Williams Route 66 Marathon Weekend - Race Reviews

Corrals to start separate the crowd by times. But an additional 5 minutes between corrals is NOT necessary. With a cut off time, the delay only hurts the slower runners. Why should the slower runners start as much as 30 minutes after the fast runners.

From the Expo to the Finish Line, this was a well-run, fun event! It was a super COLD start, sub 30s. The earlier water stops provided slushies bc of the freezing temps- that was first for me and made me laugh. :D I had to layer up well bc the last hour was in the mid- low 40s. I wore shorts and calf sleeves- perfect choice- and 3 layers of long sleeves on top, which became 1 layer for the last 9mi. The course was SO great- I feared I would get bored on the long out-back x2, but it was AWESOME: on road then sidewalk/path, only a little repetitive, but seeing the other runners were a great distraction. We hardly ran on Route 66, but no loss there. I had heard that the hills at the end were removed- but THEY WERE NOT. I was quite hill-trained, and was not so happy on the up up up that seemed never-ending on tired legs! Miles 18-23 were the toughest, but then it flattened out again for a nice finish to the end. Crowd support was amazing, awesome finish line with plenty of BEER. My only complaint was there was no Gatorade to be found at the finish!!! :( Water stops were well stocked, but not the finish line. All in all, I highly recommend this race! Maniac support was so amazing, and the city of Tulsa offered such great views, nice people, and such a well organized event! I smiled SO much in this one! Just don't believe if you hear there aren't hills in this one....you will DEFINITELY feel those suckers towards the end!

This race was chilly and breezy, so just perfect for running. Although not a flat course, there are not really any hills, more like undulations. I was worried that the race would thin out after the half marathon mark but still a good number of runners the whole way. One road had a speed bump hazzard, be aware! I would have done the detour faster if I had known I was going to be ranked on it. Overall, I'm glad I picked route 66!

Although this marathon is tough (I swear somehow more hills this year) it is well supported by the city. Well organized with volunteers and law enforcement galore. There are so many parties going on around you which helps give you a little pep when tired. Great job Tulsa!

The hills are never ending here....a friend who has run this a few times (& over 80 marathons in her life) confirmed this is hillier than the Baltimore marathon. But not as bad as the GA marathon in Atlanta. Very well organized start and finish area. Well stocked official aid stations, never had to wait for a bathroom. It is a true party along the route with too many unofficial stops serving alcohol and treats to count. Nice medal. I loved the start, each corral had confetti shot out as they crossed the mat making us all feel like elite starters. I loved the jacket. This year the weather was not ideal, cold but also VERY windy at times. Still had a lot of spectators lining the route, bundled up.

It was a cold miserable day but that wasn't anyone's fault. There were probably less spectators as a result but the ones that were out there were ready to party. Lots of beer and shots. More than I have ever seen. Music blasting at the block parties. Ran through really pretty neighbor hoods. Lots of water and gatorade. Well run except for the shuttles!!!

The marathon was good - course relatively flat, some repeat scenery, and LOVE the Center of the Universe detour (with coin!). Fans thinned out a lot after the half course split off, but were spirited (more beer and jello shots offered per mile than any other race I've run). Water stops & port-a-potties were plentiful (at start and on course). Expo was decent (variety as expected for a big-name race), though low on signs to the location, parking, and inside the building. The race 'tee' (full zip jacket) is AWESOME, and nice looking medals. Definitely would recommend this race to a friend!

Top 10 Reasons to Run Route 66 10 - Start Line - the most organized, hassle-free and non-chaotic Start Line I've experienced 9 - Native American ceremony before National Anthem - a distinct Oklahoma stamp on the race 8 - Confetti guns at Start Line - they make you feel like you're a hero in a ticker tape parade as you get showered with confetti crossing the Start Line 7 - Tulsa PD - amazing job managing the dozens/hundreds of intersections 6 - Fall foliage and beautiful neighborhoods 5 - Swag - very cool race jacket 4 - Course organization - Mile markers and Gatorade/water stops were clearly organized and signed 3 - Center of the Universe - what other marathon give you the option to brag that you've also run an "ultra" 2 - Hills - in trying to think of a good thing to say about the relentless hills, I came up with this: Know that as you cross the Finish Line for the Route 66, you will have completed one of the most difficult marathons (the MOST difficult of my 66 thus far)! 1 - Medal - even though the hills may prohibit a PR, you will be gifted with "speed" with the wonderful "Goddess of Speed" medal at the Finish Line. One of the best medals!

