Bloomsday Perennial: Ken Hill helped create this ‘wonderful monster’

Ken Hill is not only a Bloomsday Perennial, he was the vice president of the Jaycees when Bloomsday founder Don Kardong approached the organization about providing volunteers to help put on the first race in 1977.

Hill doesn’t just have stacks of Bloomsday T-shirts in his closet, his entire home is full of Bloomsday memorabilia. Official posters hang on his walls, including the very first one advertising the inaugural race. It says “Run with the Stars” at the top, followed by a list of world -class runners who would be participating, including Olympic gold medalist Frank Shorter, who would go on to win the first Bloomsday.

He kept a scrapbook of that first year, collecting race instructions, a map of the route, newspaper clippings and photos. He’s been adding to his scrapbook collection ever since, though it became much too big for a book and he now carefully files items away in a box.

Hill also has glasses, coffee mugs, a commemorative plate, books and other items in his collection, several of them signed by Kardong. On a 25th -anniversary poster, Kardong wrote, “To Ken Hill, who helped create this wonderful monster!”

He recalls when Kardong attended a meeting of the Jaycees, who already ran several community events, to ask for help.

“We just had all these programs,” Hill said. “Don Kardong came to a meeting and said ‘I need some manpower.’ ”

The Jaycees agreed and asked Kardong what he planned to call it and he responded with “Bloomsday.”

“There was dead silence,” Hill said. “None of us, including me, were thrilled with that name.”

Hill actually suggested calling the road race “The Nat and Back,” since the original course included the location of the former Natatorium Park, a popular amusement park for decades before it closed in 1968. That idea didn’t go anywhere and Hill said he’s grateful it didn’t.

“In retrospect, I’m really happy he stuck to his guns,” he said.

The Jaycees agreed to provide volunteers to help run the race. “We budgeted $1,000 and planned for 300 runners,” he said.

There were, of course, nearly 1,200 runners. Hill said he signed up to participate because he saw it as a way to support the fledgling event.

“I figured, why not run it,” he said. “We were trying really hard to make this thing go.”

And go it did. In fact, it was so successful that 5,000 people signed up for the second year, making it too large for the Jaycees to help.

“We didn’t have that kind of manpower,” he said.

Hill, like many others, was hooked after his first race.

“As I was running, I noticed people I knew,” he said. “It was a blast.”

That first race started Hill’s running journey. He would go on to finish the race in under an hour several times, clocking in at 54 minutes one year.

“My best time ever was the year it snowed,” he said.

Bloomsday became a family affair, with his wife, children, siblings, parents and in-laws participating at various times. “Obviously, Bloomsday has been a big part of our family,” he said. “Our kids come over from Seattle to do it.”

He credits Don Kardong and Bloomsday with saving his life.

“I think probably being in good shape helped me later in life when stuff happened, especially with my cancer,” he said. “He’s helped thousands of people live longer and healthier lives because of what he started.”

Hill was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a type of blood cancer, in 2011. He received a stem cell transplant in March 2012, only a few weeks before Bloomsday. He still did the race that year.

“That time, I did walk it, for sure,” he said. “That was remarkable, actually.”

Hill is in remission, though he still has a port near his collar bone that he receives injections of Zometa through every 90 days. The medication is to reduce bone complications, since multiple myeloma is known to weaken bones.

Now 79, Hill walks as much as he can to remain fit for Bloomsday. Because his immune system has been compromised by cancer, he’s been participating in the race virtually every year since it became an option. However, Hill plans to be in downtown Spokane for the 50th race in 2026.

“I’ll be on the course and my entire family will be with me,” he said. “I’ve missed that.”