Spokane, WA—Check-In for this Sunday’s Lilac Bloomsday Run has begun at the Spokane Convention Center, and volunteers are busy handing out packets and signing up late registrants. Check-in and late registration are available on Friday, May 1st, from 11:30 a.m. until 8:00 p.m., and Saturday, May 2nd from 9:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. Race entry is not available on Sunday, May 3rd, although out-of-town runners who have already entered can pick up their packets between 6:30 and 8:30 that day.
“The most common question we get is, ‘Can someone else pick up my packet for me?’” said Bloomsday Race Director Don Kardong. “The answer is yes, as long as the person picking up knows the exact name used to register, age and date of birth.”
Along with Check-In, the Bloomsday Trade Show is in full swing, with a variety of sports, fitness, and general interest exhibitors on site. The Trade Show is open during the same hours as Check-In.
As Sunday morning approaches, Bloomsday has also announced that this year’s celebrity starter will be Jon Knight, coach of the North Central High School cross country tem, which won the national championship last December. It’s the first time in history that a Spokane school was crowed as the national high school cross country champion.
Also on race morning, Bloomsday participants will be treated to a live starting line performance by stellar vocalist John Keston of Sun River, Oregon. Keston will sing “O, Canada” and “The Star-Spangled Banner” for runners as they wait for the race to begin. The 84-year-old is not only an outstanding singer, but also a noted actor and world-class age-group runner who holds a number of Bloomsday age-group records. He has performed at the Bloomsday starting line for the past eight years.
Also among the Bloomsday crowd will be Washington state Senator Maria Cantwell, who will participate in Bloomsday activities for the second straight year.
Streets in downtown Spokane will begin to close around 5:30 a.m. on Sunday. Additional details about road closures are on the Bloomsday web site under Race Information, Transportation/Lodging.
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