Mission Satatement
The Southern Arizona Roadrunners is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to promoting health and fitness in Tucson and Southern Arizona through running and walking.
Vision Statement
The vision of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners is to provide running-related events at professional standards, with a reasonable pricing structure, a family-friendly environment, and competition that emphasizes the pursuit of individual competitive excellence, the joy of individual and team participation, and a healthy lifestyle. We do so by facilitating and supporting competitive and social running and walking events; by promoting running and fitness for all ages; by providing educational and social information about our sport; and by promoting our sport through public relations and civic involvement.
Our vision is to set the recognized community standard in running event production and promotion, running education, and community involvement. Our vision is that SAR will utilize running events to help local charities raise funds while promoting a healthy community. We want to be a resource for schools, companies, and civic organizations when they seek to develop running-related fitness programs.
A Brief History of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners
The forerunner of our present club was formed in 1972, and was called the Southwest Truckers. It consisted of a group of six cross country runners at Sahuaro High School. The group was led by then city cross country champ, Gary Cary.
Eventually the boys graduated from high school and went separate ways, but Joe Cary, Gary's father, kept the club going. Joe enlisted a lot of older men, and the club became more organized.
On November 20, 1976, Ten members of the Truckers met after the TWA Turkey Trot in Randolph Park and voted to change the name of the club from Southwest Truckers to Southern Arizona Roadrunners. The first officers were elected. They were Joe Cary, president; Paul Yeatts, vice president; Jack DeWeese, treasurer; Steve Oliver, secretary; Ken Young, historian; Kai Haber, publicity chairman; Chuck Kerr, newsletter; and Mark Kelleher, RRCA state coordinator. Membership lists show 72 members at the time of the November, 1976, meeting, and 421 members by November, 1978.
In 1980, the club incorporated as a non-profit organization. The first president of the corporation was Larry Schloss.
Today, the club is still a non-profit organization boasting over 1000 members, putting on a number of road and cross-country races each year.
More information on the
early days of the club as well as a list of
past presidents is available.
