Some have asked us how the Friday Night Festival of Miles is part of the TMC Meet Me Downtown 5k Weekend. We’ve added a Friday night series of events as part of the popular “TMC Meet Me Downtown 5k” in order to make a full weekend of events. Basically, we’re trying to make the TMC Meet Me Downtown Weekend a big deal — we want it to be more fun for our local runners and a destination for runners from around the country. Last year participants from over 30 states came to Tucson to do TMC Meet Me Downtown — and we want to continue to promote Tucson as a great place to live and a great place to visit!
Saturday night, May 27 is the traditional TMC Meet Me Downtown 5k Night Run and Walk, with over 2000 runners and walkers cruising the Downtown neighborhoods — every participant gets a free shirt and free beer at the beer garden — plus live music, food trucks, after-party at Hotel Congress, and other great activities. Plus, with over $4,000 in prize money, this event attracts the fastest runners in the country so you can play with the big kids!
Friday night May 26 is the second annual Festival of Miles: a series of separate one-mile races. You can run or walk, you can go with friends, or you can race your heart out! This year, we have the Tucson Tutu Mile — you must wear a tutu — with prize money. There is also the Battle of the Badges for all regional civil servants and first-responders — police, sheriff, fire departments, Border Patrol, Davis Monthan, National Guard, prison guards, National Park Service, and more. The FitKidz event is a big hit, with over 500 kids under 12 running for free!
And this year’s special treat is that the Festival of Miles is the RRCA National Championship race — over $3,000 in prize money and special awards for open runners, runners 40-and-over; runners 50-and-over, and runners 60-and-over.
On the social side, we’ll have the beer garden, food trucks, live music, Muscle Milk arch, stiltwalkers, roaming magicians and more. The Children’s Museum will be open, too!
So, that’s the plan. Let me know if you have any questions — randy@runtucson.net.
