By Terrance Thornton | Independent Newsmedia
Choosing to embrace the triple-digit temperatures of summer north Scottsdale could become known as the home of the hottest foot race on Planet Earth.
The inaugural Scottsdale Beat the Heat Race is an event Jason Rose, Scottsdale public relations executive, created as a way to avoid the typical revenue stream drought the seasonality of tourism in the Valley of the Sun usually suffers when triple-digit temperatures emerge.
The 11.22-kilometer race and a shorter 5K race will take place June 22 at WestWorld of Scottsdale, the day after the Summer Solstice, and the Saturday before the hottest day ever recorded in Phoenix.
“The idea was how can we celebrate the heat and build an event around it?” Mr. Rose said in a June 4 phone interview. “Something that would intrigue locals, but we see 14 states now represented, so that is very encouraging.”
About 1,000 runners have signed up for the Beat the Heat race, according to Mr. Rose.
