American Rescue Plan, Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program, and Friends of the Centennial Trail combine funds for bridge improvements.
Centennial Trail Don Kardong Bridge Improvements Read More »
After 15 consecutive years as race director, Bloomsday Founder Don Kardong will retire after this year’s 43rd race set for Sunday, May 5. Q: What are your favorite Bloomsday memories? A: It’s hard to beat that first year, 1977. After months of planning, to be able to line up in a crowd and race down
Last Run: Interview with Bloomsday Race Director Don Kardong Read More »
SPOKANE, WA—Don Kardong’s retirement as Bloomsday race director deserves an extra special send-off. Thankfully, Sweet Peaks Ice Cream, based in Western Montana, has come to the rescue with a brilliant, one-of-a-kind Inland Northwest ice cream. Kardong earned a reputation when he said, “Without ice cream, there would be darkness and chaos.” Obviously, the ice cream
Don Kardong’s Darkness and Chaos Read More »
For 15 consecutive years, Don Kardong served as Bloomsday’s race director. This year, after the 43rd Bloomsday Lilac Run, the founder of one of the biggest road races in North America will retire and pass the torch for this iconic Inland NW running event. OTO: What are some of your top Bloomsday highlights? DK: It’s
Q & A with Bloomsday Founder & Race Director Don Kardong Read More »
It is hard to imagine Spokane without Bloomsday, and it’s almost as hard to imagine Bloomsday without race founder Don Kardong. Incoming Executive Director, Jon Neill, notes that Kardong has been an extraordinary leader for the Bloomsday organization. “Because of Don, Spokane can lay claim to having one of the finest, and largest, road races
Race Founder Don Kardong to Retire After 2019 Bloomsday Read More »
As he raced down the tunnel into the bowels of Olympic Stadium, chasing the East German runner leading the race, it did not matter whether the time gap was 3.2 seconds or 3.2 minutes. On that balmy, wet evening of July 31, 1976, in Montreal, Spokane’s Don Kardong would be “stuck in 4th place” in
For most runners, finishing a marathon is a goal of epic proportions. Don Kardong, a competitor in the 1976 Olympic Marathon, founder and race director of Bloomsday, has run about fifty of them. He’s currently training for the Seattle Marathon, and running around 40 miles per week. If he runs fast enough in Seattle on
What’s Your Gear? Marathon Runner Don Kardong Read More »
Dynasties in any sport come and go, but the Hawkins family holds a special place in Spokane high school running lore. The family’s journey is chronicled in Peter Hawkins book, Varsity Seven, and it shines a spotlight on the magic of high school cross-country in Spokane. Hawkins writes, “Since 1979, Spokane has sent male or
UPDATE: We’re happy to report that the trash and camps referenced in this article have been cleaned up. Thank you, City of Spokane! — The Spokane River is an urban treasure that many lifetime locals are still discovering along with astounded newcomers who are blown away that there is a swimmable, floatable, and fishable river of
Trash, Camps, & Other Threats to the Spokane River Read More »
Why do you run? You could ask a hundred runners that question and get a hundred different answers: to get stronger, for mental clarity, to get the dog out of the house, for the endorphins—the list stretches on and on. A few local runners shared how running has been a part of their own
Why Run? 4 Spokane Runners Share Their Motivations Read More »
