Bloomsday Perennial: Roger Risinger kept the 50-year-old newspaper documenting his first of many annual races

Back when Roger Risinger attended North Central High School, he wanted to be a pole vaulter. After deciding flinging himself up in the air at the end of a pole wasn’t for him, he switched to running. It was only natural that he signed up for the first Bloomsday in 1977.

“I did all the fun runs around here,” he said.

Risinger ran track and was recruited to run cross country in high school. He worked for a year after high school, then was recruited to run cross country at Spokane Falls Community College. But Risinger found it too difficult to juggle a full-time job, a wife and a young child along with college coursework and dropped out after only a quarter.

A friend told him about Bloomsday and Risinger signed up, even though the thought of running 8 miles was daunting. He was able to place in the top 50 runners that first year, a milestone he cherishes so much that he keeps in his home safe a yellowed edition of the newspaper with the race results.

After that, Risinger kept going.

“I just decided I’d try it again,” he said. “When I got to five, I thought, ‘Hey, maybe I can make it to 10.’ Then the goal was 25.”

His fastest time, 41 minutes, was in 1986. He was able to run it in less than 50 minutes for several years, but Risinger wasn’t just running for time. He wanted his picture to be in the paper with the Bloomsday results and thought if he ran fast enough, it would happen. It never did.

In later years, Risinger wouldn’t start training for Bloomsday until February.

“I didn’t train a lot,” he said.

These days, Risinger is announced as a Bloomsday Perennial as he approaches the finish line, which is something he really enjoys. Plus, it provides the encouragement he needs to finish strong.

“I just love that,” he said. “That’s great.”

Running the Bloomsday course on the first Sunday in May is so ingrained in him that Risinger could be found on the official course even during the two years the race was virtual only.

“I always ran the course,” he said.

Over the years, Bloomsday became a family affair. His wife has run Bloomsday several times, as have his three daughters and his son. When his children began doing the race, their goal was to beat him. It’s something they’ve all achieved at this point.

“We were all trying to compete with each other,” he said.

He recalls one Bloomsday about 10 years ago, running with his daughters, when he got a leg cramp in his calf.

“It was really painful,” he said. “I was running on one leg.”

His daughters kept going as Risinger struggled forward.

“I stopped and stretched it on a curb as much as I could,” he said.

But his daughters didn’t fully abandon him. Once they finished, they circled back.

“They came back and walked in with me,” he said.

Risinger has had two knee replacements, the first a few years ago and the second last October. He said his doctors told him to walk, swim or ride a bike, not run. He’s mostly walked the last few Bloomsdays, but says he misses going on a run and hitting his stride.

This year, Risinger expects a crowd at the 50th Bloomsday. His children, their partners and his grandchildren are expected to participate in the race, perhaps wearing special shirts for the occasion. Even his 1-year-old grandchild has been registered as an official participant.

For many years, Risinger would host a barbecue the day before Bloomsday and a party after the race. This year, he plans to bring back the postrace gathering to mark the 50th run.

At 72, Risinger said he hopes to still be doing Bloomsday for years to come.

“I’d like to keep on doing these,” he said.