I love this race. The course is challenging and the energy level of the crowds is superb! The expo is huge and fun with lots of activities, special Route 66 gear and some great food. Packet pick up is generally pretty smooth and you get a great swag bag. The water stops along the course are awesome. with some exceptional block parties along the way as well. Especially famous mile 9 - complete with jello shots, snacks, photo ops and more. The finish line is probably the most smoothly run finish line I've crossed, with an excellent post race party and VIP Section! This is a must do race!

I and others I have contacted are extremely upset and disappointed with their handling of the so called age group awards. I won my age group and instead of giving it to me after the race they said it would be mailed within a month. I have emailed 4 times and each time they were going to be the best awards and mailed the next week. It is now 8 weeks and nothing. How could a race of that size do that? If they have no intentions of doing so let the racers know. I would not do this race if you are good enough to place.

Course: Yes, rolling hills. The last mile was a beast. Not a huge hill, but a long one. Hills throughout were really not THAT bad, there were just quite a few of them. It's a beautiful course! You go through some fabulous neighborhoods! I appreciated the cheers! Organization: top notch Spectators and volunteers: really fun and encouraging. Smile, say 'Thank you', be positive and encouraging to others, let them know you appreciate them coming out. I loved that they came out on a cold morning to be supportive! Tulsa Police Department: TOP SHELF! They did a great job keeping us safe and were so encouraging! The whole day was great. The confetti and music at the start was so fun! I enjoyed the paparazzi (photographers) too! What a spunky bunch! This was a really fun race!

This was my 1st marathon but it was discouraging that the mile markers and timers seemed to disappear with about 6 miles left. It was frustrating to not know how much farther. Several of us 1st timers expressed the same frustration as we plodded along together. Other than that it was great.

The organization was fantastic. The start area was easy to navigate. A group of Native Americans were playing tribal drums before the national anthem. The race started on time. I thought Tulsa was flat. Boy was I wrong. There were no 'killer hills', but there was plenty of rollers. The course support was great for the first half but dwindled in the latter miles. The neighborhoods were great and some even offered jello shots and beer. There were plenty of aid stations and the finish area was pretty good. The one thing that hurt me the most was all of the concrete streets. It seemed as if half the race was on concrete. It really beat up my legs in racing flats. Maybe more cushioned shoes would have helped. Overall it was a good experience and I would run it again if I lived closer. Tulsa is not a great 'destination' city.

this was #94 marathon and goes to the top with outstanding support, volunteers and race management. Beautiful course and amazing support along the way! KUDOS to all! cold and all! EPE

I ran this marathon to check off Oklahoma on my quest for 50 states. The course is challenging. The entire course is filled with rolling hills, there are only a few spots where you're not going up or down a hill. None of the hills are extremely challenging or daunting, but they are non-stop. The hills particularly pick up after the halfway mark when you leave downtown and head east. It's a stretch of a few miles of unrelenting climb. The last 3 miles or so do have the net elevation drop as you head back towards downtown, but there are rolling hills around every turn and over every hill crest. Again, none of the hills are very difficult or daunting, they just keep coming at you. Tulsa is also a windy area in general, and that combined with November temperatures (race temperates average about high 30s-low 40s at the start and 40s-50s at the finish) can make for a chilly race. That being said, I saw runners dressed in full winter gear (hats, mittens, long tights, sweatshirts) all the way down to runners in nothing more than race singlets and shorts. The race organization was top notch. The starting line was well configured with ample bathrooms for runners. The expo was awesome with tons of free samples, booths for local races and running stores as well as big box brands, cool displays, and much more. Getting your race bib and race jacket was very quick and easy. The course officials were all wonderful, as were the police monitoring and blocking traffic to keep the runners safe. The aid stations were well staffed and well stocked at all times. The volunteers were phenomenal, perhaps the best part of this race. There were so many race volunteers helping out from the expo, at each aid station, at confusing turns on the race course, and at the finish line. Top notch race organization, staff and volunteers. The race spectators were great, when you came upon a popular spot for spectators. There were big stretches of the race where there were little to no spectators, and in a marathon that gets spread out pretty quickly, there are times when you are completely alone. In some of the neighborhood portions of the race, you might only see a handful of people out on their front lawns cheering you on. Occasionally there are a few people at the intersections. One of the better spots for spectators came at about mile 6-7 down a street with many businesses on both sides. There were a large group of spectators on the sides of the street with blaring music coming from the rooftops playing EDM music. It was loud, the spectators were having a great time, and it was a huge boost to myself and many other runners around me at that time. It's too bad it was so early on in the race, because there are some lonely spots later on where I really could have used the help. So in summary, the spectators were great, if you were lucky enough to be around them at any given time during the race. Overall, I'm glad I ran this marathon. It was a very challenging course. I ran a 3:41 - well off my PR despite being in shape for one, and I finished in the top 7%, right around the top 100 out of 1500. 1400 of 1500 runners ran 3:41 or higher. That to me says how challenging the course is.

