SENATE RESOLUTION

8699

BySenator Billig

WHEREAS, In the fall of 1964, a sophomore named Don Kardong started running for his Seattle Prep cross country team to stay in shape for basketball season; and

WHEREAS, After realizing his running talent outpaced his skills on the hardwood, Kardong would go on to run for Stanford, competing on the track against legends Steve Prefontaine and Frank Shorter; and

WHEREAS, After graduating from Stanford, Kardong ran his first marathon in 1972 in a time of 2:18:06; and

WHEREAS, In 1976, Kardong finished third in the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials and went on to finish fourth in the 1976 Montreal Olympics, with a personal best time of 2:11:16; and

WHEREAS, In 1974, Kardong moved to Spokane to teach at Loma Vista Elementary School and in 1977 opened "The Human Race" – the city's first specialty running store; and

WHEREAS, When Kardong returned to Spokane after winning the 1976 Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta, he mentioned to a newspaper reporter that Spokane would be a great place for a big road race; and

WHEREAS, In the spring of 1977, the Lilac Bloomsday Run was born with more than one thousand participants, surprising Kardong and other organizers who expected a smaller turnout and printed only five hundred entry forms; and

WHEREAS, Kardong's Bloomsday event would become Spokane's signature sporting event and one of largest road races in the world, attracting more than sixty thousand runners of all levels and abilities by the early 1990s; and

WHEREAS, In 2004, Kardong would take the reins of Bloomsday once again as Race Director, a title he would hold until last year when he announced his retirement; and

WHEREAS, Kardong's long career as a writer opened up new running possibilities, including an 11-hour Rim-to-Rim double crossing of the Grand Canyon and a memorable account of running around Mount St. Helens; and

WHEREAS, Kardong's passion for running and willingness to share it with others in numerous venues has inspired countless people in Spokane and beyond to live healthier lives and discover their own love of running;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the Senate recognize the multifaceted career of Don Kardong and the contributions he has made to the community of Spokane and across the country.

I, Brad Hendrickson, Secretary of the Senate,

do hereby certify that this is a true and

correct copy of Senate Resolution 8699,

adopted by the Senate

March 2, 2020

BRAD HENDRICKSON

Secretary of the Senate