants will again have the opportunity to donate during the registration process.
Bloomsday also wishes to thank its Major Sponsors, whose commitment over the years has allowed Bloomsday to remain as Spokane’s beloved community event: Washington Trust Bank, Premera Blue Cross, Providence Health Care, Franz, Inlander, Fleet Feet Spokane, Brooks, Washington State Potato Commission, Safeway, Albertsons, Gee Buick GMC, Northwest Orthopaedic Specialists, Davenport Hotels, TDS Fiber, Itron, and Spokane Tribe Casino.
For more information about Bloomsday, go to www.bloomsdayrun.org
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