Bloomsday A Novel But Shared Idea Bloomies, Meet Leopold Bloom Of James Joyce’s ‘Ulysses’

We know how Spokane celebrates Bloomsday, but how about the rest of the world?

In addition to being the largest timed race in the world, Bloomsday also is a holiday in Ireland, Australia and other parts of the globe.

The other Bloomsday honors Irish writer James Joyce, author of “Ulysses.”

The hero of the book, which was published in 1922, is Leopold Bloom, the holiday’s namesake.

While Spokane stages Bloomsday on May 4 this year, the rest of the world celebrates it on June 16, the day on which the novel’s events take place.

In Spokane, people run on Bloomsday. In Edinburgh or Sydney, people read or talk about Joyce’s work. They have festivals where people eat kidneys - Leopold Bloom’s favorite food - and drink Irish whiskey. They also host marathon readings of “Ulysses.”

Outside of Spokane, Bloomsday also is “a day to show off knowledge of Joyce,” wrote Colin Lacey in the The Irish Voice.

“In theory,” Lacey writes, “Bloomsday exists to recognize Joyce as an undisputed heavyweight champion of the literary arena.”

Spokane’s race came from the same novel. In “Ulysses,” Leopold Bloom lives heroically for a day by running a 12K road race. Don Kardong, who founded Spokane’s Bloomsday 21 years ago, had the book in mind when he started the annual event.

By the way, “Ulysses” usually takes at least 24 hours to read. Bloomsday - the race - can be finished in an hour.

Bloomsday’s no freebie. Still, more than 400 people sent their registration forms this year without checks.

If you’re one of them, you have until Friday to send your $8, Bloomsday officials said. After that, you’ll have to pay the $25 late-registration fee.

Checks may be sent to the Bloomsday office, 1610 W. Riverside Ave., Spokane, WA 99201.

Sometimes, it’s the little things that count - little things like safety pins.

Bloomsday wants your extra pins this year to attach race numbers to T-shirts.

During Bloomsday Check-In on May 2 and 3, people can drop off No. 1-size safety pins at the Spokane Convention Center. Volunteers will be collecting them in a bin near the information booth.

“People who do a lot of runs tend to collect them,” said Karen Heaps, the race coordinator. “If you’ve got any extra, we’ll take them.”

Need more tips on how to run the race? Check out “How to Survive Bloomsday,” a free health education program offered by Huckleberry’s Fresh Market.

The program, which is part of the store’s Healthy Living and Lifestyle Lecture series, will be held April 30 from 7:30 to 9 p.m. at the 926 S. Monroe St. store.

Mark Springer, an expert in sports injuries, will talk about prevention and treatment of running injuries before, during and after the race.

Reservations are advised. Call 624-1349.

Before the race, be sure to fill up on enough carbohydrates.

Several local churches are sponsoring spaghetti dinners the night before Bloomsday:

Saturday, May 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. at Millwood Community Presbyterian Church, 3223 N. Marguerite St. A dessert auction will take place during dinner. Cost is $16 per family (two adults and any number of kids); $5 for adults; $4 for seniors; and $3 for kids 5 to 12. Call 924-2350 for more information.

Saturday, May 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. at St. Luke Church, 9704 N. Division. Cost is $10 per family, $3 per person. For more information, call 467-5256.

On Sunday, the day of the race, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 1620 N. Monroe St., will hold a brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Suggested donation is $8 per person and $5 for children under 12. Call 327-9539 for reservations.

For those Bloomies who would rather ride their bikes to the start of the race, the Spokane Bicycle Club is providing free, attended bike parking in Riverfront Park. The Bike Corral, located in the Central Meadow across from the YMCA, will be open on race day from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Bring a bike lock for extra security.

, DataTimes