Updated Details on 2012 TMC Saguaro Labor Day Run

Registration for the 2012 TMC Saguaro Labor Day Run is now closed. T-shirt and number pick up are Saturday at The Running Shop from 10-3 or Monday race morning from 5:30-6:15 at Saguaro National Park East. Below are all the race details.

When and Where
When - Monday September 3, 2012
Where - Saguaro National Park East, 3693 S. Old Spanish Trail Rd
Time - 5:30- 6:15 am packet pick up at the park; 6:27 start time for the 5k Fun Run/Walk; 6:30 start time for the 8-miler
Monday Morning Parking  
Please note that for the first time ever the Pima County Department of Transportation is monitoring the race to ensure that we are complying with safety and legal regulations.  Please be thoughtful when you drive, when you park, and when you make your way to and from the Park.
Participants can park on Old Spanish Trail, Freeman Road, and Escalante.  Please obey traffic laws and don’t park in driveways.  Please be sure that you don’t block the bicycle lanes—keep your wheels to the outside of the road so that bike traffic is not impaired.  Do not bring pets to the event - and do not leave them in your car!! 
And remember, the later you arrive, the farther away from the starting line you will have to park. Please be thoughtful and safe!  IMPORTANT: Please try to carpool—it will be easier and safer for all.  The Park Service is creating a drop-off zone in front of the Park, so consider using this to avoid too pedestrian dangers. 
 
Timing
Please put your bib number on the front of your shirt using the pins provided at registration. Greg Wenneborg is our official timer, and he is instituting a new chip-based timing system from IPICO, so your bib may also have an RFID tag on the back of the bib. Please leave this on your bib.  Please be sure to cross the mats to start and complete the race.
Event Weekend Schedule
Saturday, September 1
10:00am-3:00pm T-shirt and Packet Pickup at The Running Shop (3055 North Campbell)
 
YES: This will be crowded. Please be in a good mood! 
YES: You can pick up the number and shirt of someone else. 
YES: You can pick up your Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown shirt if you have not already done so.
NO: THERE IS NO RACE WEEKEND REGISTRATION - only t-shirt and number pick-up.
Monday, September 3
5:15-6:00 am Packet pick-up at Saguaro Park EAST —NOTE: You can pick up your shirts and numbers at the Maintenance Yard. There is no race day registration, only number/shirt pick-up.  Please use restrooms provided by Waste Management at the Maintenance Yard and the front parking lot—not the desert! 
 
6:10 5k line up at front, by flagpole.  8-milers line up behind them in leg speed order (5-minutes/mile at the front; 6-minutes/mile behind them, and so forth)
6:15 A few words from Rincon Mountain District Ranger Paul Austin, Ross Zimmerman and the Zimmerman family, and Julia Strange from TMC—plus the announcement of the 2012 Spirit of Rob Bell Award. 
6:23 National Anthem by special guest Heather Dispensa of the renowned Manhattan Dolls traveling revue
6:27 5k Run/Walk start (note, all under 10 children need to have a waiver submitted - parents can do this at registration)
6:30 8-miler start, again the course is tight, so if you are going to try to win, you may line up at the start—5-minutes/mile at the front; 6-minutes/mile behind them, walkers in the back, and so forth) 
7:00 All post-race food is provided by Tucson Medical Center, with drinks by Culligan Water, ice by WaterMart, and BodyArmor replacement beverage.
8:30 (approx) Children’s Dash, presented by Craig Dabler Jewelers.  Waivers will need to be signed this year—we’ll handle that at the start of the Children’s Dash.  Location to be announced.
9:00 (approx) Begin Spirit of Rob Bell Award, Raffle Prizes, and Race Awards courtesy of The Running Shop

9:00 Official course closure—the National Park Service reserves the right to pick up any participants still on the course at 9:00 am. 

Course and Staging Information
The 8-Mile Course is hilly, so please be prepared for the sun and the heat.  If you plan on being on the course for more than two hours, please bring your own water to ensure your safety. There are no strollers allowed on the course. Please start the race in approximate order of your estimate minutes-per-mile, with the fastest runners at the front.  (Thanks to Dave Hill for ensuring that we are a measured course—USATF is certifying the course distance.) 
5k Run & Walk: this course covers a flatter (but still rolling) course that is suitable for strollers and families. This is an out-and-back with a 180-degree turnaround down by the picnic ground.  NOTE: strollers are allowed on the 5k course only. St rollers and walkers—stay to the left on the route.  About 45 minutes into the 5k the 8-mile lead runners will start to pass you—please give them the right-of-way.

No bicycles, wheelchairs, skateboards, roller skates or pets allowed on the 8 mile or 5k course. 

Water Stations - Long-time sponsor Culligan Water will be located at approximately 2, 4, 6 and 7 miles—and the 1 & 2 mile marks in the 5k.  Students from Sahuaro High School Cross Country will be at the 2, 4, and 6 mile marks—their theme this year is “America.” 

Thanks to long-time race friend, the Tucson Tri-Girls  for handling the water stations at mile 7, which is also the 1 and 2 mile mark for the 5k.  Thanks to the cross country runners at St. Augustine High School for coordinating the refreshing Culligan water at the start/finish line.
 
