One of my favorite runs in Tempe is the Pat Tillman Run, organized by the Pat Tillman Foundation.
The organization this year was great. I was surprised to see more than 28,000 participants in the event this year. Bib #’s and start times depend on self-reported average time per mile. I think I gave something around 10 minutes/mile, so I was part of bib #’s 18,000-19,000. While the event was supposed to start at 7am, given the crowd, they started the race in phases. I was in the 18th batch, and my run started at around 7:45am.
I was super under-prepared for this run. I didn’t have a flipcase for my phone and keys, and I biked to the start zone (ASU football stadium). In hindsight, I am surprised I did as well as I did. I had a terrible day the previous day (struggled to prove some conjecture), and I went to bed quite late thinking about it.
The Course
Run
It was warm by the time I started – AZ heat really sets in early. Thanks to the volunteers at every mile, I was well hydrated during the run.
Finish
Perhaps, my favorite part of a run is the finish. I could get a surge towards the end and managed to cut my target 45 minutes by a couple of minutes. The race ends at the 42nd yard of the ASU football stadium (42 for Tillman).
Here’s the final timings based on the chip in my bib. I think I was at the 64th percentile among male runners (3305/9228). Something to improve in my future runs.
Here’s me with the medal.
