This race is a small local race that benefits a local high school cross-country team. For a local race they do a really good job of putting on a well-organized event. If you are looking for a small and relaxed half marathon in early November, this is a good race for you! Even though the course is hilly, it is possible to PR on this course as my Husband and other running buddies did last year.

The Medal
Being as this race is a fund raiser for a local school's cross country team, I totally understand their medal selection. This race is also very affordable for a half marathon. I signed up 1 week before and it was $38 with fees.
The medal may not be much to write home or blog about, but the race has good intentions. I do wish they would have changed it up a little since the medals are almost exactly the same as last year. The only difference is that last year it said "34" and this year it was "35" for the 35th anniversary.

The Course
This course has rolling hills. These types of hills are good for training because they aren't so steep or drastic that they take everything you've got to complete them, but they are enough to be a good workout. The first 6 miles of the course seem to be the worst of it. From 6-9 the hills lighten up a little. And from miles 9-13 the course seems to level out a bit more and you can push it a little harder. Overall, even though it is kinda hilly, I still really love this course. It doesn't hurt that we get to run by a small airport and watch the planes land as we ran by.

The Swag
There isn't an expo for this race. You pick up your shirt and bib at a local running store. Inside by race packet envelope I did get some dental floss so that was pretty snazzy. Here is a pic of the shirt. This picture doesn't do it much justice because it is actually more of a royal blue which I really like. After the race we were immediately handed a bottle of water by a very enthusiastic volunteer. He was also out on the course and kept things fun when we passed him. The post-race food was decent too. Full sized granola bars and full sized candy bars.

You can find this recap and others on my blog: http://www.rungingerrunblog.com/

I've ran the Tulsa Run for the last three years. Each year I hope it will get better.

The Shirt
The first year they had problems with the long sleeve tech shirt. Everyone's was WAY too small. They did nothing to solve the problem. This year when I got my shirt, it had a huge hole in it. I know that was a problem isolated to just me, but it was still bad luck.

The Course
The course changed this year to a more traditional route which is more scenic. It is also a lot more hilly. If you run this race, be prepared for lots of rolling hills.

The Weather
The weather for this race is usually cool. But it is Oklahoma so that can change at any minute. Be sure to be prepared for cold, cool, or warm temps and keep an eye on the weather leading up to the race.

Parking
There is plenty of free parking in downtown Tulsa and it's all withing walking distance. No issues there.

The Medal
This year they changed the design of the medal and I really like it! See pic below.

The Expo
The expo is small but has a few vendors. It's been small every year. They did have it in a place that was large enough to hold everyone so that's an improvement from the first year.

The Course
This race used to be an out-and-back along the river which wasn't very exciting but it was somewhat flat with the exception of the big hill at the end. This year since they changed the course, it it much better as far as it's more interesting but it has a lot of rolling hills. Be ready for those!

The Food
The post-race food and water situation was embarrassing this year. I've heard it used to be much better in the past. A couple times water stops have ran out of water so you will need to carry your own water if you can't do without.

Overall
Overall I like the race because it is a unique distance and it is local. It's also been around since 1978. Being as there is usually prize money it brings in a lot of runners and it's fun to watch some very fast people race for the purse!

Overall this is a great race! It is small enough you don't feel super crowded but big enough you don't ever feel alone.
Here's what I loved about the race:
1. Free race photos! You have to look a little but since they are free, it's worth it and you save a ton of money!
2. The medal was voted on by the runners this year and is a really good size. It even has a bottle opener on it but it's not the focus of the entire medals. See pic below.
3. The course is flat and fast! If you are looking for a PR course, this is it!
4. The expo was outside next to the Crowne Plaza hotel right on the promenade! I loved the open air expo and it added to them theme of the race perfectly.
5. The aid stations were abundant and they even handed out Clif Shots around the half way make for the half marathoners.
6. The shirt was a fitted tech material which is nice. We also had the opportunity to pick up samples sometimes full sized of different products such as an energy drink, pain reliever, and athletic tape.
7. This race had the best post-race food! Lots of fruit, bagels, even some of my favorite candy! Win!

The course scenery wasn't much to write home about. You couldn't see the ocean for the entire run but you could see the mountains for a bit far off in the distance which was nice too.
Parking was easy for us since we stayed at the Crowne Plaza right next to the race, but there was plenty of free parking in the downtown area.
Overall this race is well organized and in a nice quiet town in California. We loved Ventura and had fun exploring the downtown area. I would definitely do this race again! It did get a little warm at the end so be mindful of that and be sure to be hydrated!
You can read more about my race recap by clicking this link: http://www.rungingerrunblog.com/1/post/2014/09/ventura-half-marathon-race-recap.html

This race is a fundraiser that benefits the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network or PanCAN for short.
I've ran this race for two years in a row and know that I'll be doing it again next year since it benefits such a great cause that is special to me.
Overall the race was good. It was moved from October to August this year which made it very hot and warm. They also moved the race to the west side of the river trail which was good because the course was simple to follow.
The downside to this race this year is that they didn't have the turn around marked clearly. Some runners went much farther than they needed to.
The swag consisted of a purple cotton t-shirt which is nice.
There was one aid station that you hit twice since it was an out-and-back course. They gave out full size water bottles though, which was weird.
The course was 100% flat! Which is great if you are looking for a PR! The scenery was good as it is on the river and the water was flowing with green grass all around.
There is no expo for this race. Just packet pick up two days before at the local Cancer Treatment Center.
Parking was very easy, abundant, and free for the event.
The efforts of Purple Stride Oklahoma were able to raise over $99,000 dollars for PanCAN which beat last years total of $80,000! If you are looking for a feel-good race and you want to know that your money will make a difference, this is the race for you!

Overall this was a fun little race that is perfect for the whole family. This is one of the few 5Ks that allows strollers.
The Swag this year included a white cotton t-shirt as well as a finisher medal for the 5K finishers! (See pic below)
They had plenty of aid stations as it was a summer race in July in Oklahoma. Fleet Feet is always very prepared with aid stations.
The course scenery was good. We ran through downtown Tulsa but it wasn't too hilly for a 5k.
There is no expo for this race, just packet pick up at your local Fleet Feet Sports in Tulsa.
There is plenty of parking around the starting line and is free.
The race is very well managed by the professionals at Fleet Feet. I've never had a problem when I've participated in one of their events and highly recommend their races to everyone!