I ran the 2016 Williams Route 66 Marathon and could not be happier. The social media ahead of time (Twitter/IG) was excellent and got me excited to run and buy cool stuff the expo. Organizers coordinated well with local hotels (I got the package from Doubletree - shuttles, free breakfast, discounted parking and late check out). The packet pick up was smooth (by number), and the course was VERY well supported by Tulsa PD. There were tons of nice neighborhood parties (jello shots and beer!) and people cheering till quite late in the day. Course was naturally hilly but the architecture was gorgeous, as were the leaves. When I finished at 6:10, the water/gatorade stops were still well stocked with drinks and volunteers. The finish line had plenty of food, heat wraps and buses back to the start/hotels. I finished at 6:10 and it's rare that the support is still there for the slow pokes. Thank you TULSA and the team at Williams Route 66!

I loved the course that took us through some gorgeous neighborhoods where many people were out to support the runners. Unlike many marathons, after the half-marathoners split off we still enjoyed beautiful scenery. The downsides are as others have mentioned: extremely long lines at the Expo to pick up our race packet. Plus getting into the corrals race morning took a really long time. There were no signs indicating the corrals, and the volunteers at the corral entrance were overwhelmed. There needs to be more than one entrance into each corral. We were encouraged to enter the corrals early, but there aren't porta potties in the corrals or a place to sit which means most of us aren't going to stand around in the cold for very long. I was also disappointed in the poor food selection at the finish area. It seems there was more emphasis on beer than on something we could actually eat. The volunteers were wonderful and the medal and jacket are top-notch. I'm sure you can fix the problems with the corrals and at the Expo.

Once again the Route 66 Marathon sold out and it easy to understand why when you have the opportunity to run here. Despite having thousands of runners and a busy schedule, the efforts of race director Tim Dreiling of Fleet Feet made it possible for me to participate in this event. And there are tons of volunteers assisting throughout the course - even pointing out individual speed bumps on the roads. The course is indeed hilly with plenty of turns, but the experience that Tulsa has in supporting this event more than makes up for it. Any fifty stater looking to cross Oklahoma off the list should definitely run this marathon.

This race gets a mixed review from me. I really liked the good things about this race while strongly disliking the bad areas of this race. Overall, I think it is a pretty good race, though I'm not sure I would recommend it to someone looking to run Oklahoma. The Good: Medal is top notch. Participants Jacket is very nice. Support on the course was abundant even on a cold day. The course is tough but good. Weather, though RD can't control, was excellent Sunny (32 degrees at start 45 degrees by finish) City and neighborhoods we ran through were gorgeous. The Bad: Expo had a line wrapped all through the facility just to pick up your packet. Volunteers were not given a proper way to look up each participant therefore it took forever to receive our packets. This is my biggest complaint & I registered day one of registration guaranteeing my size for my participant jacket. When I arrived to pick it up my size was unavailable. Not only that, I got the very last jacket of the size larger. To me this is just unacceptable. There is no reason I should have been guaranteed a size and it was gone when I got to the expo. The expo as a whole was a bust. We did not see any merchandise worth purchasing. The course: The course is tough. This is not necessarily a bad, more a warning. I train in hilly Pittsburgh and still think it was a hilly course. First half is fair, you get a downhill after the uphill. Like reviews from previous years, I agree there is not a flat spot on the course. At mile 12 you start an uphill that continues until around mile 19. This was enough to kill our pace. 19 to 23 are a fair mix of up and downhills. Once you get to mile 23 it is more downhill than up for the remainder to the race. Be prepared for hills and you'll be okay. The scenery on the course is incredible, some of the nicest neighborhoods I've run through. The course never took us through a visually bad part of town.

