


The most unique physical fitness challenge (or friendly fitness
walk) in the USA!
This event encourages physical fitness regardless of
age, level of fitness, ability and available time. The Bisbee
1000 event allows you to use any combination of walking, running and
resting to traverse nine sets
of steps and numerous back-roads at a mile-high altitude. While conquering
over 1,000 steps you will be
serenaded by musicians playing at strategic points along the route (4.2 miles). Participants
can compete aggressively for
overall and age group prizes; enjoy a challenging fitness walk or family
stroll, or any combination thereof (see
video).
History of the Bisbee 1000
In 1990, headlines in the New York Times caught the eye
of Cynthia Conroy, a new arrival to the charming
Arizona mountain community of Bisbee. The Times article reported that
Americans were returning to the gyms
by the thousands, lured by the latest fitness craze: the newly invented
stair climbing machines. At the same
time, research from San Diego State University showed that walking upstairs
was the cardiovascular equivalent
of jogging at 5.3 miles per hour.
Also in 1990, the non-profit Save Our Stairs, Inc., was formed which sponsors the Bisbee 1000, an event that would draw on the resources of this mile high town.
Unique to Bisbee is a system of old and deteriorating
stairways that course through its picturesque hills,
affording views of the town's quaint houses and colorful gardens. The
stairways originally followed the mule
paths worn into the terrain during the heyday of Bisbee's copper mining
past. To put men back to work during
the Great Depression, the Work Projects Administration (WPA) had overseen
building of the stairs over those
same pathways. Early supporters reasoned that an event that attracted
fun-loving and health-conscious individuals from coast
to coast had the potential to be a gold mine for this old mining camp.
Local business would benefit from the
influx of participants from Bisbee and beyond, but equally important is the goal to raise charitable funds for the many unfunded health programs in the schools and for other non-profit programs that encourage healthy living choices.
Word of mouth drew 200 people to the first annual event in October 1991.
Since the first Bisbee 1000, the event has grown each year, both in terms of the numbers of participants as well as the elements of the event itself. 1994 saw the advent of the Ice Man Competition, "an event within the event," which Conroy designed to honor the history of men delivering blocks of ice by hand up the stairs before there was electrical refrigeration. In the Ice Man Competition, entrants vie for cash prizes, racing up 155 steps while carrying a ten-pound block of ice with antique metal tongs. It is as much fun to watch as it is to compete.
The year 2007 brought the annual Made in Bisbee Marketplace, where over 50 artisans sell their wares while musicians entertain the crowds while they watch, shop, eat and enjoy the beer garden and festivities surrounding the finish line of the Bisbee 1000.
It is the Bisbee 1000's broad appeal that distinguishes
it from other physical competitions, such as 10Ks and
triathlons. Among its ranks are the fiercely competitive as well as those
who set a more leisurely pace. The
demographics are interesting to observe. Entire families enjoy the event,
with babies in infant carriers riding
atop their parents' backs. In 2010, an 86 year-old veteran who survived the Battle of the Bulge during WW II completed the Bisbee 1000, smiling all the way, and enriching the lives with his inspiring love for living. The beauty of this event is that people of all ages and
levels of physical conditioning can join in the fun. Beginning in 2011 at the 21st annual Bisbee 1000 we are proud to offer finishing medals to each person who completes The Great Stairclimb. Everyone is invited at noon to the Awards Ceremony where we live up to our best 5k for "fun, freebes, price and scenery” loaded with prizes for amazing categories like: oldest, youngest, largest family, farthest away, costumes and more.
If the Europeanesque charm of Bisbee were not enough to draw you to Southern Arizona, then add the dedicated efforts of the City staff, police and fire departments, musicians serenading on the stairways, and citizens cheering you on your way to refreshing and exhilarating heights in our mile high city where everything is real and you meet yourself at every stair.
Arizona Governor's Award
Board Members
Cynthia Conroy - President & Founder
Doreen Edwards - Vice President
Bonnie Finklea - Treasurer
Suzanne Page - Secretary
Stephanie Peavey - Board Member
Save Our Stairs
PO Box 1099
Bisbee, AZ 85603
Save Our Stairs, Inc. is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization committed to playing a positive role in community development by providing & supporting initiatives that promote healthy, active living in Cochise County. We accomplish this through an annual fitness festival, the Bisbee 1000, The Great Stair Climb, partial proceeds of which are used to support healthy, active living programming in Bisbee, Cochise County and all of Arizona.. Copyright © 2011 • Bisbee 1000 - Save Our Stairs • All Rights Reserved | E-mail | Financial Information

