Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon - Race Reviews

There's so much to enjoy about this marathon, from the history, the exciting start, the neighborhoods and things to see during the race. The amenities at the end are great. They prepare you so well before race day.

I am closing in on 100 marathons and completing the 50 state circuit twice. I am really glad I ran this race and it is toward the top of my list. The residents in the community were awesome. The course was nice. The museum afterward was incredible. Oklahoma City should be your race if you are a 50 Stater. Only bad was the weather which you can't control. Tornado warnings not fun. Only real beef is man the course ran long. I don't complain about these things but my GPS had 27.6. I am never that far off. Others were making similar comments. I wonder if something was amiss.

Excellent organization and pre-race communication. Packet pickup easy and pre-race logistics very reasonable. Springtime in Oklahoma can be very windy and race day was not ideal weather with high humidity, high chance of rain (though very little fell during the race), and strong winds. Spectators were significant and if that's your thing, OKC is hard to beat. Course was fairly boring and missed some of the prettier parts of OKC. Running down Classen straight south into a strong headwind for several miles in the last 10K was torturous and unnecessary. A few turns would have made a huge difference, both mentally and physically. Overall, race was well done, but would like to see some course changes.

This race honors those killed, those injured and those changed forever by the 1995 bombing. It is the primary source of funds for the ongoing maintenance and operation of the memorial and museum. Loved the course, the atmosphere and most of all the incredibly positive spirit and support of the locals. The people are awesome, loud and generous with their own snacks and drinks right in front of their houses in addition to the official race water stops. They are so appreciative of the runners who travel to support their race, their memorial and their community. One of my all time favorite races and experiences!

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon has all of the benefits of a major marathon, yet retains a small town feel. Top tier race organization regarding support, expo, swag, medal, communication and course. The cause for the race is sincere and thoughtfully recognized throughout the weekend. The expo had numerous vendors and just like the pre-Covid days, there were plenty of free samples! Comminucation about updates and a weather delay were frequent . The course goes through numerous neighborhoods, no industrial areas, and there are folks having picnics on their front lawns to cheer you on. My favorite cheer spot was at 'Gorilla HIll'. I did find the course more hilly than I expected, especially during the first 15 miles. Many of the roads are concrete, so the surface has a hard feel. Nice finish area and again, everything was well organized . These folks really know how to put on a top race! I would run it again!

After 3 delays, we finally got to run around OKC. You don't have the sights of NYC or LA but you have enthusiastic crowds turning out to support you and providing treats such as beer, mimosas, breakfast sausages, donuts and bounce houses (yes, 3 of them) for you to enjoy. The finish is in a large park for you to spread out in. The organization was very good with regular emails to remind you the rules about masks. The course has a few hills but nothing that you will curse about.

Packet pickup, Expo, Restrictions in Place for COVID, good. Sunday morning at the Church. Pancake breakfast, delicious! Close monitoring of corral entrances, Good. Entire course was monitored for safety. Water stations everywhere. Keep up the good work!

By far one of the BEST marathons in the country. Not only does the entire OKC area come out in support of the participants, but the race organizers help those who lost their lives during the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing be remembered throughout the entire course. The course is fast, well marked, and there are water/first aid stations every other mile or so. It also takes you through many of the historic neighborhoods in OKC metro. I would highly recommend this race for the first timer to the competitive marathoner.

What a top-notch fantastic race! The Good - easy packet pickup, nice expo - moving 168 seconds of silence for lives lost in OKC bombing - parking for race, easy - easy to find corral to start - beautiful weather race morning - interesting course, bricktown, the arena, the lake area, the "Gorilla Hill" neighborhood was awesome, seeing the 168 signs along the course ...really enjoyed the course - my first time in OKC, beautiful city, clean, friendly people, great weather after a freezing (with snow included) April in Ohio, memorial and museum very moving -excellent crowd support of race - plentiful aid stations - getting a second finishers shirt after race, very cool - excellent medal - finishing race and a gentleman volunteer comes up to give me my medal, as he got closer I thought "he looks familiar", and as he went to put my medal around my neck I realized "Oh my God, it's Barry Switzer'l as a football coach, what a thrill to get my medal and shake hands w a legendary, national championship winning (W OU) and Super Bowl winning (w the Cowboys) coach!!! Awesome way to end the race! As I walked around the city after the race and at the airport that night multiple people walked up and sincerely stopped me and said "thank you for running in the race." The bad- - race a bit pricey, but well worth it - my time, plodded along - was a bit warm by the end of the race (close to 80 degrees) The ugly - that I couldn't stay in this awesome city longer! Great race, glad I ran this race to get Oklahome checked off the state's list! I highly recommend this race!

