Bloomsday marking 40th year in May

Plans are in full gear for the 40th annual Bloomsday race in Spokane, with plans to mark the milestone and bring special events for the event May 1.

“Forty years is a milestone worthy of celebration,” said Lilac Bloomsday President Steven Jones in a Feb. 23 press release. “And while we promise that the essence of Bloomsday and the welcoming of spring that Bloomsday brings will not change, we are planning a few embellishments this year to make the 40th especially memorable.”

Bloomsday began in 1977 with just more than 1,000 finishers; it is anticipated that there will be more than 50,000 this y...