ASU community to participate in 9th annual Pat's Run

Arizona State University and the surrounding community will take part in the ninth annual Pat’s Run on Saturday, April 20. The run/walk will begin at 6 a.m. on Packard Drive and continue on through the streets on Tempe, where participants will finish on the 42-yard line in Sun Devil Stadium.

Sponsored by the Pat Tillman Foundation, Pat’s Run was created to honor the life and legacy of ASU alumnus Pat Tillman who lost his life while serving with the 75th Ranger Regiment in Afghanistan. While a member of the ASU football team, Tillman proudly wore the number 42 football jersey.

The 4.2 mile run and .42 kids run attracts more than 35,000 people each year. Proceeds directly benefit the Tillman Military Scholars, a program designed to support educational opportunities for servicemembers and military families by bridging the financial gaps left by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

Katie Flores, a nursing student at the Downtown Phoenix campus, has participated in Pat’s Run for the past three years. She first heard about the run while working in the Undergraduate Admissions Office at ASU.

“I was a cross country and track athlete in my undergrad, at Coe College, so I was really excited to register for a local race. I ran that year with my sister as well as several other coworkers,” she said.

For her, the event is proof of the impact that a single individual can make on the lives of many.  

“I love participating in memorial runs because it shows that a single individual can influence so many people, even beyond their own life. I have even had the opportunity to meet several Pat Tillman Scholars and truly support the Pat Tillman Foundation Efforts,” she said.

In addition to the main run, 30 chapters from the ASU Alumni Association are participating in shadow runs across the United States. The shadow runs are community-oriented, casual affairs, commonly held at parks, schools and recreation areas. The runs have grown from 150 runners participating in eight cities in 2009 to 1,174 runners participating in 25 cities last year. View a complete list of cities hosting shadow runs in conjunction with Pat's Run.

Space is limited so register now.