This was my slowest marathon but one of my favorites. I have never had a more moving marathon experience than thousands of people standing silent at the starting line for 168 seconds as a tribute to the 168 who died on that terrible April day 23 years ago. And along the course there are 168 banners with the names of the victims. It doesn't mean this was a somber event. The rowdy spectators and upwards of 3,000 volunteers made it so us runners were enjoying it even if some of us (ie., me) were just plodding along. If you haven't run in Oklahoma, be prepared for some wind. Check that, a lot of wind. But hey, sometimes it pushes you along, sometimes it pushes you backward. Guess it all evens out. I highly recommend this race.

I am from Oklahoma City, so this is a race that I have ran several times. I really enjoy Walnut bridge at 2km in, Gorilla Hill (the guy sitting in his white suite smoking a cigar and drinking whiskey as you run by), the drummers, the kids at McGuinness, the loop around the lake (watch for the ducks and geese), the halfway point and the encouragment along the way.

The OKC marathon lives up to the reputation of a top-10 event. Thanks to the organizers, volunteers, and spectators - you were wonderful. Thank you to the crews who cleared the Saturday extensive storm damage (trees, roofs) from the course. It was an honor to run to remember.

This was my first time to run this marathon, it's always been on my list to do and I finally got around to it this year. Wish I had done it sooner because it's a really good event. Pro's: -Course starts at the Memorial with 168 seconds of silence. Really helps get your mind straight about why you're there and the really important things in life -This event is the main fundraiser for the Memorial and Museum, and it's such a great way for the OKC community to come together and help support it -Banners along the course with the names of each of the 168 victims -Course takes you around the sights in OKC (Chesapeake Arena, Bricktown, State capitol, Lake Hefner, Chinatown) -My hotel (Embassy Suites) opened their breakfast buffet at 4am on race morning, and also had free spare supplies for runners like band-aids, vaseline, chap-stick, etc... -Shuttles from hotels to race start, and back to hotels after the race was really efficient and saved us out-of-towners from having to drive and find parking on race morning...really nice! -On the shuttle buses they played inspirational videos about the memorial and the marathon while we were driving to the start -City of OKC and marathon organizers did a great job getting the course ready. There was some uber nasty weather that came through the day before and they had to work throughout the night to clear fallen trees from the course. Cons: -Spectator support was lacking. This was probably due to the weather (it was in the 40's and drizzly when the race started). If the weather had been better I think the crowd support would have been too. -Wind at the lake was brutal! This isn't a PR course, and I still liked running by the lake. Just be aware that the wind can really kick your tail -Wish there had been a better selection of race merchandise. I would have liked to purchase additional race merchandise but the selection was almost non-existent. -Maybe don't have the race shirt be a blue pastel color Great race, great cause, and a great community. This was my first time to visit OKC, and based on our experience this past weekend we'll definitely come back.

The weather reports were right on target that this was going to be a very windy, overcast day with intermittent rain showers and much cooler than normal temperatures. That made a PR impossible for me, but it was a fun race overall. OKC is a great town to explore with many museums and interesting areas of town. The race ran through many neighborhoods where the residents came out to cheer and support the runners. In fact, the entire city gets behind this race that remembers the OKC bombing. There is a lot going on on race day: marathon and half-marathon start at the same time; 5k starts a few minutes later, a marathon relay and a kids race. The organizers handled the crowds well, and while the course at times felt very crowded it never became a problem. I love the medal and getting a second, finisher's shirt is a bonus. The post-race water and food were great. I didn't like having to walk an extra 3 blocks back to pick up my gear check bag but that's the only negative to this race.

