TMC Get Moving Tucson Half-Marathon, 5k and FitKidz Mile

Race Info

For the past decade, the TMC Get Moving Tucson Half-Marathon has been Tucson's most popular urban half-marathon event, with the TMC A-Mountain Half-Marathon, the Tucson Lifestyle 5k Run/Walk, and the Cox Charities Free FitKidz Mile for children 12-and-under. Produced by Randy and Tia Accetta, TMC Get Moving Tucson has included multiple routes, live music, a vendor expo, children's activities, jumping castles, food trucks, breakfast after-party, and more.

However, as of June 2020, we still don't know what we'll be able to do for the 2020 event. At this writing, the public health crisis is significantly affecting Southern Arizona and we have not received permits from the City of Tucson, Pima County, and Arizona Department of Transportation. If we cannot receive permits for the regular race route, our options are these:

1) Move the event to a Virtual Event, like we had to do with the TMC Meet Me Downtown 5k

2) Move the location to create a safer-route, enabling staggered starts, fewer aid stations, and so forth. (We're thinking of doing out-and-backs along The Loop, but we still need to get appropriate permits.)

We will use this race page, email, and social media channels to provide updated information as we learn more. For questions, contact Randy at randy@runtucson.net.

Courses: We are not sure what will happen in 2020. In past years . . .

For both the 5k and the Half Marathon, the fun began in the heart of Downtown Tucson, with a route including historic West University and the canyons of Downtown.
Half-Marathoners ran to Sentinel Peak and cranked the A-Mountain loop, then hit the the flat out-and-back on the Santa Cruz Riverpath at the base of A-Mountain, rockin' with local bands and with views of the distant mountains before speeding the last mile into the heart of Downtown, as the finish line band rocks the tunes and friends, family, and other runners cheer your finish.

Race Souvenirs

Free Race shirt: The first 1500 registrants receive a souvenir shirt, in women's and unisex sizing
Finisher's Medal: Every finisher in the 5k and half-marathon receives the special medallion designed in partnership with local Cirrus Visual and Ashworth Awards, the nation's premier medal company
For Sale: Black long-sleeve hoodies and Run Tucson caps for sale on race day, $20 apiece

Race Day Music: TBD

Snacks and Drink: TBD. In past years, we've had . . .

Gatorade on the course and at finish line
GU Energy Gel on A-Mountain
Post-race snacks of cookies, chips, and more, courtesy of Tucson Medical Center
Free coffee by race beneficiary Team Hoyt
Food trucks on site after the race

Awards: TBD. In past years, we've had . . .

Age group awards -- gift certificates from The Running Shop + commemorative glasses
Cash prizes for top runners
Earn your points at SAR's Running Shop Grand Prix

For Children and Families: TBD. In past years . . .

All children 12-and-under participate in the Free SAR FitKidz One Mile (and the course is a bit short so they will have a super-fast time, too!!)
Jumping Castle and Face Painting courtesy of Cox Communications

Beneficiaries

No matter what, this will be the third race of the 2020 Gabe Zimmerman Triple Crown. Proceeds will benefit Team Hoyt Arizona, the BEYOND-Tucson Foundation, and the Southern Arizona Roadrunners

Date and Time

2020 Race Weekend Schedule: TBD

Race Awards

Rewards For Fast Running: We are not sure what we will do in 2020.

However, here is the 2019 Half-Marathon Prize Money Structure

• $100 to first overall male and $100 to first overall female; $50 to top overall Master's (Over-40) male and female

• $200 to the top three (3) males who break 1:13 and to the top three (3) females who break 1:26 (basically, the top 10 times on the course over the past five years)

• $500 for course records. Current course records are Scott Smith’s 1:06:23 (2012) and Jennifer Bergman's 1:19:44 (2015)

• $50 to first male and female member of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners

• $100 to the first athlete to the A at the top of A-Mountain, but you have to finish the race (men in under 1:30, women in under 1:45)

NOTES:

Headphones are not allowed in prize money competition; prize money will not be given to runners wearing headphones. See below for details.
All runners must pass the multiple timing mats on the course. Runners not passing the multiple mats will be disqualified and removed from prize consideration
Prize money awards are based on "gun" starting time for overall and masters, and chip time for age group.
Runners who break the course record will receive $500, but not the additional $200.
We are trying to reward performance and local running. So, as an example, if a man wins the race overall in 1:13:01 but is second to the "A" and not a SAR member he will get only $100. If the winning man or woman is first to break the course record, is first to the "A", and is also a member of the Southern Arizona Roadrunners, he or she will win $750. When in doubt, join SAR!

