Inaugural 4-mile Boulevard Race raises money for cancer fund, attracts more than 2,000 participants

More than 2,000 runners and walkers of all ages whizzed through downtown streets Sunday morning, competing in the inaugural Boulevard footrace.

The 4-mile course started near the Centennial Hotel, then racers zoomed through downtown Spokane and into Browne’s Addition before turning around and jetting back to Riverfront Park for a victorious finish. The quickest racers cleared the course in just under 18 minutes.

While sprinters were able to conquer the flat, paved course quickly, others like volunteer Lala Gerber, who also volunteers at Bloomsday, opted to walk in the rear of the pack for a more leisurely experience. The unintimidating 4-mile route drew many who wouldn’t otherwise lace up their sneakers for a footrace.

“You can roll out of bed and do 4 miles,” said Brian Pedey, who entered the race alongside Krista Pedey and their two sons Joey, 4, and Cooper, 2.

Cooper was excited about his race number safety pinned to his front; large against his toddler frame, it covered his whole shirt.

Joey said he’d been training extensively and had a foolproof strategy to smoke the competition.

“I’m gonna run faster than everyone and not slow down,” Joey said before the race.

The race cost $25 per entry, all proceeds benefited the Community Cancer Fund. To raise awareness for childhood cancer, two cancer-surviving kids rang a large bell at the start line just before the race began.

“It was cool,” said 8-year-old Jade Graczyk after ringing the bell. She has been cancer-free for over two years.

The Boulevard course mirrors the first mile of the Bloomsday’s route, except Boulevard racers turn around at Latah Creek, avoiding staggering elevation changes, such as the dreaded Doomsday Hill’s 152 -foot rise across 0.7 miles coming up from the Spokane River.

Some racers thought the relatively short and flat nature of the course made it less daunting for amateur athletes, a “mini Bloomsday.”

“I mean, I think for the first time, (having) 2,000-plus runners is awesome,” said runner Robin Walters at the finish line, sweat shimmering on her forehead. “It’s a shorter distance; it’s not as difficult. People can set a goal and do it at a fast pace, so it’s a great race for that.”

The 62-year-old and runner of 35 years entered the race with two friends, Laurie Morley and Nicki Coburn. The trio couldn’t keep down their smiles after crossing the finish line.

“You get joy just being around everyone and their energy,” said Morley, a runner of over 20 years, as a trail of blood leaked from her pinkie knuckle. Though wounded, the 62-year-old finished in about 35 minutes.

“I know, who gets hurt in a 4-mile race?” Morley said.

Boulevard could be a Bloomsday in the making, said some racers. Boulevard race director Jon Neill directed Bloomsday from 2020 to 2022 before the race’s board demoted him, which led to his resignation.

At its peak in 1996, Bloomsday had more than 60,000 entrants, and tourists from around the globe came to marvel at the masses thundering down Spokane streets. Bloomsday races were virtual during the three years of the pandemic, which saw drastically decreased entrants. Boulevard’s turnout of over 2,200 participants with more signing up day-of, surpassing the first Bloomsday in 1977, in which a humble 1,400 racers competed.

Though Boulevard still has a way to go before it reaches Bloomsday-level notoriety, there’s at least three giddy women already clearing their schedules for next year’s Boulevard.

“I’m excited to have done it the first year,” said 49-year-old Coburn, her graying hair tied in two braids under her running cap. “Because if it does take off like Bloomsday, we’ll all have a chance to be perennials.”