While we will have plenty of refreshing ice courtesy of Josh at WaterMart, the water on the course will not be iced. 

We’ll also have the Ham Radio Society of Tucson out at all the water stations and the finish line.  Rural Metro provides a dedicated ambulance at the finish line. 
Thanks to Waste Management, we have more port-o-johns than ever before, including one at the 4 mile mark. Please do not use the desert to relieve yourself: the Park Service may fine you - and a snake may bite you!!
 
After the race, enjoy plenty of BodyArmor recovery drink, a ton of snacks courtesy of Tucson Medical Center, and free massages from the Cortiva Institute. Be sure to use the garbage and recycling containers provided by Waste Management. 
 
The National Park Visitor Center will open at 7:00 am this year. PLUS, all participants receive a 10% discount on any Visitor Center merchandise (except pottery),  thanks to the Western National Parks Association. A portion of those proceeds also go back to Saguaro. Win,  win! Your one-day park pass is included in your registration, so there is no need to purchase an additional park pass.  By the way, approximately 1% of the Park’s total fee revenue comes from this single event. 
Rincon Mountain District Ranger Paul Austin has been a true friend to the fitness community and deserves our appreciation. Chief Ranger Bob Love and Darla Sidles, Superintendent of Saguaro National Park, have been instrumental in allowing us to have this unique treasure of an event. If you see a Park Service employee, please thank them for their efforts.

Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown
Saguaro is the second event in the 2012 Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown, to be followed by the TMC Get Moving Tucson Half-Marathon and 5k.  Thank you to all Triple Crown participants for honoring Gabe Zimmerman and helping to contribute to his favorite organization, Child and Family Resources. Those who have not picked up their Run Tucson t-shirts can pick them up on Saturday at The Running Shop from 10:00-3:00.

Sponsors
TUCSON MEDICAL CENTER A special thanks to Tucson Medical Center for all their support of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners and the local health and fitness community.  This race could not have such low entry fees without the support of TMC.
Additional sponsors include Body Basics, a full-service gym; The Running Shop; Culligan Water; BodyArmor recovery drink; Rural Metro; Tile Outlet; Cox Communications; Tucson Lifestyle; Arizona Daily Star and Caliente; The Workout Group; AAA Arizona; Waste Management.
Miscellaneous
After the race, grab a free massage from the student massage therapists at the Cortiva Institute, and visit with The Running Shop, Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection, Watershed Management, WildEarth Guardians, and the Friends of Saguaro. In particular, please be sure to visit the Tucson Medical Center tent.

The Park Service will also have two areas to visit, so check them out - cool skulls, skins and other fun things. . . .
SAR will announce the winner of the 2013 Spirit of Rob Bell Award at the race.

The 8 Miler is part of the Desert Grand Prix presented by the Running Shop.
Looking for a place to spend Sunday night? Award-winning guest ranch, Tanque Verde Ranch, is offering all Saguaro participants a discounted week-end, single-night, or all-inclusive package.  Contact LeighAnn at 520-731-5562. See http://www.tanqueverderanch.com for details.
Technical Shirts:  The shirt is a technical shirt produced by award-winning Leslie Jordan Designs, in both men’s and women’s sizing.
Awards
Raffles - All preregistered participants will be entered into a raffle for prizes to be given out at the awards ceremony.  Prizes courtesy of Ragnar Relays, Ben’s Bells, and The Running Shop, including $25 gift certificates to be used for miscellaneous volunteer and participant raffle

$50 Cash
- Given to the fastest male and female who equals or betters their age in time (+10 minutes for women).
8 Mile Prizes
1st male and female receive custom jewelry from master jeweler Craig Dabler - thanks to long-time race sponsor (and 2011 Spirit of Rob Bell Award winner) Craig Dabler.
Overall: Gift certificates 1st: $75,  2nd $60,  3rd $50 from The Running Shop
Age groups 8 mile:
1st Printed Asics shirts
2nd Printed Freezer Tumbler and one tube Nuun
3rd Printed Freezer Tumbler
Thanks to The Running Shop!
5K Prizes
Overall: Gift certificates 1st $40, 2nd $30, 3rd $20
Age group: 1st Printed Freezer Tumbler
- Age groups in the 5k are in 10-year categories
Thanks to The Running Shop!

Beneficiaries
The Coalition for Sonoran Desert Protection is an alliance of 35 local environmental and community organizations dedicated to achieving the long-term conservation of biological diversity and ecological function of the Sonoran Desert through comprehensive land-use planning in Pima County and the region.
Watershed Management Group offers an adaptive, collaborative approach to developing sustainable solutions wherever we may work. We work with local communities to identify and prioritize resource needs, foster individual and community investment, develop practical solutions, and enable action.
 
Friends of Saguaro National Park, the not-for-profit fundraising partner of the National Park Service at Tucson’s Saguaro National Park  
 
WildEarth Guardians works to protect and restore wildlife, wild places and wild rivers in the American West. 
National Park Service: The National Park Service has been gracious about allowing us access to the beautiful park. The Park Service asks that all participants pay the standard $5 entry fee to the park. This amount will go directly to the National Parks Service.