2020 Age Group Awards: TBD

TMC Get Moving Tucson Event: A-Mountain Half-Marathon Top Ten Times on the A-Mountain Course (as of 2019)

Scott Smith 26 1:06:23 Oct-21-2012
Craig Curley 23 1:07:13 Oct-9-2011
Jordan Chipingama 23 1:08:20 Oct-21-2012
Harry Mulenga 24 1:09:00 Oct-28-2018
Ian Burrell 28 1:09:14 Oct-20-2013
Craig Hunt 27 1:09:34 Oct 28-2018
Andrew Lemoncello 34 10:09:18 Oct-30-2016
Kurt Michels 29 1:09:58 Oct-20-2013
Robert Scribner 34 1:11:03 Oct-30-2016
Anthony Francisco 36 1:11:18 Oct-30-2016

TMC Get Moving Tucson Event: A-Mountain Half-Marathon Top Ten Times on the A-Mountain Course

Jennifer Bergman 23 1:19:44 Oct-25-2015
Ariana Hilborn 33 1:21:17 Oct-20-2013
Autumn Ray 35 1:21:57 Oct-25-2015
Autumn Ray 34 1:22:06 Oct-19-2014
Amy Cole 30 1:23:40 Oct-19-2014
Maggie Callahan 25 1:23:42 Oct-20-2013
Alicia Shay 30 1:24:35 Oct-21-2012
Tia Accetta 37 1:24:43 Oct-21-2012
Erin Menefee 23 1:25:50 Oct-25-2015
Hanna Henson 22 1:26:13 Oct-21-2015

Top Three Times, Men, No-A Course

Harry Mulenga 23 1:08:57 Oct-29-2017
David Fernandez 21 1:13:06 Oct-29-2017
James Haycraft 32 1:17:08 Oct-29-2017

Top Three Times, Women, No-A Course

Autumn Ray 37 1:20:21 Oct-29-2017
Jessica Culver 27 1:23:33 Oct-29-2017
Lauren Reasoner 1:23:38 Oct-29-2017

PRIZE MONEY RULES AND REGULATIONS

NOTE: following USATF and RRCA guidelines, the use of headphones in prize money races is prohibited -- that is, prize money will not be distributed to runners wearing headphones in these events. We strongly discourage the use of headphones. From USATF: "The following shall be considered assistance and therefore not allowed: . . . The visible possession or use by athletes of video, audio, or communications devices in the competition area [ . . .] those competing in Championships for awards, medals, or prize money may not use such devices . . . headphones remain banned for any athlete competing in a USA Championship . . ."
NOTE: All prize money winners will be required to complete appropriate tax information in order to receive checks.
NOTE: A limited number of complimentary entries for elite athletes are available. Send resume and ways you can add value to the race to race director Randy Accetta at randy@runtucson.net.

We follow the RRCA Fair Competition Policies.
While USA Track & Field is the governing body and issuer of rules for the sport of running, local event directors are encouraged to adopt these RRCA recommended policies to further support and promote fair competition for athletes, especially those competing for prize money and age group awards.
Prize Money Eligibility Policy
To be eligible for elite entry or prize purse, an athlete must:

Not be currently serving a suspension issued by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for use of a banned substance
Not have ever served a ban issued by USADA or WADA for the use of performance enhancing drugs
Not be represented by coaches and/or agents who have had 2 or more athletes receiving such suspensions in the previous 4 years
Not be represented by coaches and/or agents who served a ban for use of performance enhancing drugs during their own athletic career*
Provide proper documentation proving they are eligible for prize money (form W-9, W-8ECI or W-8BEN)
Sign a statement attesting they are in compliance with USADA and WADA anti-doping regulations related to banned substance use and if issued a doping suspension or ban in the future, they will not be allowed back at the event for any reason
Consent to random drug testing according to the standards and procedures of USATF, USADA and WADA

Any athlete that believes they have been barred from the event or the opportunity to earn prize money at the event because of mistaken identity due to near or exact name of a person currently suspended, banned or previously banned, must submit documentation certified by a notary in advance to the race director or elite athlete coordinator of the event proving that they are not the same person identified as serving a suspension, ban or previous ban. (event organizers will need to clearly outline the exact person to submit documentation to for this recourse section of the policy)

*Athletes have a duty to ensure they are represented by reputable coaches and agents and have a duty to consult the WADA list of athletes that are or have served a doping ban before signing with a coach or agent.

