So, I will admit that this was my first "longer" race. I kind of used it as "practice" run before the Route 66 Half Marathon that was 3 weeks later (before I was only running 5k races). So, I really wanted to do this.

-Expo: It was great to go to. I got there late on Thursday due to my job and didn't really get to check all of it out, but it was fun. There were vendors to buy racing gear/accessories for discount, chiropractors, and others. The bingo is really fun to do and try to win a prize.

-T-Shirt: L/S shirt that I really liked!

- Parking: I parked for both the expo and race at the Convention Center garage. The garage was right next to the expo and only about a quarter of a mile (I think) from both start and finish lines. Downtown Tulsa can be confusing and parking is tough sometimes, but the race officials laid out a map beforehand and I felt it was easy to navigate and figure out. As long as you plan before, then you should be fine.

-Race: The race course is spectacular. Like I said, this was my first longer run. I'm still a bigger guy (260 lbs, but that's down from 330). So, I need a good course with great scenery and kind of some "sight-seeing" to keep my mind right. I know other people are different, but that's just me. The spectators truly made this course special. The course goes by Woodward Park area and some different areas south of downtown that were through neighborhoods. The neighbors came out and made it truly fun. I remember I hit mile 6 and barely even realized I was running that far at all. It just seemed different and made it more fun to me. Some runners may be annoyed, because they want to crush PRs and such, and that's understandable, but I like to have fun. The runners around me made it great as well. The course itself was hilly at times, but not too much that I felt too exhausted at the end. It was challenging at times and made me truly go back to my training, so it is a serious run. After you finished back into downtown (with more people to cheer you on), then you got your medal, a boxed lunch, some snacks, and drinks and a cold towel. There was a massage for you (which I needed) and other activities going on for the fest. It was an overall fun race to do

Only complaint is my gear check. The program said gear check closed at 1:00 p.m. I went to retrieve it at noon and no one was to be found at the original station near the finish line. I asked volunteers, vendors, complete strangers, and there seemed to be no answer. The race officials were busy kind of packing up, but were not able to be found. Finally, someone checked a trailer and found my bag. (I was upset due to the fact it had my wallet and keys to my truck). My only suggestion would be to put a note on where it would be or something like that. It was a minor issue in the long run since it was found and I was happily on my way. Just had me worried for about 15 minutes.

Thanks you for an overall great race and I can't wait to participate next year!