Elite Runners headline Bloomsday

SPOKANE, Wash. -- On Sunday, Spokane will turn into a runner's paradise.

There will be more than 32,000 people at Bloomsday 2024.

From elite athletes to para athletes, organizers are expecting competitive races in all divisions.

"By the time Sunday rolls around it'll be worth it," Elite Athlete Coordinator Any LeFriec said.

Lefriec has been putting together the Bloomsday field since 2017. But because it's an Olympic year getting some of the top runners to join was a major hurdle.

"We've had multiple athletes this year who dropped out at the last minute and said, 'hey I think I've got the chance to run the 5,000 or 10,000-meter for my country,'" Lefriec said.

This year Bloomsday is part of the PRRO championship, which is the series of classic road races where elite runners compete for a title. It also attracts top-tier talent.

"That adds depth to our field and a lot people who are in the best shape of their life. It makes it harder for us to estimate who is actually going to really run fast," LeFriec said.

The women's field is headlined by two-time Olympian Olga Mazaronak while the men's side features last year's third-place finisher Mogos Tuemay.

"We have athletes who are trying really hard to make an Olympic team so they're in the best shape of their life," LeFriec said.

The Elite Wheelchair division has 21 racers, but there will be two new champions this year as the previous men's and women's winners will not be competing.

"It's a roller coaster for the wheelchair racers," Elite Wheelchair Athlete Coordinator Davie Greig said. "Some of the top men will get over 40 miles an hour going down some of these hills."

There are a handful of road races on the PRRO Circuit. Organizers say Bloomsday separates itself by going to extra mile for its runners.

"Our athletes were practicing on doomsday hill this week and horns are honking, people are cheering, the community rallies around this event," Greig says. "I think a lot of internationals come in that don't have big training group or a lot of support just really get that good Spokane feeling from it."

The elite wheelchair racers start the day at 8:30 A.M. on Sunday.

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