About the Race:

The TMC Get Moving Tucson Half-Marathon event was founded by Randy Accetta, long-time SAR Board member and past SAR President. Working at the time with Jannie Cox, the first Get Moving 10-Miler was a cross-city race. Over recent years, the race has been brought to Downtown Tucson and includes iconic A-Mountain, the Santa Cruz Riverpath, and Downtown Tucson neighborhoods. The Get Moving Tucson event is on the SAR calendar, with the TMC A-Mountain Half-Marathon on the SAR "Running Shop Grand Prix." A former 2:19 marathoner who ran in the 1996 US Olympic Trials Marathon, Randy is a Mentor in Residence at the University of Arizona's McGuire Center for Entrepreneurship and is the national Director of Coaching Education for the Road Runners Club of America. He and his wife Tia live in Tucson with their two young children, both of whom are faster than Randy.

Beneficiaries

Proceeds from the event will fund local organizations, including Cox Charities, Team Hoyt Arizona, BEYOND-Tucson Foundation, and the Southern Arizona Roadrunners.

Community Partners

We want to thank a host of community partners for help with this event, including our title sponsor, Tucson Medical Center. Without TMC's support, we could not produce such a large event. We urge all runners and walkers to patronize our sponsors and partners-- check out their logos and links on the sidebar!

Interested in being a sponsor? Contact Race Director Randy Accetta. It's expensive to put on a race Downtown, and we're looking for course sponsors, t-shirt sponsors, and post-event sponsors. Join the healthiest community in Arizona!

Contact

Call Race Director Randy Accetta 520-991-0733 or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).

Registration

Race Fees

TMC A-Mountain Half-Marathon

$60 By July 31, 2020
$70 August 1 - September 30, 2020
$75 October 1 through Race Weekend

Tucson Lifestyle 5k Walk/Run

$30 By July 31, 2020
$35 August 1 - September 30, 2020
$40 October 1 through Race Weekend

Cox Charities FitKidz One Mile Walk/Run for children 12 and under: FREE for all (no shirt, except SAR FitKidz shirts for children 12 and under)

Please remember that all registrations are final, with no refunds and no transfers. The race will go on rain or shine . . . . virtual or in person!

Registration

News

Aug.1.20: August 1 Update on TMC Tucson 10k and TMC Get Moving Tucson
Jun.23.20: Update for TMC Get Moving Tucson Half-Marathon
Nov.10.19: Race Report for TMC Get Moving Tucson
Oct.27.19: Unofficial TMC Get Moving Tucson results now posted
Oct.26.19: In Person Registration Saturday and Sunday for TMC Get Moving Tucson
More Race News »

Course Info

Race Distances and Courses

If we can run the traditional course in 2020, see below for a detailed description of how to run the TMC A-Mountain Half-Marathon.

Special thanks to the Arizona Department of Transportation for allowing us access to the the St. Mary’s Underpass at I-10, and to the City of Tucson, Pima County, and the Tucson Police Department for all their help with the route planning.

Miles 1-3 The 5k and Half-Marathon runners both start in front of the historic Pioneer Building on Stone Avenue. To ensure an accurate and certified course for each race, the course will include a lap of the Downtown library at the very beginning, followed by a straight shot east along Pennington Avenue to Sixth Avenue.

Runners will head to the east side of Sixth Avenue and drop under the rail tracks via the Sixth Avenue Underpass, before heading north on Sixth Avenue all the way up to Second Street. Turn right on Second Street and head towards the University of Arizona for a half-mile or so, then turn left on First Avenue and left again on First Street. This section should be fun – plenty of folks to run with, an easy uphill through the first mile, then mostly flat for a mile, then a very nice downhill all the way through the Sixth Avenue Underpass. There is a water stop just before Mile 2, on Second Street and Fourth Avenue by the park.

Miles 3-4 The 5k will finish on Church at the cross walk of the Old Court House, while the Half-Marathoners will go past the finish line on Church at the Old Court House. From Court House/Jacome Plaza, go north on Church to Sixth Street, then turn left on Sixth. This stretch to I-10 is all a gentle downhill down towards the Santa Cruz. Take advantage of this slight drop. From Sixth/St. Mary’s you’ll turn south on Bonita and have the whole street to yourselves until you hit Congress. Heading west on Congress to the A-Mountain road at Cuesta is a gradual rise - not very noticeable, but still, a bit uphill. You’ll be on the north side of Congress all the way to Cuesta. Again, be patient on this stretch.

