TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Sixth Avenue, normally a conduit for local traffic south of downtown, will transform Saturday evening as more than 2,000 runners fill the street for the 19th annual TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K Night Run and Festival of Miles.
Organized by Randy Accetta of Run Tucson, the event started in 2006 with the simple idea of reviving Tucson’s urban core.
“There was nothing to do downtown,” Accetta recalled. “So we decided, well, let’s throw a party, give people things to do.”
Working alongside Downtown Tucson Partnership, the event was born under the name "Meet Me Downtown."
A few years later, Tucson Medical Center came on board as the title sponsor. “So now it’s the TMC Meet Me Downtown 5K Night Run,” Accetta explained.
Now in its 19th year, the event has grown into a destination race.
“We have people from 25 states,” said Accetta. “People are coming to this from out of town as well.”
Proceeds from the race support several local nonprofits, including the Children’s Museum Tucson.
“Parents and kids can go into the Children’s Museum before the race for free,” said Accetta. The City of Tucson Parks and Recreation is also involved through its “Ready, Set, Rec!” program.
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With more than 3,000 people expected between runners and spectators, safety measures are in place, including road closures, on-site ambulances, and hydration stations.
“We have ambulances, we have water,” said Accetta. “Scratch is a company that gives us post-race hydration.”
Registration is still open online or in person on race day. As the summer heat builds, downtown Tucson is ready to kick off the season — on the run.
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Eddie Celaya is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9. Born in Tucson and raised in the Phoenix area, Eddie is a life-long Arizonan and graduate of the University of Arizona who loves the desert and mountains and hates the cold. Previously, Eddie worked in print media at the Arizona Daily Star. Share your story ideas with Eddie at edward.celaya@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook or Instagram.
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