nastyleg
04-17-2010, 12:54 AM
Sixth annual "Pat's Run" is Saturday
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The sixth annual "Pat's Run" in memory of former football star and Army Ranger Pat Tillman will be held Saturday on the ASU campus, ending on the 42-yard-line of Sun Devil Stadium.
Tillman wore No. 42 while starring for the Sun Devils on the football field and in the classroom.
He walked away from a contract with the Arizona Cardinals after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and joined the Army Rangers. Tillman died April 22, 2004 in Afghanistan.
Thousands of runners will take to the streets of Tempe during Pat's Run to honor Tillman's life and legacy and to raise funds for the students who are part of the Tillman Scholars programs.
Pat's Run was created through the Pat Tillman Foundation, which was established after his death. Former ASU football head trainer Perry Edinger came up with the concept of a 4.2-mile run/walk, ending on the 42-yard line.
Former ASU football coach Bruce Snyder, who passed away last year, served as the official starter for the race each year.
Snyder's daughter, Paige, said, "He was absolutely honored every year that he was asked to do that. He took it very seriously and with a lot of pride. He loved being able to tell stories about Pat on the podium. It captured people. The stories were very special to him."
The run is a reunion of sorts for those who knew Tillman, ASU football players and for people who have been connected through the run and the foundation for years. . It's also a team effort that pools the work of volunteers, ASU Athletics personnel and Tillman Foundation workers who oftentimes stay up much of the night before getting ready for the run.
Mark Zimmer, head equipment manager for ASU Athletics, has been involved with the race since the beginning, watching it grow to an event that attracts about 20,000 runners. Organizing logistics for a race of this size includes a host of tasks setting up registration, distributing race packets, putting up aid stations, and preparing the stadium where runners and walkers finish on the 42-yard line.
"We've done a better job of not working all night, but there generally is somewhere in the area of three to five hours of sleep the night before," Zimmer said, adding that when registration begins at 5 a.m., volunteers had better be ready.
On the Net:
• www.pattillmanfoundation.org
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=1284892
TEMPE, Ariz. -- The sixth annual "Pat's Run" in memory of former football star and Army Ranger Pat Tillman will be held Saturday on the ASU campus, ending on the 42-yard-line of Sun Devil Stadium.
Tillman wore No. 42 while starring for the Sun Devils on the football field and in the classroom.
He walked away from a contract with the Arizona Cardinals after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and joined the Army Rangers. Tillman died April 22, 2004 in Afghanistan.
Thousands of runners will take to the streets of Tempe during Pat's Run to honor Tillman's life and legacy and to raise funds for the students who are part of the Tillman Scholars programs.
Pat's Run was created through the Pat Tillman Foundation, which was established after his death. Former ASU football head trainer Perry Edinger came up with the concept of a 4.2-mile run/walk, ending on the 42-yard line.
Former ASU football coach Bruce Snyder, who passed away last year, served as the official starter for the race each year.
Snyder's daughter, Paige, said, "He was absolutely honored every year that he was asked to do that. He took it very seriously and with a lot of pride. He loved being able to tell stories about Pat on the podium. It captured people. The stories were very special to him."
The run is a reunion of sorts for those who knew Tillman, ASU football players and for people who have been connected through the run and the foundation for years. . It's also a team effort that pools the work of volunteers, ASU Athletics personnel and Tillman Foundation workers who oftentimes stay up much of the night before getting ready for the run.
Mark Zimmer, head equipment manager for ASU Athletics, has been involved with the race since the beginning, watching it grow to an event that attracts about 20,000 runners. Organizing logistics for a race of this size includes a host of tasks setting up registration, distributing race packets, putting up aid stations, and preparing the stadium where runners and walkers finish on the 42-yard line.
"We've done a better job of not working all night, but there generally is somewhere in the area of three to five hours of sleep the night before," Zimmer said, adding that when registration begins at 5 a.m., volunteers had better be ready.
On the Net:
• www.pattillmanfoundation.org
http://www.ktar.com/index.php?nid=6&sid=1284892