Blood, sweat, tears and a T-Shirt: Vote for your favorite Bloomsday T-Shirt at the MAC

For 49 years, countless Bloomsday participants have pushed through pain, fatigue and exhaustion running 7.46 miles for a T-shirt.

Sure, there's a degree of inner fulfillment when you cross the finish line. There's a joy that comes from exercising with friends, family and strangers. There's also the so-called "runner's high."

But what would Bloomsday be without the uniquely designed shirts handed out at the end of the race? And with 49 of them to choose from, it's hard to find a consensus on which is the best.

Now, as part of the Northwest Museum of Art and Culture's "14 Million Miles: 50 Years of Bloomsday" exhibit, the T-shirts are on display in the Helen South Alexander Gallery. The exhibit also features Bloomsday mementos, including rare photos from the first race, Nike-sponsored Bloomsday running shoes, an unofficial COVID-19 race shirt and much more.

In collaboration with The Spokesman-Review, the MAC put up a poster with a QR code where all the shirts hang, asking visitors what their favorite shirt is and why .

The Spokesman is recording the results of th e poll, with plans to publish them on race day with the community's collective endorsement.

If an individual doesn't have the time to visit the MAC, voters can go to the hyperlink on the Spokesman's Instagram page. And if they don't have an Instagram account, and don't want to go to the MAC, there's another option: They can email mathewc@spokesman.com with the year of their favorite shirt and a brief (sentence or two) description of why. To see all 49 shirts, visit Bloomsday's official website and search for "T-Shirt and Poster History."

Bethany Lueck, the director of sponsorship and communications with Bloomsday, said about 33,900 people have signed up to run Bloomsday this year as of Friday. She said thousands of people register in the last couple of weeks leading up to Bloomsday. If you want to participate in the 50th Bloomsday but haven't signed up yet, May 2 is the final day to register online. People can also register in person at the trade show the day before the race.

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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 7:18 PM.