Meet Me at Maynards a fun Monday-night tradition

Story and photo by Debbie Hadley

On a Monday night with little else to do but catch up on TV programs, Meet Me at Maynards provides social play with plenty of fresh air and exercise.

Starting at Maynards, a restaurant located at 400 N. Toole Ave. in the historic train depot, you can run or walk a route that takes athletes on a quick tour of downtown Tucson. The event is sponsored by Southern Arizona Roadrunners.

With downtown Tucson bringing to mind jury duty and expired parking meters, founders Jannie Cox and Dave Syverson decided in 2009 that something needed to change.

“We imagined what a regular crowd of active people like this could do for downtown Tucson,” Cox said.

MMM quickly became a Monday night tradition, with hundreds of Tucsonans showing up weekly. More than 12,000 people have since participated.

Check-in time is 5:15 p.m., but come early to avoid long lines. Walkers depart at 5:45, followed by runners at 6 p.m.

For further details, visit www.meetmeatmaynards.com.

Runners enter the Fourth Avenue underpass during a Meet Me at Maynards outing.