This was a great race, and a must do for anyone who is in Marathon Maniacs, Half Fanatics or the 50 State Marathon club!

Let me start by saying that it was a cold day. It was 40 when the race began, I believe. So, if you like to run in the cold, this was great; I do not like that. I especially hate waiting around at the beginning for the race to start when I’m freezing. But, it was manageable. Thankfully, there was no snow or rain to complicate things. Not long after the race started, the sky cleared and the sun came out. So, it was pretty tolerable during the race itself. Many of my friends consider that perfect conditions for racing.

The course had several hills. I live and train in Colorado. So, for me, it was manageable. But, many people from flatter locations complained that these hills were too much for them. If you’re going to do this race, definitely train appropriately.

The medal was nice. It looked like a combination of a big Christmas ornament and an academy award. And it had a base to stand up on. That was a unique touch. And it was significant that you could chose to have a typical tech t-shirt or a light jacket. That was pretty neat. My closet is full of race shirts, but I have no race coats. This was good quality material and would be perfect for running with on a cool day. So, I found this to be a big selling point and part of the reason I signed up.

But, the best part of this was the way they catered to the different national running clubs. I am a Half Fanatic, and have been for a number of years. For those of you who are unaware, it’s a group of runners who run many half marathons. You have to qualify to be a part of that club. And it’s not based on time or performance, but the number of races you complete in a given time. If you become a part of that club, you get to involve yourself in so many benefits. One is that you can network with other runners to split hotel and car rental fees. Most races also give discounts for members. And there’s a comradery that is built in. Pretty much every race I go to, I see people that I know from all over the world that I met through this group.

But, at this race, the benefits were especially fantastic. Before the race, they sectioned off part of the lawn to hang out at. There was an area for us to take pictures, several tables and even our own port-a-potties to cut down on the long lines the others had to endure. At the end of the race, there was another section fenced off where we could join. At the beginning of that area was a place where we could turn in our medals and exchange them for a Half-Fanatic branded medal. It looked the exact same, just different colors and different wording. They had a little courtyard and a tent. In the tent, they had free pizza, sandwiches and water for us. We also had our own gear check for better efficiency. And beer; lots and lots of beer! I had my share, your share, and a few others too! It also gave me a chance to reconnect with other Fanatics who showed up after the race. It was one of the best times I ever had after a race! If you are part of one of those running groups, you really do need to run this race at least once in your life; there really is nothing like it.

But, let me talk about some of the other benefits from this race that had nothing to do with running clubs. At the finish line they offered free massages. They also had a place next to it where they would help stretch you out if you push yourself too hard, like I tend to do. On our bibs were TWO coupons for free beers; most races only give you one (if any at all). Just past the area where we got our medals, they were handing out plates of fresh spaghetti. It was good! That was in addition to bananas, apples, oranges, rice cakes, Pepsi Max, Gatorade, water and many other freebies. And for those running their first race, the medal was gold! It really was a spectacular display of hospitality that is second to none!

For those wondering about the city, this all took place in Tulsa, OK. It is a good sized town, possibly a small city. The people I stayed with took me all over town to different breweries. I ate at a couple different pizza establishments, and they were all great! It had a fun atmosphere to the whole town. It seemed like a city rich in history and being recreated. Allegedly, the downtown district was dying out and left numerous building unattended. But, just a couple years ago things started to thrive again. Now, it has a fresh feeling full of hope!

All in all, I would highly recommend this race to anyone. And I think it should be a requirement if you are in one of the big running clubs I mentioned above. Just make sure you dress warm and train for hills!