All running events and triathlons are inspirational in their own right, but Pat’s Run is one of those events that makes you want to do more and be more. This Saturday at 7 a.m., nearly 30,000 people will embark on their 4.2 mile Pat’s Run journey through Tempe to the finish line – the 42 yard line at Sun Devil Stadium’s Frank Kush Field. The number 42 is a symbol for Pat Tillman — he wore the #42 jersey when he was a Sun Devil football player. Online registration is now closed, but you may still be able to register this week at the north end of Sun Devil Staidum, where race packet pick up occurs. For more info, visit http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/pats-run/race-info/. This event is expected to sell out. If you’re not able to participate in the actual race, you can still cheer along the race course and inside the stadium. There will be an expo and kid’s area inside Sun Devil Stadium, opening at 6 a.m. on race day. This is the main fundraiser for the Pat Tillman Foundation and funds support the Tillman Military Scholars Program. For more about this foundation and Pat Tillman, visit http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/who-we-are/. Good luck to all participants and their friends and family who live in Tempe or are traveling to our area for this great event. Let’s all be inspired by a true American hero.

Calling all baseball fans (especially those of you who root for the Angels or the Dodgers)! Do you want to go to an Angels spring training baseball game? We’re giving away 5 pairs of tickets to the Angels vs. Dodgers game this Saturday (2/26) at 1:05 p.m. at Tempe Diablo Stadium. Here’s what you have to do to win: RT our original tweet about this giveaway (@TempeTourism) that includes who you want to win the game (ex: #angels or #dodgers) We’re going to record all usernames who retweeted and pick 5 winners at random by 4pm MST today, 2/23 We’ll DM you to let you know that you won. In order for us to DM you, you must folllow us. If you win, you must pick the tickets up from the Tempe Tourism Office, 51 W. Third St., Ste. 105, by 5 p.m. on Friday, 2/25. That’s it! Good luck!

It’s another week in Tempe packed with art, music and literature culminating with a favorite annual event that’s a merry combination of music and marathon, the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon. Remember this is just a sample. View the complete listing of Tempe events or call 480-894-8158. January 10: Beth Lederman Trio, Dave’s Electric Brew Pub January 11: Ali Vincent: Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life, Changing Hands Bookstore January 12: Walk in Wednesday with Walt Richardson, Tempe Center for the Arts   January 13: Thursday Night Market, Tempe Urban Garden January 13: Music on Mill, Mill Avenue District January 13: Jared Howe; January 14: Anna Chepikova; January 15: Will Metzler, John Henry’s Restaurant January 13: Shelby James; January 14: The McCarthy Brothers; January 15: Tyler Nielson Duo, D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Restaurant & Pub January 14: Phoenix Symphony: “The Brandenburg Festival”, Tempe Center for the Arts January 14: Hello Swindon; January 15: Jed’s A Millionaire, Tempe Marketplace District Stage January 14: David & Amy; January 15: Michael V., Tempe Marketplace Barns & Noble Fountain January 15: Matt Long : The Long Run: A New York City Firefighter’s Triumphant Comeback from Crash Victim to Elite Athlete, Changing Hands Bookstore January 16: P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon; Free Vertical Horizon Concert, P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon January 16: Sunday Night Jam Sessions Led by the Jeff Libman Trio, Dave’s Electric Brew […]

You can feel the excitement in the air in Tempe, Arizona…it’s Sun Devil football season once again! There are two home games this month, Saturday the 11th vs. NAU and Saturday the 25th vs. Oregon. As I bought a brand new Sun Devil gold t-shirt today, I wondered what other pre-game traditions fans enjoy. For me, it’s about acquiring a few new ASU duds and reviewing the lyrics to the fight song that I can never seem to remember. What about you, Sun Devil fans? Is an ASU football game not complete without a trip to The Chuckbox? Or, maybe cocktails at Monti’s La Casa Vieja? Do you tailgate with your closest friends? Get a photo taken with Sparky? We’d love to hear from you!

Visitors and tourists alike love to soak up the sunshine and balmy temperatures that signal spring in Tempe. This Thursday through Saturday, you’re invited to spend time outdoors at ASU Karsten Golf Course and see some great up and coming golfers. ASU Karsten is hosting the Thunderbird Invitational, aka the ASU Men’s Golf Invitational, April 1-3. The ASU men’s golf team will play against teams from U of A, Cal, UCLA, USC, Oregon, Stanford, BYU and many more. The public is welcome to watch the tournament and support our home team, ASU. Practice rounds for all teams begin at 7:30 am on Thursday, April 1. The first and second rounds of play will begin on Friday, April 2 at 7:30 am with continuous play throughout the day. The final round will begin at 7 am on Saturday, April 3. If you haven’t been to ASU Karsten, this is your chance to see one of the best golf courses in town. It is a classic Pete Dye, links-style course.  Top PGA and LPGA TOUR professionals such as Phil Mickelson, Billy Mayfair, Grace Park and Anna Nordqvist sharpened their skills at this premier facility during their time at Arizona State University. For more info, go to www.asukarsten.com. Go Sun Devils!

