Miami Boomtown Spree is held each year on the third weekend of April in Miami Arizona. The Town of Miami, located 75 miles East of Phoenix on US 60, is a copper mining boomtown that was started in 1909 and quickly became home to over 10,000 miners and their families. In 1939, the first Boomtown Spree was held in the Honor of Explorer Marcu DE Niza but in later years, it died out when many of the copper mines closed. The Boomtown Spree was revived in 1990 and has turned into a great annual festival. This is one of the many events at the festival.

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KEYSTONE STAIR CLIMB
A timed run up 150 steps to the copper mine on Keysone Ave

The Keystone Stair Climb Race is a timed event up the old stairs used by miners back when Miami was a boomtown. Built around 1910, these steps were known as the 300 Hundred Steps of Miami. The stairs were origially called Skyline Trail, and today it is a street named Skyline Drive (you can not drive it, just walk). Each day thousands of miners would go to work by walking up the 150 steps to the mine and return at the end of the day. The stair race is broken down into age groups for both men and women. The winner of each category receives a plaque, and the first two places in each category receive the famous "coveted" purple tee shirt. The race is held on early Saturday morning (before it gets hot) and also Friday morning for the competitors that are competing in the 5K Copper Crawl Run or can not make the Saturday morning stair race. For more information, please call Miami Town Hall, 928-473-4403

Click on photo below for larger view 1919 photo of stairs at the end of Keystone Ave

This races is not only for the young!

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At the 2002 Boomtown Spree, 85 year old Elizabeth Zache won the 70+ Female category
and 79 year old Lester Schmidt won the 70+ Male category

Course Record
51 seconds by 17 year old Jacob Leverance at the 2002 Boomtown Spree

Age Group Course Records

MALE 12 & Under 1:48 Nick Bernstein (2004) 13 to 18 0:51 Jacob Leverance (2002) 19 to 29 0:52 Johnny Whatley (2004) 30 to 39 1:00 Rob Spears (2002) 40 to 49 1:00 Scott Striepeke (2004) 50 to 59 1:02 David Kachci (2004) 60 to 69 1:27 Bob Zache (2002) 70 to 79 3:41 Bob Staley (2004) 80 plus No Record (new for 2004)

FEMALE 12 & Under 1:39 Ashley Baiza (2001) 13 to 18 2:22 Jessie Thorsted (2004) 19 to 29 1:33 Nicole Lindstrom (2003) 30 to 39 1:41 Yvette Spears (2002) 40 to 49 1:20 Tricia Cook (2004) 50 to 59 1:41 Mary Krank (2004 60 to 69 2:44 Mary Anne Moreno (2004) 70 to 79 5:26 Elizabeth Zache (2002) (was 70 Plus, E.Zache 85 years old) 80 Plus 5:21 Elizabeth Zache (2004)

Ron Ruble Copyright (c) 2003, 2006