Pulling off an event like this - managing thousands of participants and volunteers, plus all the vendors - it is a huge job and I applaud the effort. Outstanding. One of my favorite things about the Tulsa Run is that organizers are willing to try some new things. Sometimes those things work - sometimes they don't. That's okay. Overall it is a fantastic experience and a wonderful tradition.

What worked (for me):
The Expo was great. It was so easy to check in! My shirt didn't fit well but it took about four seconds to exchange it. I found some amazing deals at the vendors and was able to score a year's worth of running gear PLUS a few Christmas gifts for about $100. Sweet!

The route:
If I had trained better for the hills, it would have been perfect. Nice route and good job avoiding all the construction going on around town.

The weather:
At the Tulsa Run, you never know if it will be hot and humid, cool and drizzling, or sleeting and snowing. This year, the weather was ideal.

Water stops:
They were great. I liked that they had Gatorade as well as water. I didn't expect that.

The medals:
Really cool.

Checking results:
I liked the way you could scan your bib and see results right away. That was cool.

After party:
Great DJ. I always enjoy the beer. :-)

What didn't work so great for me:

Clocks:
People around me were a little freaked out at the first time clock that was 10 minutes (and a few seconds) later than expected. I understand why that was done but some runners don't want to track their own time and rely on those for the pace. Maybe have two clocks going? Or go retro and have volunteers reading out the time like they used to? Or even just mark the clock with a big sign that says "Masters Race Time" or something and make sure the big race is EXACTLY ten minutes later.

Snack boxes:
I know that (greedy) people have cleaned out the snacks in previous years, leaving nothing for the slower runners. I thought the boxes were a neat way to address that issue and i can only imagine how much time and effort went into filling each one of those! But, honestly, I was underwhelmed by the snacks there. After 9+ miles, I need more chocolate than just a fun-sized Twix!!!! I saved the health bar for later. The chips tasted like salted cardboard. I really missed not having a banana and/or orange slice at the end. Or a bottle of Gatorade. The halcyon days of QT-sponsored snacks may be over but there is some room for improvement there.

Overall, I had a great time and appreciate all the effort that goes into making this run iconic. I hope organizers will continue to try new things that can make it even better.