Family Fun: Bloomsday options for every age

It’s spring. In Spokane, that means it’s time to train for Bloomsday.

“In deciding to do Bloomsday this spring, one of the things we wanted to do was keep tradition,” said race director Jon Neill.

And though the pandemic means that the 45th race can’t happen all it once, with tens of thousands of people crowding into downtown Spokane to start on the first Sunday in May, Neill said it was important to keep that time frame, which is why this year’s virtual race window is April 30 to May 9.

Participants can run or walk their 7.46-mile route anywhere. After last year’s virtual race, it was “so much fun to see the pictures of families doing it together and putting on their race bibs,” Neill said.

“Even though we’re not able to hold it in person, they still make the event official.”

The Bloomsday team also brought back modified versions of Junior Bloomsday and Marmot March.

So, lace up your running shoes and check out the various options this year for all ages.

Junior Bloomsday

This year’s version of Junior Bloomsday features lots of incentives for kids to get out and moving. And, it’s a race to get registered: Monday is the deadline.

The goal, Neill said, is “to get kids engaged with fitness again, get them active and back outdoors.”

It’s a hybrid of the Fit for Bloomsday program that happened at area elementary schools and the regular Junior Bloomsday, Neill said. During the month of April, kids ages 8-14 will track their runs on a calendar, then turn it in at the end in early May for prizes.

To count as a running day, kids need to run, walk or jog for at least 10 minutes.

Prizes will be awarded in five-day increments, and the days don’t have to be consecutive. For five days, they win a Slush from Sonic; at 10 days, add Ben & Jerry’s ice cream; at 15 days, a Papa Murphy’s mini-pizza; and at 20 days, a Silverwood pass. Registrants also receive a Junior Bloomsday T-shirt.

Neill said it’s both a way to get kids active and teach goal-setting.

“You can be active, you can have fun,” Neill said. “Then at the end, there’s a special prize so they can be rewarded for their hard work.”

Kids are also encouraged to decorate their calendars. Neill said Bloomsday would be featuring the artwork on their social media accounts, and the top three calendars will win a Bloomsday Vulture shirt.

Registration: $20, deadline is Monday. Calendars will be emailed on Wednesday so that families can start tracking activity Thursday. Completed calendars must be returned May 3-7 by mail or email. Visit bloomsdayrun.org/registration/junior-bloomsday for more information.

Marmot March

This 1-mile walk, jog or run is a “fun introduction to Bloomsday for families,” Neill said.

Usually, it’s held the Saturday before Bloomsday. This year, families get to choose their own course between April 30 and May 9. Participants will receive a finisher shirt and fabric pens to decorate it, plus other prizes.

Registration: $18, deadline is April 12. Families will need to pick up race packets in Spokane at a to-be-announced time and place. Visit bloomsdayrun.org/marmot-march for more information.

Bloomsday

The most difficult part of doing Bloomsday this year might be choosing your route.

Last year, Neill and his wife ran the traditional course very early in the morning on the first Sunday in May. Later in the year for virtual Bloomsday, they did parts of the course, but mixed in some time on the Centennial Trail.

“That was really fun,” he said. “I hit favorite parts of the course while also seeing other parts of the city.”

For people who do the Bloomsday route, Neill cautions that the course will be open to traffic, so be mindful, pay attention and use sidewalks.

Also, there won’t be water aid stations, so plan accordingly.

For people creating their own course, Neill says to check it out beforehand. Drive, bike or walk sections of it to get familiar with the terrain.

“That’s what’s really important, knowing is it pavement the entire way, what do the hills look like,” he said. That way, you don’t get out there and realize, “This is a bear of a course.”

Registration: $24.49 by April 17, $34.99 by May 9. Finishers will receive the 2021 finisher’s shirt. Visit bloomsdayrun.org for more information.

Bloomsdog

Neill said race organizers heard from lots of participants in the 2020 virtual race who completed their runs with their dogs.

They said, “I get the Bloomsday finisher shirt … shouldn’t my dog be able to get something, too?” Neill said.

So, this year there’s a Bloomsdog race kit with a souvenir number, a medal (basically an oversized dog tag, Neill said), a snack and a $1 off coupon for Ben & Jerry’s doggie dessert.

Registration: $15, kit mailed in early April if purchased by Wednesday. Visit bloomsdayrun.org/bloomsdog for more information.