Bloomsday. 

If there is one word that speaks for itself, it is Bloomsday. It is, in the most of simple terms, a 7.46-mile race that’s been around since 1977 in Spokane, held the first Sunday of May. 

But my friend, Charles Bean, and I know it as much more than a fun run. It’s a day of family and friends, of hope and joy, of starting and finishing, of laughing and remembering. 

It was 1991 when I first ran Bloomsday, and then again in 1992. I missed 1993, and then went 19 years before we moved to Kauai, ending the streak.  

That, however, is nothing compared to Charles Bean. The Coeur d’Alene attorney is what is known as a perennial, those who have run every Bloomsday. They are rare, fewer than 100. 

Bean, at 77, remembers well that inaugural year. He was a basketball player, not a runner, and in good shape. He competed on what he called a week’s worth of training.  

“It was an adventure. No one had ever really done this sort of thing around here. We were kind of a ragtag group,” he said.  

Some 1,200 finished that first Bloomsday, which was won by Frank Shorter, the 1972 Olympic marathon gold medalist.

“It was just fun, a lot of energy, a lot of people. We were very cheerful,” he said.  

A picnic afterward included burgers, hot dogs, ribbons and T-shirts. 

“It was kind of like a county fair,” Bean said. 

After about 10 years, he and others became aware they had run every Bloomsday and kept at it. The race grew. In 1996, it had a record 56,156 finishers.

Over the years, Bean has run alone and with friends and family. This year, he’ll be joined by a granddaughter. 

A favorite moment came one year when he and a friend were closing in on the finish line and heard the “Rocky” theme.

“He looked at me and I looked at him and we started sprinting. That was fun,” Bean said, smiling. 

On Sunday, when he completes his 49th Bloomsday, Bean will have covered 356.54 miles on the streets of Spokane with nary a fall. He’s persevered through two hernia surgeries and a back surgery. 

“None of them stopped me,” Bean said. 

At this point, he says nothing will. 

“There is no way I would not do it,” Bean said. “No way."

Even if he wanted to quit, he couldn’t. 

“Somebody would be at my door that morning to get me up and get me going," he said, laughing. "People wouldn’t let me stop. But I wouldn’t want to stop."

Bean, who has enjoyed a successful legal career, marriage and family, remains humble despite his achievements. He considers himself blessed to still be on the run. Some his age and much younger have had to give it up. 

“I feel I’m so fortunate to be in good shape and have the opportunity,” he said. 

There's no secret formula. Bean goes about it the old-fashioned way.

The father of four and grandfather of 10 works out at Peak Health and Wellness Center four to five days a week, up to two hours a day. The treadmill, stationary bike and Stairmaster are among his staples, often followed by a walk with his wife, Carol. 

“I just try to keep moving,” he said. 

Next year will be the 50th Bloomsday, and Bean is already planning to train hard. He wants to be in his best shape and run well 

But it’s not just about beating the clock. The people are the reason he’ll take his place near the Bloomsday starting line in 2026. 

“There's such a sense of hope and just joy,” he said. “Everybody is there. Everybody is having a great time.” 

So for now, Charles Bean will keep working, running and smiling. Sure, he knows the day is coming when Bloomsday will go on without him, when he finds himself on the sidelines, but it won’t be this year. And not next year, either. And who knows. Maybe never if he has his way.

“I’m getting close to being at the end, but I’m not there,” he said. 

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Bill Buley is assistant managing editor of The Press. He can be reached at [email protected].