Jr. Bloomsday returns to Spokane Falls Community College on Sunday morning
Apr. 16—Thousands of children arrived in sporadic clutches as they sprinted toward the Jr. Bloomsday finish line with one final burst of energy, cheered on by friends and family, on Sunday morning at Spokane Falls Community College.
Starting near the community college's athletic field, children completed a roughly 1-mile loop through the campus . Children who crossed the finish line on the rubber running track received a finisher's medal, T-shirt and a bottle of Gatorade, as well as a ticket to Silverwood Theme Park in Idaho.
"It was really fun," said 11-year-old Gia Muehlhausen, who traveled from Coeur d'Alene with her family to participate in the race with her 9-year-old sister, Gabby. "I think I'll do it again."
The two sisters crossed the finish line together.
Mario and Cassie McDonald watched from the sidelines as their two children, ages 12 and 9, approached the finish line.
"It's a fun way to get active and get excited about the rewards they get," said Cassie McDonald, who said she and her husband typically walk the 7.46-mile Bloomsday course.
The race began at 9 a.m. and continued until 10:30 a.m. with multiple start times, as children between third and seventh grade arrived at the starting line. Spectators could watch the children as they darted north through campus on Elliott Drive, before turning west on Custer Drive, through a roundabout and south on Randolph Road and then back to the campus.
Bloomsday board member and organizer Stefanie Webb said the event promotes a healthy lifestyle for children, physically and mentally. It also helps them to "find the joy in running."
"It gets lots of families together all over Spokane," said Webb, as a Bloomsday volunteer bellowed commands from a loudspeaker to newly arriving children.
All proceeds from Jr. Bloomsday go to Active 4 Youth, a local nonprofit that helps fund athletics in public schools, which is "very much in line with Bloomsday's mission," Webb said.
Jr. Bloomsday began in 2019, but went on hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic. It returned in 2022 at Spokane Falls Community College, Webb said. The third annual race saw more than 2,500 children registered, she said.
The full Bloomsday race is scheduled for May 7. Participants can still register online for $35 at bloomsdayrun.org.
