Weekend of events in December include family-focused 1 Mile and 5K (Saturday, Dec. 8)
and the Tucson Marathon, Marathon Relay, and Half Marathon (Sunday, Dec. 9)
August 23, 2012 – The Holualoa Tucson Marathon, in its 19th year, announces a collaboration with Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C) for the 2012 Tucson Marathon and
Tucson Marathon Family Fitness Fest.  Tucson Marathon participants can register to be part of Team SU2C which raises funds for Stand Up To Cancer, a groundbreaking initiative created to accelerate innovative cancer research that will get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives now.  Team SU2C rallies supporters from all over the country to fundraise by participating in their favorite local races. To join Team SU2C, visit http://www.crowdrise.com/TeamSU2C-Tucson. Registration is free.

Saturday, December 8th – 2nd Annual Tucson Marathon Family Fitness Fest
A great event for the whole family, the Tucson Marathon Family Fitness Fest will be held on the University of Arizona campus Mall on Saturday, December 8.  Running events will include a 5K and 1 Mile run.  The 5K is for runners of all abilities, including walkers and wheelchairs. We expect youth from 3 to 100 years old to share the excitement of completing the race.

With support from the UA Zuckerman College of Public Health and partnerships with the College of Agriculture and many other UA entities, this day of family fitness promises to provide all the necessary fun to make everyone excited about a healthy lifestyle.  The 1 Mile event was created in 2010 to encourage school age children to get outside and move.  Working with the College of Public Health at the University of Arizona, the Tucson Marathon Fitness Fest is engaging with 160 Tucson area schools to deliver a four-month running and physical fitness training program, culminating with running the 1 Mile event.  The 1 Mile is appropriate for runners and walkers of all ages.  Families are encouraged to participate with their kids and everyone is welcome.

Sunday, December 9th – Marathon, Marathon Relay and Half Marathon
The Holualoa Tucson Marathon, Marathon Relay, and Damascus Bakeries Half Marathon will be held on Sunday, December 9.  The Old West historical town of Oracle marks the start line of the full marathon and relay. The marathon is heralded in Runner’s World this year as one of the nation’s top qualifiers for the Boston Marathon.  The course winds through the desert on paved roads and finishes at the Coronado Middle School, just off of E. Wilds Road.

The Half Marathon is one of the fastest point-to-point courses in the country.  The course, which starts on Biosphere Road, approximately ½ mile outside the Biosphere 2 gates, follows the last 13.1 miles of the marathon course.

Both courses are scenic, fast, mostly downhill and certified by USATF.  All of the Tucson Marathon events tailor to runners of all abilities, from walkers to elites.  The host hotel is the Hilton El Conquistador.

Pam Reed, founder and race director, Tucson Marathon:
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Stand Up To Cancer.  As the largest running event in Southern Arizona, we expect nearly 5,000 people to participate in our various race distances. This partnership represents a shared passion for ending cancer.  The innovative and collaborative approach of SU2C is something we stand up to support for making a real difference in people’s lives.”

Sue Schwartz, co-founder of SU2C and partner at Robertson Schwartz Agency:
“Stand Up To Cancer is all about collaboration and acceleration.  We are excited to be working with the Tucson Marathon as part of their charitable initiative.  Your participation with Team SU2C in the Tucson Marathon will help to generate funds for the most promising, patient-focused cancer research.  So stand up, and join the team!”  To join Team SU2C in The Holualoa Tucson Marathon, please visit http://www.crowdrise.com/TeamSU2C-Tucson.

About Stand Up To Cancer
Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)—a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), a 501(c) (3) charitable organization—raises funds to accelerate the pace of groundbreaking translational research that can get new therapies to patients quickly and save lives. SU2C facilitates collaboration among the best and the brightest in the cancer research community. The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) and a Scientific Advisory Committee conduct rigorous, competitive review processes through which SU2C’s grantees are selected. By galvanizing the entertainment industry, SU2C generates awareness and builds grassroots support for this new approach to ending cancer.

About Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF)
Stand Up To Cancer is a program of the Entertainment Industry Foundation (EIF), the 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization that serves as the collective philanthropy for the television and film businesses. EIF has distributed hundreds of millions of dollars to support programs addressing critical health, education and social issues. For more information, visit http://www.eifoundation.org.

# # #Contacts:

Lynn Astalos, race director
Tucson Marathon Family Fitness Fest
astalos@charter.net
www.tucsonmarathon.com
(408) 483-2421 mobile

Misty Espinoza, Director of Communications
mespinoza@eifoundation.org
Stand Up To Cancer