SANDPOINT — Two days before his first Bloomsday marathon in 1977, now-Sagle resident Gary Berg hit the quarter-mile track at Gonzaga Preparatory School to see how he’d fare in the main event. 

He made it three laps, just 0.75 miles, before he was out of energy. It was a far cry from the 7.46 miles he was staring down the barrel of, which is why, when race day came, Berg slipped a $5 bill into one of his socks. 

“I'm going to run as far as I can, then I'm going to quit and find the nearest tavern and go have a beer,” Berg said. “And I didn't.” 

Despite his hesitancy, Berg said once he felt the positive energy of the event, he didn’t stop, a trend that has remained the same for the last 50 years. On May 2, 2026, Berg crossed the finish line arm in arm with his wife, friends and family to become just one of the 68 Bloomsday “perennials” to run every single event. 

Crossing the line this year was a day that Berg had been waiting for, as preparations began for his 50th running as soon as he was back home from the 49th. While Berg prepared to house, feed and clothe over 20 people for a week on top of running the event, he put the rest of his life on hold.  

Now 82 years young, Berg knows he’s no spring chicken and wanted to ensure he made it to 50. 

“There was doubt this year, more than most, that I would finish because I didn't train hard,” Verg said. “I ski, didn't this year because getting the 50th race, getting that ticket punched was a big deal, and so I was very relieved and happy to have had everybody join us in the finish and get 50.” 

Thanks to his daughter, 30 people wore shirts that celebrated his accomplishment. The front of the shirt has Berg running with the text “Running with Gary” above it, which prompted a popular question throughout the weekend: “Who’s Gary?” 

“Everybody just said, ‘Where's Gary, who's Gary, who's Gary and I want my picture with you,’” Kathy Berg, Gary’s wife said with a smile on her face. "It was wonderful just to see all the accolades and all the people that appreciated him, even though they didn't know him. His head got pretty big. I wasn't sure I was going to fit in bed with him, but he just had the best time.” 

Kathy Berg completed the event, which she doesn’t call a marathon, compared to living with Gary Berg, right alongside him. After a severely delayed start, both struggled with the heat during the run, but they were determined to finish the race together. 

Once they crossed the finish line, the exhausted couple retreated to their home on the shores of Lake Pend Oreille in Sagle to recharge after a year of preparation. On their deck, the duo reflected on the experience. 

“I can do maybe 5-10 minutes of sun, and we got an hour before we even started, and so I could have stopped,” Kathy Berg said of her race. “I told him how proud I was, and he just went on and on of how proud he was of me for doing it and finishing it." 

Looking back at his experiences over the last half a century, Berg said there’s no way he would have believed that he would reach 50 Bloomsdays before finishing the first race. 

“No, that’s out of the question. Fifty? Give me a break. You know how old I’ll be in 50 years? I’ll probably be dead,” Berg joked, imitating his past self. “It wouldn’t have occurred to me.” 

While he never imagined running for 50 years, Berg said the atmosphere at Bloomsday is a special one and he always wanted to come back. He said he enjoys being around happy people and gets a similar feeling on a ski hill. 

In an interview with the Bonner County Daily Bee in 2010, Berg said he felt that completing all 50 races was his goal, and it seemed to be in reach. Sixteen years later, after accomplishing that goal, Berg said he’s not done with Bloomsday. 

"I'm not going to baby myself like I have this year. And if I don't make it because I can't, or if I don't feel good, or if I'm sick, that's okay. This year I would have run sick,” Berg said. “There is a game among the perennials, last man standing, and that ain't me... but if it works, sure, I'll go down there. I just love being in the crowd.” 

    A few of Gary Berg's mementos from his 50th Bloomsday race on his kitchen table.
  

    —Courtesy photo Gary Berg, pictured at the far right, will speak about his experiences of running in all 39 of the Bloomsday races at the Sandpoint Library on Saturday.