Weather forecast perfect for Bloomsday 2015
The newly expanded Spokane Convention Center offers plenty of elbow room for Bloomies picking up their race day numbers this weekend.
On Friday, a steady stream of race participants filed into the Convention Center to claim their race bibs and packets.
“We had a big rush at 11 (a.m.) when we first opened,” said Rand Palmer, a Bloomsday race official, but the rush turned into a steady parade by afternoon.
The 39th Lilac Bloomsday Run had drawn 44,880 registrations as of about 2:30 p.m. Friday, with as many as 1,500 additional late registrations possible.
If those numbers hold, it will be the fourth consecutive year registrations have gone down. Last year, there were 49,094 registrations, and in 2011 Bloomsday had one of its biggest years ever, with 56,652 registrations.
The peak registration was 61,298 in 1996.
Typically, the number of finishers is between 4,000 and 5,000 fewer people than the number who register.
Early registration costs $18, while a late registration is $35.
The National Weather Service has said that this year’s Bloomsday will have the nicest weather in at least six years.
Sunday should start out cool and mostly sunny but warm up quickly by race time. The forecast was calling for a temperature of 41 degrees at 7 a.m., climbing to 51 degrees when the starting gun goes off.
A light northeast wind of 5 to 6 mph should be blowing early but die down by 11 a.m.
The temperature should reach 64 by noon on the way to a high of 71. The chance of precipitation is zero under partly cloudy skies. Bloomsday participants in 2013 and 2014 had to contend with strong wind.
Bloomsday is providing a shuttle bus today from the Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena to the Convention Center to help ease traffic congestion.
Spokane Transit Authority is also providing shuttles on race day. STA staff is at the trade show selling $1.50 round-trip stickers.
Shuttles on Sunday will be inbound from 6:30 to 8 a.m. and outbound from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Shuttles are originating from the Spokane Valley Mall near the Hong Kong Buffet; Ferris High School near 37th and Regal; NorthTown Mall near Lidgerwood and Wellesley; and Eastern Washington University at the Red Barn in Cheney.
The trade show once again featured an array of products from sunglasses to shoes.
A Swiss shoe company was showing off its “cloud tech” sole featuring loops of rubber fused to the soles. “It’s a nice rebound,” said Swiss Engineering representative Sean Ross of the shoe’s springboard action.
On the back side of the trade show, Dave Durand was taking registrations for the fifth annual Vancouver Marathon on June 21. The event is paired with a three-day Summer Brewfest from June 19 to 21.
Durand, a former Spokane resident, said two runners from Spokane had signed up by Friday afternoon.
He said he plans to participate in Bloomsday as well. “I grew up here,” he said. “I love it.”