The largest timed road race in the world - by road race, I mean a cross country type experience completely on main roads. Takes place in Spokane, WA. I've been running it for years - people are often surprised that someone comes all the way from Pittsburgh, PA to run twelve wonderful kilometers with 60,000 other people. Supposedly there is a race in Barcelona that is larger, but it is not timed.

The Bloomsday begins with eight segments - one start for the wheerchair racers, one for the elite runners, and six separate blocks of runners that contain approx. 10,000 people each. The first three blocks begin simultaneously and merge later in the course - the three blocks behind are on a five minute delay.

The course is famous for Doomsday Hill - an incredibly long, steep slope that offers an incredible view over the hundreds of runners who have to walk because of the massive amounts of stamina required to run the entire thing. Ironically, the fanatics who carry the doomsday signs are often on other parts of the course.

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