Bloomsday Perennial: This veteran used leave from two wars to keep his race streak alive

Brian Kenna, 63, was in junior high when the first Bloomsday run was held in 1977. He remembered race founder Don Kardong doing well in the Olympics and was inspired to sign up. He never stopped.

“By the time I finished high school, well, I had a streak going,” he said. “I’ve just stuck with it.”

Some of his inspiration to stick with Bloomsday also came from his relationship with two of his coaches and teachers, Glen McPhee and Bob Barbero. Both are Bloomsday Perennials, just like Kenna.

“They go way back in the running community,” he said.

He had a little bit of running experience under his belt before he started Bloomsday. He first signed up for track in junior high.

“I just remember wanting to participate,” he said. “I just decided to go out for track.”

The first Bloomsday was on an unseasonably warm day, and Kenna said he just powered through.

“I don’t think I’d run that far before,” he said. “I just remember auguring through that 8 miles, and it was hot and I was glad to have that done. It was fun.”

He attended college just down the road at Washington State University, which made it easy to make it back every year for Bloomsday. What didn’t make it easy was his decision to enlist in the U.S. Army. He served six years on active duty, then was in the Reserves for 16 years.

Back in those days, it was common to join the military after high school or college, Kenna said.

“I definitely wanted to serve our country,” he said.

When he was on active duty, he always managed to get leave or request a four-day pass that would allow him to travel back to Spokane, complete Bloomsday, and then get back to where he was stationed.

“Command always worked with me,” he said.

What almost derailed his Perennial status was his Reserve unit being activated to Iraq in 2004-05 and to Afghanistan in 2008-09. Every soldier was allowed to take midtour leave, and both times Kenna made his case to his commanders as to why his leave should cover the first Sunday in May.

“Just the logistics of getting back from those countries, it’s a two- or three-day event to get to the States,” he said.

He almost didn’t make it back in 2005, which generated some news coverage. He was made the honorary starter for the race and gifted a Bloomsday quilt.

“It was a very nice gesture,” he said.

He also lived in California for a few years, but it was no trouble getting a flight back to Spokane from there. Kenna said he’s grateful he has always been able to do Bloomsday no matter where he was in the world.

“That’s a statement about how I feel about Bloomsday and what it means to me,” he said. “I might do another competitive run or two during the year, but it’s always been Bloomsday that’s been a constant in my life.”

Kenna said he usually runs Bloomsday solo. His wife isn’t a runner, and while his father used to do Bloomsday, they never ran together. He’s also been fortunate to avoid any major injuries.

“Knock on wood, I’ve been pretty healthy,” he said.

He posted his fastest time, 44 minutes , 13 seconds, in 1979. These days, he usually logs a finish time around 62 or 63 minutes.

Kenna said he hopes to do the same this year.

“If I run my age, I’ll be happy,” he said. “I’d be really happy to get an hour.”

He said he admires the oldest Bloomsday Perennial, 89-year-old Sylvia Quinn, who has managed to place first in her age group every year except twice, and hopes to be able to match her longevity.

“That’s my goal,” he said. “I hope to have 20 plus more of these in me for sure.”

Despite the historical significance of this year’s race, Kenna doesn’t have any special plans.

“I look back on the 50 years, it’s just gone really well,” he said. “I’m just really happy to be running it and really happy to be doing the 50th.”