O'Connell's St. Pat's 8K Run occurs early March and is on its 19th year in Norman, OK. Overall, it's a small, well organized race with just over 200 people racing in 2018. The small number of participants is a positive to me because no large crowds or jockeying for a position at the start of the race. The course is USATF Certified and Sanctioned. It starts and finishes at O'Connell's of Campus Corner. The course is mostly flat and snakes around the University of Oklahoma campus. There is a deceiving "hill" in the last mile of the course that looks flat but feels uphill, so be sure to save a little juice for the beginning of that last mile. The course is well marked with a water stop at the halfway point and police control at all intersections.

This race also partners with the Special Olympics of Oklahoma. The race has two starts. The first one is for the Special Olympics athletes and the second start is for the 8K race. Getting to participate with the special Olympics athletes of Oklahoma is pretty special and unique to this race.

After the race, rather than receiving another poorly made and cheap medal, runners are awarded with a ticket for an O'Connell's hamburger and one beer. After the race you can walk around campus corner, enjoy music from the DJ, shop at the local retail stores and enjoy a burger and beer. Because the race is in early March, the temperatures are typically mild and hover around 60 degrees.

My favorite part of this race is the distance. Something different from the hundreds of 5K races that seem to pop up everywhere. But not as long as a half marathon so months of training are not required to join in the fun of this race. The 8K distance is a great option if you're looking for something a bit different without a big commitment.