Bloomsday finisher tally continues to rise after pandemic slump

The number of Bloomsday finishers continued to climb in the iconic foot race’s 49th year .

On Sunday, of the 32,923 registrants for the in-person Bloomsday, 30,050 racers crossed the finish line on the Monroe Street Bridge.

This year’s race had 71 perennials competing, racers who have run in each of the 49 Bloomsday races since 1977. Of them, 50 finished the race in person.

While a few tens of thousands of finishers away from the race’s peak of 56,156 in 1996, finisher numbers continue to rise since the pandemic low of around 23,000 finishers who all competed virtually.

Another 2,096 Bloomies have completed the virtual option of the race so far. The remaining 150 registered virtual racers have until Wednesday to submit their time with Bloomsday after walking or running any route reaching 7.46 miles of 12 kilometers and timing themselves.

Inmates from the Geiger Corrections Center collected a number of coats and jackets strewn along the route and into the trees after racers took off. They’ll be laundered at the prison and donated to area thrift stores, said Bethany Lueck, Bloomsday communications coordinator.

With the 49th iteration of the run in the rearview mirror, the Lilac Bloomsday Association now has a significant anniversary ahead: the race’s half-century mark.

Lueck said the organization’s board will soon convene a committee to plan for the momentous occasion to take place the first Sunday in May 2026.