Miles 5-7 Once you turn south on Cuesta and hit Sentinel Peak Road you will begin to notice a bit of an uphill. OK, it's a bit more than a bit uphill. Almost the same distance as the famed Saguaro hill, the climb up to the “A” on A-Mountain can be broken into a few sections. Stay to the right side of the road on this whole stretch. The first piece through the neighborhoods is gradual, so try to get in a steady rhythm without working too hard. As you hit the parking lot on the right about a half-mile up the hill, you’ll notice a flattening for a couple of hundreds of yards. This is a good time to re-assess your pace and shake out your arms a bit. Then you have a quarter mile of steepness to the split at the top of the mountain, where the Cross Country team from Sahuaro High School will be cheering and handing out water. In 2015, we'll have Chuckwalla rock n' roll band, plus friends from Muscle Milk. Go through the Muscle Milk arch!

The race route will take you to the right, counter-clockwise, with a gorgeous view of the Starr Pass area to the west and the Santa Rita Mountains to the south. You can see the sparkling observatories of Kitt Peak and the mountains surrounding Baboquivari Peak. The hill softens a bit as you make the half-mile push for the sparkling white “A.” There are a couple of false summits as you approach the top, so maintain a steady pace.

According to mapmyrun.com, the whole climb is about 1.5 miles with a 509 foot elevation gain. Not that bad, right? Once you hit the low brick wall marking the parking areas on the east side, you’re almost to the top. Another hundred yards or so, and you level out for a few steps before plunging downhill.
Miles 7-8 The downhill is probably the hardest part of the course. Enjoy the pull of gravity, but you’ll want to be careful of running too fast - don’t brake yourself, but don’t overstride too much, either. Like with the Tucson Marathon, too much too fast will blow out your quads, so be smart on the downhill section.

Miles 9-10 Once you’re off the hill, the half-mile stretch heading east on Congress is pretty easy. Please stay inside the cones on the south lane of Congress. You’ll turn south on Grande and stay on the right side of the road all the way down to the bike path entrance just north of 22nd/Starr Pass Blvd. You may be tempted to pick up the pace on this stretch, but it’s probably better to be patient here as you run in the morning sunshine below Sentinel Peak. When you enter the Santa Cruz River Path at Grande (just north of Starr Pass Blvd), you'll have a water station, live music, and an ambulance at the dirt lot. At this point you should be in a nice rhythm.

Mile 10-12 Once on the bike path, you will stay on the right hand side of the bike path and head south for exactly 660 yards then do a U-turn and head back north, still staying on the right side of the lane as you pass runners for another 660 yards until the path opens up. (As you can probably tell, we needed this turn-around on the bike path to ensure that the course is exactly 13.1 miles.) You’ll head north on the bike path all the way until St. Mary’s again. Again, stay on the bike path the whole way -- you'll have a water station crewed by the cross country runners of Catalina High School offering water just before Mile 12. We'll also have live music here. You should be feeling good along the River Path, so this is a nice place to step up the pace a bit. There are some shady stretches and you’re getting closer to home on this primarily flat stretch.

Mile 12-13.1 Exiting the bike path onto St. Mary’s is a bit tricky. As you come up the hill off the bike path approaching St. Mary’s, you can either hug the pathway to the right and stay on the narrow sidewalk heading east across the Santa Cruz or you can jump down from the curb to the main roadway. If I were racing it, I would probably hop the curb, but it’s a bit high, perhaps as many as 10”, so be careful here. As you head under the I-10, you’re about 2/3 of mile from the finish line, so it’s time to put the pedal to the metal!! You finish with a long straight-away up Church Street. Save some for the final kick!

Tucson Lifestyle 5k Route Description

Location

115 North Church Street in Downtown Tucson, at the Jacome Plaza by the library and the Old Court House.

There is plenty of nearby street parking. Please see ParkTucson for maps and locations or visit our friends at the Downtown Tucson Partnership for a great map of Downtown parking.

Race Weather

Race conditions are typically 63 degrees at race start, and clear skies. We’re a bit worried about the heat, so check out Tucson’s current conditions and forecast so you’ll be prepared!