Pat’s Run marks its 20th anniversary April 13, celebrating two decades of honoring the life of Pat Tillman.
A former Arizona State University and Cardinals football player, Tillman died in 2004 while in Afghanistan after foregoing his professional football career to serve in the U.S. Army following 9/11.
In the months following his death, his family launched the Pat Tillman Foundation in his name. The same year, Tillman’s family and other loved ones, including former ASU Head Athletic Trainer Perry Edinger, worked together to devise Pat’s Run, an annual race winding through Tempe.
Honoring Tillman’s legacy, the run raises money for the foundation, which awards academic scholarships through the Tillman Scholar Program to military service members, veterans and their spouses.
Edinger said the two grew close during Tillman’s time at ASU, continuing their relationship even after his graduation, with Edinger helping Tillman train for a marathon when he was with the Cardinals.
“After he lost his life, his brother-in-law got myself and a couple other people together to try to figure out what we could do to honor him and let people honor him,” Edinger said.
Coming up with Pat’s Run, he said the race pays tribute to the athlete’s Arizona roots as it spans 4.2 miles, in reference to Tillman’s number at ASU, ending at Mountain America Stadium formerly known as Sun Devil Stadium.
The inaugural walk and run recorded 5,500 participants, which Edinger said was a significant success given the organizers expected only 800 people in the first year. Even with that low estimate, he said the night before the race, he had to print triple the amount of shirts for attendees.
“To know that people were honoring my friend like they were, I knew how special he was and I felt that people had the chance to honor Pat (and) that it would be great,” he said.
The following years saw significant growth in participants, with the foundation bringing in 20,000 people in its fourth year. Edinger noted that regardless of how many participants were involved, he would have continued to host the race.
Twenty years later, roughly 30,000 athletes come together annually in Tempe, along with nearly 20,000 other participants at Tillman Honor Runs across the country, hosted in partnership with the ASU Alumni Association.
With these numbers, the race now has full-time staff working on the event, a far cry from the volunteer event staff who put together the first iteration of Pat’s Run.
Edinger said it’s been rewarding working on the race over the years, giving back to Tillman’s memory and family, and it’s a special moment each year to see who comes out to participate.
“Everything’s about the present,” Edinger said. “Twenty years later, we’re at 35,000 people out there Saturday, still (honoring) someone who really stood up for the right things and did the right things throughout his whole life.”
Race prep
On top of Edinger’s role on the race committee, he currently works at Banner Sports Medicine as a physician’s assistant. With his health expertise, he shared tips for race participants as they prepare for the big day.
“Get there early, because there’s a lot of things exciting to see and you don’t want to get caught up and get rushed,” Edinger said.
When starting the course, he says it best to take your time in the beginning, as people often underestimate the hills later on in the course — one stretching a mile and a half long and the other totaling two miles.
Whether you’re planning to walk or run the race, he says it’s best to start at a steady pace, saying participants can go as fast as they want at the end, keeping in mind they should conserve a little bit of energy for the last 200 meters.
As attendees enter Mountain America Stadium, it’ll be decorated with signs with Pat’s sayings and some may even have their names announced as they finish the race.
“You better be ready to roll,” Edinger said.
Additionally, participants should also be sure to stay hydrated and wear their sunblock in the forecasted 80-degree weather on Saturday.
And for first-time racers, he said part of the purpose behind the 4.2-mile distance is TIllman’s tendency to push himself to his limits, striving to do the best that he could regardless of the circumstances.
So whatever your level of fitness, Edinger encourages participants to try their best even if it takes two hours to complete the course.
“It is an accomplishment, and it is something that can jumpstart things for the future,” he said.
Reporter Caroline Yu can be reached at cyu@iniusa.org. To voice your opinion on this story, connect with us at AzOpinions@iniusa.org.
Meet Caroline Caroline Yu joined Independent Newsmedia, Inc., USA, in 2020 as a summer intern covering Scottsdale. As an intern, she continued her coverage of Scottsdale, Paradise Valley and Tempe. After graduating in 2022, Caroline became a full-time reporter for Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. She is currently reporting for the Tempe market.
Community: She is a supporter of the environment and tries to get involved with related community events.
Education: Arizona State University with a BA in Journalism and Mass Communications, with a minor in French.
Random Fact: She used to be a ballet dancer for 10 years.
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“To know that people were honoring my friend like they were, I knew how special he was and I felt that people had the chance to honor Pat (and) that it would be great,” he said.
When starting the course, he says it best to take your time in the beginning, as people often underestimate the hills later on in the course — one stretching a mile and a half long and the other totaling two miles.
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