I think you must run this race because of the emotions you will feel being that it is the OKC Memorial Marathon. Just visiting the Memorial is worth the trip in of itself. To start and finish by there is a very special feeling. Seeing runners leave their bibs and medals on the Memorial chairs was very touching. The course was tough. The wind around the lake ended any chances I had of PRing. It's a warm time of year, the first day of tornado season and it's somewhat hilly. I don't normally comment about swag, but it was the best finisher shirt I've ever received. Carl's Jr burgers at the finish was cool. Very inspiring experience. Not a PR race, but one of the most memorable races you'll ever have.

I used this as part of my 50 starters, and Marathon Maniac entry. Great organization. Crowd support the entire length of the course. It wasn't my best race, as my hamstring cramped up, but they had several aid stations which staff was very helpful, and willing to help stretch it out. They had a 3D topographic map on display at the expo. So, no more reading about hills, or anything, you can see it to scale. The only downside to the race. We took the bus to the start, and once the race was over, some of the volunteers didn't know where the bus pickup was to take us back. They were willing to help us find someone who did know the answer. if you are looking for an April race, or for an Oklahoma race, I suggest this one.

I am an aspiring 50 stater and this is a great Oklahoma option. OKC is a very nice medium sized city. Everything I saw was new, clean and/or redone. Transportation and lodging options are easy and reasonable. The expo is well spaced and organized. The merchandise selection is solid. Be sure to take the time to go to the memorial/museum. It is beautifully done. The start is organized into corrals and has a gear check. It starts right at the memorial which is a great place to start. The 168 seconds of silence is a cool experience. The course takes you by interesting areas (Bricktown, Downtown), landmarks (Dodger Stadium, State Capital) and neighborhoods (Nichols Hills, Gorilla Hill etc). You also run along a big lake on a paved bike trail which is very nice touch. We ate a little wind there but that's part of marathoning. The finish area down automobile alley is fun and there is thick, vocal crowd support into the finish. There is consistent support on the course too. There were a lot of aid stations which were well staffed and had good offerings. The finish area was well organized and easy to navigate. I didn't get confused like an earlier commentator did. The medal is great and so is the finishers shirt. The organizers did a great job so did the 3500 volunteers and the community support was awesome.

This is an excellent well organized race with no issues. The course is a nice out and back around OKC with no loops redundancy, or cutbacks In places fan support is outstanding. The hills can be moderately challenging. The wind, especially around the lake, is an issue to cope with. The morning devotional and race theme are inspiring. If I have any complaints, it is not with the marathon, but with the hotels around downtown OKC. They show runners no mercy, in fact, it appears they increase the prices. There is no public transportation to the airport; therefore, you are left with a taxi or car rental.

We enjoyed our time doing the OKC half marathon: Pros: 1. The Memorial Museum. Incredible experience. 2. The OKC downtown experience. Great vib and great restaurants 3. The people of OKC. Friendly and helpful, small town feel for a big race. 4. Crowd support and great neighborhood routes. Cons: 1. You will never get a PR here with the current setup. 25,000 people in just 5 gates means that you will not separate from others even if able until perhaps mile 5. Arm to arm running for a good while. 2. Miles 7-9 is a tough experience, running uphill into a strong south wind will zap you. The course has its hills and this stretch is too long and unforgiving.

Without doubt the most motivating event I've been a part of since the parade in NYC after Operation Desert Storm! Seriously an awesome event to partake in and I look forward to next year!!!

Overall this was a good but not great marathon. The course was reasonably flat but there were a few kicker little hills in the last two miles that really kind of hurt. After the second or third of these I was asking the volunteers if the hills were ever going to end. I know the marathon is supposed to be a challenge but it would be nice if these hills could somehow be eliminated by a minor course change. There were plenty of water stations along the course, so no issues there. The remembrance portion and connection to the memorial was very moving. However, the finish really needs some work. I finished in just under 4 hours and the finish was very crowded with full and half marathon finishers. The crowd is not the organizers fault, but the finisher T-Shirt tent was poorly marked and the volunteers were scurrying around in an unorganized fashion. I know they are volunteers but they had really not been set up to succeed. There was no 'Men's Large' line or 'Women's small' line. Just each volunteer was getting a shirt for each separate person. Madness. I ended up with a Women's Large instead of the Men's large I needed and in my pained finishers stupor I didn't realize the mistake until it was too late to go back. Further on, I was unable to find a single sign that would lead me to the Gear pickup. I know it stands to reason that pickup would be where drop off is, but being unfamiliar with Downtown OKC, I didn't know which way to go. There really needs to be better signage and organization in the finishing area.