I’ve never been a runner, even when I was a kid. I do enjoy walking, but I don’t have the right stuff for marathon walking. However, I do love the P.F. Chang’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & ½ Marathon because participating as a spectator is so much fun at this one. It’s the event where music hits the pavement along with runners and spectators from all over the world. And, it’s definitely not only for the runners. It is just as exciting for spectators like me who line the streets from the starting point at Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza in Phoenix, through Scottsdale right to the end in Tempe. It’s electrifying being there to cheer for friends, family and elite racers and energizing just listening to all the great music provided by bands every mile along the marathon routes. With more than 60 bands playing reggae, rock, country, rhythm and blues and jazz, there’s plenty of toe tapping and dancing along both courses. It all culminates in a big free post race concert. This year Everclear will perform at Sun Angel Stadium at Arizona State University. The band will perform two sets, at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. The marathons take place this Sunday, January 17; but, everyone can get into the spirit of the race ahead of time by attending the Health and Fitness Expo on January 15-16 at the Phoenix Convention Center. More than 130 exhibitors will be on hand with athletic clothing and gear, official race merchandise, souvenirs […]

The P.F. Chang’s Rock n’ Roll Arizona Marathon & 1/2 Marathon takes place on the morning of January 17, just under two weeks away! That means just two weeks left of training until the big day! This will be my first time running the 1/2 marathon – 13.1 miles. Maybe someday I will try the full 26.2 mile marathon, but it may be only in my dreams! Marathon runners begin their race at 7:40 a.m., while 1/2 marathon runners like myself start at 8:30 a.m. The excitement starts early for runners while they enjoy coffee, fruit and more at the Start Line Village before the race. Once the race begins, so does the non-stop entertainment! A variety of different bands line the course to keep the energy going. This race is not just fun for the runners, but also for the many spectators that come to watch their family members and friends compete. Once the race is over, the runners and spectators can keep the fun going at the post-race headliner concert featuring Everclear! I will be excited for the final concert since at that point I will know that I have made it, and completed the 1/2 marathon! This year’s headliner concert will begin at 11:30 a.m. in Sun Angel Stadium, immediately following the race. The concert is free and open to the public so make sure to invite your friends! If you plan to have friends or family meet you at the finish line make sure to check out […]

ASU Sun Devils, make room for the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Iowa State Cyclones! Both teams and their fans are set to take over Sun Devil Stadium for an exciting Insight Bowl on December 31. The teams have arrived and are preparing for the big game. Fans from Iowa and Minnesota are ready to cheer their teams on to victory and we’re thrilled to welcome them to our hometown. In my humble opinion, Tempe is the perfect place for a college bowl game, especially on New Year’s Eve. Tempe is a spirited college town that knows how to roll out the welcome mat for visitors. At the Insight Bowl, fans will be able to attend pep rallies for their team in the Mill Avenue District, walk to the stadium for the big game and then, walk right into one of the country’s best New Year’s Eve celebrations. The Fiesta Bowl Block Party is a fun-filled street party with live entertainment, activities for the whole family, fireworks displays and beer gardens. The Insight Bowl kicks off at 4 p.m. on Thursday. The block party gates open at 5 p.m. For more details about these events, go to http://www.tempecvb.com/infopages/landing_insight.aspx. May the best team win!

For some of the Ford Ironman Arizona athletes this is what they are made for and are in it to win, for others just finishing is a fete in and of itself. The mental and physical journey the Ford Ironman takes each athlete though just emanates off of them, both before and after the race.  It is a personal undertaking to prove to themselves what they are made of and that they truely can do whatever they set their minds to. I know to the average person, myself included, think what these athletes do is almost unimaginable. After these athletes cross the finish line of the Ironman, they might also realize that they have just accomplished something they never thought imaginable. If you would like to do the unimaginable and participate in a future Ironman race go to http://www.ironmanarizona.com/ and check out some of the amazing athletes that have won past races. I have been a volunteer at the Ford Ironman for the last two years and this event never ceases to amaze me. The dedicated athletes that train year round for this event are some of the nicest people you will meet from all around the world. Even after daunting mental and physical tasks of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 24.6 miles, they were so absolutely appreciative for what we (the volunteers) were doing, I was truly amazed and inspired by the people I met.  Experiencing the energy of this event and being a part of it, though I was not as a participant but a volunteer, it […]

There are 6 more days to vote for Tempe, Arizona in the United States Tennis Association’s “Best Tennis Town” contest. Tempe is among 10 cities that qualified for this great honor. The USTA recognized Tempe for its excellent tennis facilities, passionate players and for having one of the best tennis programs in the country. The winner is determined by popular vote. Go to www.BestTennisTown.com to cast your vote. Votes will be taken through July 26. The winning city will be recognized during a special ceremony at the US Open. A win for Tempe would mean an award of $100,000, which would be used to further improve Tempe’s facilities and tennis programs. When it comes to building an active community, every little bit helps! Cast your vote today!