The uncertainty around immigration in the U.S. is trickling down to Sunday’s Bloomsday race.
David Greig, Bloomsday's wheelchair race coordinator, says 17 wheelchair athletes are registered, a lower than usual number. He says some of the athletes from other nations who had planned to race have been denied visas to come to the U.S.
But he says there’s another reason why the number will be down.
“There's the program at the University of Illinois, which is a very great supporter over the years. One of the athletes is getting married, so all their teammates, speaking of community, are headed to that wedding. So we're missing out on a lot of our usual suspects that come," he said.
Greig says he has had success reaching out to wheelchair programs and athletes in other states to recruit them to come to Spokane.
Among those in the field:
In the men's open division, last year's winner, Herman Garic from Utica, New York, returns to lead the field. Two University of Arizona athletes, Wyatt Willand and Aiden Gravelle, will race Bloomsday for the second time. Three-time Bloomsday runner-up (and two-time Paralympian) Laurens Molina from Costa Rica is also registered. Three local racers: Tyler Byers and Bob Hunt from Spokane and Austin Pruitt from Post Falls, will round out the field.
On the women's side, 2023 Bloomsday runner-up (and two-time Paralympian) Hannah Babaloba leads the field. She'll be challenged by two Parasport Spokane racers, Retired Air Force Maj. Heather Sealover and Jessica Bellefeuille. 14-year-old Brooklyn Gossard, a Parasport Spokane athlete from Post Falls, will race in her third Bloomsday.
Santiago Sanz, a 14-time winner in Bloomsday's Quad Division (and seven-time Boston Marathon champion), returns.