I completed the OK City Memorial Marathon as my 95th marathon, and had a few suggestions to bring every aspect up to a 5 star rating: Course: Please have 'roamers', on bicycles or walking nearby, checking the Port-O-Lets and restocking the tp. Many of the Port-O-Lets were without tp. Organization: Confusion parking at '0 dark' AM. Please provide clearer packet input about parking the morning of the race. Better inform all runners about no metered parking on Sundays, the best free lots to park in {more than shown on the map}, and parking access {street closures and routes}. Spectators: Indicate that the course will get crowded with the spectators: {runners pushing baby strollers and people walking side by side on the course with friends/family members. Other than the above items, it was a good marathon experience.

I had heard amazing things about the OKC marathon. I'm so happy to report that all the rumors are true... OKC knows how to put on a great race. Pros: 1. Packet pick up well organized and fast! 2. Free entrance for runners to the OKC Memorial Museum. Well worth the extra time on your feet to be reminded of the purpose of this marathon. 3. Course support is amazing. Water stations were filled with volunteers. Later stations included bananas, oranges, pretzels, and different flavors of Gu. All stops had water and sports drink. 4. Lots of crowd support and people handing out everything from free hugs to donuts to beer. 5. Course is nice. Goes through downtown, scenic neighborhoods, and a jaunt by a lake. Small rolling hills throughout the course. It's definitely not a flat, fast course, but it won't kill you if you are a beginner either. 6. Nice tech shirt and finisher shirt. Medal was very classy looking. Cons: 1. I have to wait an entire year to run this marathon again.

This is a very well put-together race for a good cause. Packet pick-up expo was perfectly organized. Corrals were easy to access, water stations were always well stocked and the volunteers tremendously helpful. Listen, Oklahoma City is not the most beautiful city in the world so the course won't take your breath away. But it does go through some lovely tree-lined neighborhoods. Some inclines throughout the race but it's mostly flat. This was my second marathon and I had a terrific experience.

The race was amazingly well done, however, not long in to the race ALL the toilet paper was gone in ALL the toilets! Very frustrating for someone who needed to take care of business!

Arrived at the EXPO, plenty of free parking. Sunday morning, pancakes at the First Church. Easy access to the corrals. Started right on time, meandered through downtown areas, then by the State Capitol. Lots of cheering spectators. Great volunteers all along the course. Great water stations. Good food and drink at the finish line. Wonderful finishers medal and finishers shirts. Looking forward to 2016!

I ran the inaugural in 2001 and came back to share it with my son who is a 50 Stater and this was his halfway point race. It was not to be because of the situation at the Half/Full split. With something like 20,000 runners transiting that point there was no advance warning on the course except some plastic pipe 'stickmen' along the course bearing an H or M sign which one soon came to ignore when focusing on navigating the congestion we were in. On approaching the split there were no cones, no chutes, no arrows or signs at road level alerting runners to the upcoming Half/Full split. I am told there were Course Marshals directing runners at the split point but with the incredible crowd at that point and running on the left (1/2 turn side) I heard or saw nothing and ended up in the Half, too far to backtrack to rejoin the Full. With 192 marathons behind me, I am no virgin and would support the premise that one is responsible for their own actions on the course. Having said that, a dozen cones starting a hundred meters out from the split with arrow signs pointing Full and Half directions (and a course Marshal monitoring) would have certainly avoided my problem and,probably, for many others who got sucked into that issue.

2014, Oh My! A race to remember. After a 1 hour and 45 minute delay (storms, handled exceptionally well by the race crew) I hit the start mat at 8:28 am on the dot. It was VERY humid from the storms and VERY crowded until the split to the half. I blew up at 9, held on til 13 and then did a TON of run/walk with a slower-than-2012 finish. Nothing can be done about the weather, I learned a lot about nutrition this race (and sunscreen). MAJOR kudos to the volunteers and spectators, who took the delay in the stride and were out there in force. Without them, I would have been far slower. I have never seen so many people walk. It was humid, it was hot, it was dry (once the dry line blew in) and it was WINDY. Lake Hefner and Classen were brutal. Absolutely brutal. All of that said, I'm happy I ran, it's for a fantastic cause and the course is really nice (3 'hills' of any note). Things that HAVE GOT TO BE FIXED: I ran this originally as a half in 2007. Even then it was a mess starting. They've learned and moved the 5K after the full/half, but they REALLY need to move the half after the full AND enforce corrals. At mile 2-3 I was passing COUPLES walking holding hands. WTH? It is just too crowded. The other big issue is the weather. Always unpredictable and the last 4 years have involved rain (all), storms (all) and delays (2 out of 4). Late April in OK = storms.

