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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

New road race hopes to bring 5,000 to the streets of downtown Spokane this fall

By Marissa Conter For The Spokesman-Review

A new 4-mile road race through downtown Spokane and Browne’s Addition will raise money to fight cancer.

The Community Cancer Fund announced Thursday that it is sponsoring a race called The Boulevard on Sept. 24 in honor of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month.

Jon Neill, executive director of the cancer fund, made the announcement in The Davenport Centennial Hotel with Mayor Nadine Woodward, City Council President Breean Beggs and the founders of the Community Cancer Fund in attendance.

“I’m thrilled to be able to roll out a major city road race on the streets of Spokane,” Neill said. “We’re all about community. We want to make sure we have an event that everyone can participate in.”

Neill is no stranger to organizing large road races. He is the former race director of Bloomsday.

The cancer fund provides local funding for cancer patients and the organizations that provide services for them. The fund’s main fundraising event has been a celebrity golf tournament that takes place in July.

The course of The Boulevard race will, begin on Washington Street and conclude on Spokane Falls Boulevard. Participants pass by some of the city’s most well-known landmarks such as the Historic Davenport Hotel, the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, the Riverfront Park Clocktower and the Patsy Clark mansion. The finish line will be at The Rotary Fountain at Riverfront Park.

The race also will feature entertainment zones along the course including DJs, drumlines and live bands. Several cheer zones, including a scream tunnel, will be placed along the course. In partnership with Rosauers Supermarkets, there will be a frozen zone at mile 2 at which Otter Pops and popsicles will be handed out.

“This is not your standard road race,” Neill said. “For those who have always wanted to be a part of the first of something, this race is for you. The first annual, the first running, to get the first shirt, to get the first medal, to be one of the first finishers, you don’t want to miss out on this race experience.”

At the end, there will be a post-race party in the Clock Tower Meadow with a beer garden .

Open to all runners and walkers, race will offer two entry level categories for participants. The general category consists of a $25 race entry fee as well as a coupon for $25 off at Rosauers and an official race shirt that will be designed by The Great PNW. The design of the shirt will be revealed on June 22 at The Great PNW’s flagship store. For its first year, this category is capped at 5,000 entries so those interested are encouraged to sign up quickly before the race sells out.

Participants can also enter by joining a fundraising team called “CCF Champs.” By raising a minimum of $500, participants will receive a VIP package. This package includes a ticket to the Dan + Shay concert the night before, a meet-and-greet with the celebrity starter, post-race beverages and a limited-edition race medal. The entries for this category are capped at 400.

“I’m really excited to get all of the different organizations in the community that we’ve partnered with, to really get them out and exposing folks in the community to those great organizations that we’ve helped over the years,” said Jerid Keefer, co-founder of Community Cancer Fund. “Cancer is obviously a very serious topic that affects us all. When you can have some fun and some happiness and see some smiles, I think it’s a real positive for everyone.”

The cancer fund hopes to raise money for the local cancer patient community and create a new destination event to Spokane.

“It is an absolute thrill to be a race director in our incredible city again,” Neill said. “We look forward this fall to making a difference to the cancer patient community and we look forward to making the city of Spokane shine.”

Registration for the race is open now. To sign up, go to www.boulevardrace.com.