For Immediate Release—May 1, 2022
Contact: Jon Neill, Race Director
BLOOMSDAY 2022 IN THE BOOKS
46th Running of Bloomsday Hits the Streets of Spokane
Spokane, WA—The Lilac Bloomsday Run was held on the streets of Spokane for the first time since 2019. With temperatures in the low 50’s, and more than 20,000 people at the Start line, it was a magnificent day for a race.
Bloomsday once again awarded a $7,000 first place prize to the men’s and women’s overall champions. On the men’s side, it was a battle to the finish between Kenya’s Charles Wanjiku and Reid Buchanan of Mammoth Lakes, California. In one of the closest finishes in Bloomsday history, Wanjiku edged Buchanan at the tape in a time of 35:07 to Buchanan’s 35:08.
The women’s race quickly became a battle for who would place second as Biruktayit Degefa of Ethiopia blazed to the win in a time of 38:48. This equals the 9th fastest time ever for a female at Bloomsday tying Colleen De Reuck of South Africa (1996) and Ann Audain of New Zealand (1986). Makena Morley of Bigfork, MT, who grew up running Bloomsday as child, placed second in 40:08.
For the men’s elite wheelchair division, Daniel Romanchuk continued his winning ways from his victory in the 2022 Boston Marathon and cruised to a 25:32 win.
Susannah Scaroni, originally from Tekoa, Washington, won in a time of 31:18. Scaroni also won Bloomsday in 2019 and 2017.
Bloomsday’s tradition of unveiling the super-secret finisher shirt continued again this year. The finisher shirt, the design and color of which are kept secret until race day, was a coral heather shirt with 2022 printed on the front. Spokane landmarks, including the Clocktower, Pavilion, and Monroe Street Bridge, were artistically placed inside the 2022 numerals. The artist of the 2022 finisher shirt is Emerald Dumas of Spokane, WA.
Bloomsday is held each year on the first Sunday in May. This was the 46th running of Bloomsday. There were 24,119 in-person registrants of Bloomsday with 21,107 finishers. More than 5,000 people to date have signed up for virtual Bloomsday which runs through May 8th.