The 2014 OKC event was my 44th marathon finish. I ran the inaugural OKC marathon in 2001 which was a smaller event. Good: The course follows an interesting scenic loop, turns were well marked, and road camber was tolerable all along the course. Traffic control was great. Crowd support was very good Race timing services were excellent and response to my appeal about disqualification was immediate. The course volunteers did an excellent job. Not so good: The weather caused a 2 hour rain delay this year, then, after lining up yet again, we were treated to 20 to 25 minutes of announcements. A 6:30 start means that the gun fires at 6:30. An 8:00 start means that the gun fires at 8:00. Announcements, moments of silence for the victims, danger warnings, messages from the sponsors, etc. can come before the gun goes off (at 6:30 or 8:00). The starting miles were crowded and chaotic. Legions of walkers in lock-step who either started from the first corral or entered the course in front of the runners. This is a persistent problem for all races but in OKC 2014 it was terrible after the rain delay. Many of the early mile markers were not visible (to me) Although first 8 miles (until the half marathon turnoff) were very crowded, there was only one set of port-o-lets in this segment. Most of the early water stations were serving from one side of the road (but I had to go so bad, I did not need more water). The high winds blew litter from the runners all over the place - except the Gu packets which were glued to pavement. Runners tend to throw trash everywhere and this occurs in almost every race. But it seemed disrespectful for a marathon that was a memorial to victims of a tragedy. Kind of like if you discarded your fast-food trash on the grave site during a cemetery service.

If you've never visited OKC, here's your excuse! The people are gracious and warm, and there is plenty of fun stuff to do. The marathon commemorates the victims of the terrorist attack on the Murrah Building in 1995, and the proceeds support the very moving memorial. The starting line is next to the memorial, so before the race, it's fitting to spend some time thinking about how senseless violence is while marveling at how people overcome evil. This year, the race had to be delayed several times because of severe weather. This was a first for me, but the organizers did a great job communicating and keeping runners sheltered and safe. The late start meant that a lot of people were hungry with nutrition plans off balance. Still, it seemed like aid stations offered a lot of food and Gu. Conditions at the start were pretty decent with overcast skies and fresh cool air coming with the front ... but an hour or so later, the sun and humidity and wind put in their appearance. It made a late start even more painful battling some tough conditions. Oklahoma in April is just going to be a bit of a risk from a weather perspective. The course is great, with lots of interesting neighborhoods, and the lovely Lake Hefner. Great support including many house parties along the way celebrating the marathon. How I wanted to join the many brunches! The ONLY con with this race that the organizers could control is the fact that marathoners and half marathoners all started together, and the corrals were not clearly organized. This meant a huge glut of runners at the start, with many walkers and slow runners boxing in the faster ones. Regardless, this is a tremendous race for anyone who wants to run in a great city with an important story to tell. Join the run to make sure we do not forget the victims, the first responders, and all those affected by that terrible day.

This is my second OKC marathon. It is a GREAT event, and I expected flawless organization, but there were some problems in 2014. The race started late due to weather. Nothing the organizers could do about that, but it was 70 when we started and forecast for 80 at finish. It was BRUTAL. The evening news reported 14 were transported to hospitals. They told runners to arrive at 5, and scheduled a 5:30 service at the memorial; however, bag check was not ready to go at 5:30. This should have been open at 5 when they told runners to show up. Their bag check system was good, but they were not ready. They also made you walk almost 2 blocks at the end to get your gear. That needs to be moved much closer to the finish. As hot as it was, the SECOND aid station at mile 4 was out of water when I got there. They were totally unprepared. They had ONE water hose trying to supply hundreds of runners and it was a disaster. Picture 10 volunteers with pitchers waiting to be filled by one water hose. This was a critical aid station because it was so humid. The rest of the aid stations did not have this problem. I arrived well after 5 hours and to their credit they were still well stocked at the finish line. And they had ICE ready - very smart. The finisher shirt and medal were both excellent.

