Oklahoma weather in the spring time is unpredictable to say the least. The A2A Marathon takes place in late March, which can either mean super cold winter-like conditions or the first heat wave of the spring. No matter what, you can usually count on the wind sweeping down the plains. This year, it was definitely windy and chilly at the start, but no where near winter-like conditions of past races.

I decided to run this race with a friend as preparation for the OKC Marathon. Ardmore is roughly 90 minutes from Norman so we could leave early in the morning on race day to get there and be home around lunch time. Hands down, the best aspect of this race is the PEOPLE! The local organizers, spectators and volunteers are very passionate about the race's benefactor, Mercy Hospital. As such, there is tons of hometown love for the runners. Here are the Pros and Cons of this race.

PROS:

SWAG - Boy, did this race hook us up! The race shirt was a gray, long sleeve 3/4 zip tech shirt with a simple race logo on the front. It came in both men's and women's sizes. At the finish, runners were offered another long sleeve 3/4 zip tech shirt in black! In addition, runners received a hat and cotton t-shirt. Not bad for a $60 entry fee!

COURSE SCENERY - The Arbuckle mountains offer a gorgeous backdrop to the Oklahoma sunrise. The course is on a 2-lane frontage road that runs parallel to highway 35 and is completely shut down to all traffic during the race. This helps the runners feel safe and able to take in the scenery as you run. There are farms, wildflowers and lots of different animals to see as you run along this road!

BELL LAP TO THE FINISH LINE: No matter which distance you run, this point to point race finishes inside the local high school stadium. There is a giant bell on the track as you enter the stadium that the directors ask runners to ring as they run their last lap to the finish line to honor the patients being served by Mercy Hospital. It's a very symbolic gesture and quite moving to hear the bell ring throughout the stadium nonstop.

INDOOR PLUMBING: Since the race finishes in the high school stadium, all the bathrooms and locker rooms are open to the runners. It's so amazing to have indoor plumbing at the start and finish of a race! You can even take a shower if you choose! Just be sure to bring your own towel. We were able to park right there at the stadium which made for easy access to the car post-race.

HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS: The post-race food was great! There was a wide variety of choices including my favorite, the homemade cinnamon rolls made by volunteers! They were warm. They were sticky. They were delicious!

CONS:

WIND: This is spring time in Oklahoma. There will be wind. The question is how much and how cold. This year, it was a cold headwind for 13.1 miles. Definitely a challenge. If you're lucky, it could be a tailwind, but friends who have run this race for many years report that has never happened.

HILLS: There are lots of rolling hills on this course. They aren't steep but there are nonstop. Be sure to prepare your legs for them if you decide to run this race.

BUS TO START: Since it is a point to point race, you have to take a bus out to the start line. Porta potties, water and Gatorade are available to runners as they wait at the stop, but there is no shelter to save you from the elements. I would suggest wearing a garbage bag to keep you warm and dry as you wait to start. Luckily for me, a friend was volunteering at this race and had her car at the start. We crammed in as many runners as possible to keep warm before the start (See photo).

DID I MENTION THE WIND?: This year, we lucked out with the weather in the 50s. There have been years that it has been icy and snowy. Just be aware that the weather is unpredictable and this is probably not the course to go for a PR.