The run had over 38,000 participants every year since 1986 until 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.[5] Registration peaked in 1996 at 61,298 with 56,156 finishers.[6]Lineth Chepkurui set an unofficial 12 km world record in the 2010 women's race.[7][nb 1]
The course record of 33:51 was set 16 years ago in 2008 by Micah Kogo, a pace of 4:32.4 per mile and an average speed of 13.217 mph (21.3 km/h). The women's record of 38:03 was set in 2016 by Cynthia Limo, a 5:06.2 per mile pace and an average speed of 11.758 mph (18.9 km/h).
Don Kardong, who founded the race, explained the name as "a starting event for the Lilac Festival … you know, lilacs blooming. And of course, I like it because it rhymes with doomsday."[1] The shortened name Bloomsday is usually associated instead with James Joyce's 1922 novel Ulysses and celebrations of June 16, the day in the life of Leopold Bloom that the novel chronicles.
Kardong had hoped for five hundred participants for the inaugural edition in 1977,[1] and got nearly triple that.[3] The second edition had over five thousand,[11] and the third in 1979 was over ten thousand, with fifty thousand spectators lining the streets.[12] The sixth edition in 1982 had over 22,000,[13] and despite rain and some snow, there were over 30,000 in 1984.[14]
The early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length.[3][11][12][15] A new course was introduced in 1980.[16]
*Delay due to COVID-19 pandemic. First virtual race.
Key:Course recordVirtual race
Early editions were around eight miles (12.9 km) in length.[3][11][12][15]
Notes
^The International Association of Athletics Federations, the international governing body for the sport of athletics/track and field, does not recognize world records or world bests in either an indoor or outdoor 12 km.[8] The Association of Road Racing Statisticians does recognize a world record in the outdoor 12 km, however, their record keeping rules state: "A record quality course is defined as having not more than 1 m/km net drop between the start and finish and not more than 30 percent of the race distance separation between that start and finish, e.g. not more than a 3 km separation for a 10 km race [or 3.6 km for a 12 km race]. Records will only be accepted for record quality courses."[9][10] Per ARRS standards, the course for the Lilac Bloomsday Run fulfills these conditions. Although Chepkurui ran a 38:07 two weeks later on May 16, 2010 at the Bay to Breakers (presumably the fastest 12 km ever for a woman), the course is not considered a "record quality course" in that the start and finish are separated by approximately 10.5 linear kilometers.