This was a race to remember victims of the 1995 bombing. The start, with 168 seconds of silence, was very moving. The race was delayed nearly 2 hours because of a storm, but the officials did a pretty good job informing people. The late start and the headwinds for the last half of the race made this one a challenge. The organization, expo, fans, aid stations, support, shirts, and medals were all top-notch. Oklahoma City was a very nice place to visit with museums, botanic garden, ballpark, Brickyard area, convenient hotels, and friendly people. Just do NOT eat at Flint restaurant! All in all, the OKC Marathon experience is a great one.

I'm from OKC, so perhaps I'm a little partial, but this was my favorite marathon that I've run so far. PROS: -OKC is a developing city, and the course shows off a lot of that. You'll see downtown, the thunder arena, bricktown, nice neighborhoods, classen curve, and be around the lake for a stent. The course does not have an out-and-back section, which I love. No daunting, multiple mile-long stretches where you see where you'll be in 5 miles. -The course was well organized, well marked, courses were full of aid. Towards the later miles, the heat was starting to kick in a little bit (70s), and many aid stations offered wet sponges and water sprinklers which was appreciated. -Great spirit and lots of active spectators (I love when spectators cheer for everyone, not just the one runner they know!) Gorilla hill was fun. Not a super challenging hill, and the signage there and the costumes (monkies and bananas!) were hilarious. -This event occurred right after the boston bombing, and I felt very safe. Many additional safety measures were taken (clear plastic gear check bags, tons of security, helicopters following us throughout the race lots of security on course). -I went to the expo Friday at 5pm and things were great. Awesome vendors, tons of cool speakers, and while it was crowded, it wasn't overly packed. -Plenty of parking in nearby lots that made it easy to walk to the race. -Race corrals were good; I was in corral B and run at about a 9 minute pace- didn't have any issues with walkers or slow runners in front of me which is always appreciated at the start. - Love the silence to start the race in memorium of those lost in the bombing, the race directors also added a nice touch for Boston Victims. This race is very meaningful! -OKC does a nice job putting this race the same weekend as the Arts Festival, which is a short walk from the finish line- great food and vendors, lots of cool art and entertainment really close to the finish line. - I love having a 'finisher' shirt (tech material) that distinguishes the marathoners and provides an additional reward designated for the 26.2 finishers- so many races have done away with this, so I'm so happy OKC is still doing them. And, i actually like the color being white because the logo is so colorful. The cotton T everyone gets is also super comfortable and soft, albeit a Hanes white T. Two shirts for marathoners is becoming rare these days, so I was quite happy. -Barry Switzer gave me my medal at the finish, which was fun. Great Job OKC! Don't miss this one.

This was my first marathon, and it was a fantastic experience. At least, as fantastic as running 26.2 miles can be. The course was interesting and scenic, which shocked me, as I had no expectations for scenery in OK. The spectators were GREAT!!!! They were really involved, and often acted as supplementary aid stations, especially if you needed beer or Jaeger shots. The volunteers were fantastic. I felt well looked after.

Oklahoma City is a very nice town. Bricktown was pretty, and we found delicious food to eat (even on Sunday morning after the start, which to my husband is quite important). Husband and I had a nice mini-vacation here. Course: Many lovely neighborhoods, pretty lake, state capitol, Bricktown, all made for a nicely designed course. I like how there are permanent mile markers on lampposts in many places. Organization: Excellent. I never ran out of fluids, there were pretzels and oranges offered on course, and the finisher's chute was well-organized. Spectators: Really wonderful. Groups of OKC residents make a tradition of staffing particular stations, there were kids at many of them (always adorable), and the wall of high-fives at the marathon/half marathon split was awesome! Honestly, I always prided myself on not caring about spectators, but this race showed me how fun it can be to see so many happy friendly faces. These folks love their race, and it shows.

