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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Bloomsday ‘96 Finale Of New Pro Race Circuit

Dave Trimmer Staff Writer

It may not seem possible that Bloomsday could get any bigger, but it certainly appears that is the case.

This year Bloomsday is one of 14 qualifying races for the inaugural 1996 PRRO World Road Running Championships that culminates with a championship race next year - at Bloomsday.

The Professional Road Running Organization (PRRO) organized this year and is based in Boulder, Colo., where PRRO president Bill Reef lives.

Becoming a championship race will double the Bloomsday prize money from $50,000 for the open men and women combined to $100,000.

The championship event is the finale to a $1 million, 12-stop PRRO Championship Circuit. Two races have already been held and will be run again before Bloomsday next year.

To qualify for the championship, runners must compete in at least seven of the races, which vary in distance from 4 miles to marathons, and accumulate points. The top 15 or 20 qualify for the championship.

Don Kardong of the Lila Bloomsday Association is PRRO vice president. He is a former president of the American Road Racing Association and lines up the elite runners for Bloomsday.

After Bloomsday next year, the finals will be the Quad City Times Bix 7-Mile in Davenport, Iowa, in 1997 and the Bolder Boulder 10K in Boulder, in 1998. Bloomsday will remain as one of the qualifying races.

The other nine qualifying races are in Houston, Washington, D.C.; Peoria, Ill.; Atlanta; Utica, N.Y.; Flint, Mich.; Philadelphia; Minneapolis-St. Paul; and Tulsa, Okla.