This was my 15th marathon and I have run both big and small events. This one ranks up there with the top events that I have run as far as organization, course and spectators. The course itself is a 'rolling hill' course and a very nice tour of OKC. The hills are very manageable, and I wouldn't refer to any of them as 'steep' - the tough part is the long, steady grind going up Classen toward the end of the race. You do finish on a downslope, so that gives you something to look forward to! The wind is also a factor to consider where the course follows the lake. The relay exchanges were set up to not interfere with the full marathon, which was nice. My only complaint about this event was at the start. There were plenty of access points to the starting corrals, but there was no emphasis from the announcers to line up according to pace. As a result, there were much slower runners/walkers being passed by faster marathoners (and half marathoners) in the first few miles of the race. We had to dodge a number of of these walkers/runners just in the first few blocks of the race. This is dangerous in a crowded race start! I saw 3 people fall in the first 2 miles. My suggestion would be that the marathon runners start ahead of the half marathon, or start using corrals based on times (there were A and B letters on bibs, but no one honored that notation, nor was it enforced). Banners are out alongside the entire course in honor of the OKC Bombing victims, and it's both moving and inspiring to see the 'in memory of' bibs on the backs of many runners. This year, many runners also came out in support of the Boston Marathon, after the bombings there two weeks ago. Lots of runners showed their support by wearing red socks, green laces, Boston Marathon bibs, and Boston shirts/hats. Both of these tragic events were acknowldedged and given moments of silence prior to the start of the races. Water and aid stations were plentiful - so many were there that I even skipped a couple. Gels, oranges and pretzels were handed out in several locations along the course as well. A very nice touch! The spectators were amazing - I haven't run too many races where the specatators were out on the marathon course in so many locations! The relay exchanges provided bright spots of very enthusiastic cheers, which definitely helped keep me moving. The post-race area was crowded, but there were plenty of post-race snacks - chocolate milk, powerade, water, fruit cups, cookies, bagels, bananas and even Carl's Jr burgers! Marathon finishers received a beautiful Finisher's tech shirt and a gorgeous medal. All race entrants (half/5K/Relay) received a very nicely designed cotton event shirt at the expo. The expo got to be quite crowded, so I suggest going early or at least avoid peak pick-up times. Other than that it was a good sized expo with a number of interesting speakers as well. Overall, this was a well done event and kudos go to the event organizers, volunteers and spectators!

Experience: 6 marathons, 4 half's. These comments regard OKC HALF MARATHON 2013. Good: 1) nice course. OKC is a city that's still filling out so there are many good places, but they're all spread out. I thought the course did well for the areas they chose. good neighborhood and landmark selection. I only rated it 3/5 but i think that fits its potential. not a negative, seriously lets be real here. (hawaii = 5/5; major US city = 4/5; mid major city = 3/5.) 2) food afterward was great. Carl's Jr burgers, fruit, cookies, yogurt, powerade, bagels. real nice spread. 3) plenty of crowd support since the course remains in well populated urban areas downtown. Gorilla Hill, nice tradition. i gave 3/5, again for this size race that's the best it can get. (Boston = 5/5, major city 4/5) 4) great cause. this is a given, every year, always. especially after Boston though. 5) plenty of race choices to choose from: full, half, relay, 5k, kids race etc. Not all races can pull this off for various reasons, but i wish all did. allows for so many more levels of participation. this is what turns it into a family event rather than a watch dad run a race event. gets the whole community active and interested in the event. Bad: 1) generic white cotton T-shirt... yes people, it's okay to want a souvenier especially for the cost of these races. seriously, technical shirts are the standard it's no mystery. the marathon finishers get a technical shirt, but then again it's white! please tell me why race directors get white shirts? one of my favorite shirts is a simple blue tech shirt from a race. reminds me of a nice accomplishment and even advertises for the race. what i don't wear are cheap cotton Hanes race shirts, especially white ones, that look off white after 3 uses/washes. even the volunteers got yellow shirts at least. i would've rather had that! 2) what happened to the medals?! OKC had such classy medals before and now they have cheap rubber sticker/stamps and look like kids toys. still not as bad as the Sunburst South Bend medals, but shame to see the change. Conclusion: great race event for what it is and one worthy of travel from out of state. the shirts and medals whouldn't stop me from running it again or even the full, but then again i live here. mid major race events like this however, often need something extra to offer when it's not a big time destination.