A nice course with lots of rolling hills and nice scenery, but a non-descript finish area. I thought that the organization left something to be desired. A long line for packet pick-up that did not seem necessary, and not well organized water stations. My biggest complaint was the poor etiquette of my fellow runners who did not self seed well and did not know to not come to a dead stop at water stations. More pre race education would be helpful. Post race food was very good and the jacket and medal are very nice. Thanks to the crazy sign carrying cheer section for all of their support.

If you're looking to run fast I would advise looking elsewhere. This race clearly doesn't care about the 'top 1%'. They have VIP for marathon maniacs (group of slow weekend warriors), And other people that have money, but could care less if your goal is to race. Course monitors are not at every intersection and the course is not marked well. If you get caught in no mans land, very possible to take a wrong turn if you don't have the course memorized. Minimal toilets at the start, even A corral had a line 20minutes deep full of non-racers and D corral folk, didn't make sense. Wish I could get this weekend back and go somewhere else.

All in all a great race. Well organized, police do a great job keeping the roads clear, water stops were well stocked. Not a ton of spectators along the course but you do run through some pretty areas of Tulsa. The major downside of this race was the hills. They don't look that bad on the elevation chart but they add up after a while. We were not prepared for them and it made the last half of the race pretty painful. We stayed at the Holiday Inn that was just a block away from the start and it was perfect. So nice to stay warm and show up at the start at the last minute.

I live near Tulsa and this is my 3rd Route 66 marathon. This is a fairly hilly course and I heard a lot of people talking about how hilly it is. If you are ready for hills then you will pass a lot of people in the last 10 miles of this race. My Garmin showed the total cumulative elevation gain as 1063ft. Here is the URL for my elevation chart http://s1137.photobucket.com/user/48down/media/rt66marathonelevationchart_zps6dc8408d.jpg.html I think this chart makes it look hillier than it really is. The volunteers for this race are great and there are a decent number of spectators along the route. The bands/music along the course are good. I thought the water/gatoraide stops were great. They are big and spread out and I never had trouble getting water. The expo was good although we also had to ask where packet pickup was located. Corral organization is good, although I had to get my corral changed from D to A at the expo because I registered after Sept 30th. It was easy to get it changed but it would've been nice not to have to.

I ran the first Route 66 Marathon and was very impressed. The old course was not that great, but the goody bag was the best ever - sweatshirt, free long sleeve tech-finisher shirt, sandals for the end. I was back this year and was much less impressed with the event. The course was more scenic, but very hilly throughout. It's not a large field, but they stagger the coral starts by 5 minutes. Yes, they make you stand and wait even though that is really not necessary. Worst of all, the make you purchase your finisher shirt. I've run 12 marathons and this is the first time I've ever had to buy my finisher shirt. Unbelievable. Bag pick up at the Expo was unorganized. They make you walk to three very separated places in the room to fill your bag. I did not receive a bag for checked gear and did not notice until it was too late. On the plus side, there were plenty of aid stations that were well manned all along the course. Just can't recommend this event any more. I won't return.

Course: very scenic with hills but awesome crowd Support. The water stops were stocked and volunteers were fabulous. Race medal: very big with great design Race shirt: WORST shirt EVER!!! (and I've run A LOT of marathons!!). What's even worse is there were really nice shirts for sale!! Organization : very good Start: Awesome with confetti

I have participated in this race several times in several different course arrangements. While most of their adjustments over the years were for the better, when they moved the finish to the back side of Guthrie Green in downtown they lost a lot of atmosphere for the runners. For the marathoners the last several miles are by far the worst part of the course. Mile 23-26 is not where you want the worst part of the course to be. And for all runners the last 1/2 mile is far from building to a climatic finish. You are routed on some of the least scenic roads of downtown with virtually no crowd support until the very last block. If organizers insist on Guthrie Green finish they could move it to the South side and route the last few blocks much better. Although I would prefer a finish at Veterans Park like it was up until 2013. My comments only focus on the negative but overall I must say this is a very good marathon and very well organized, it just needs one adjustment to make it great like it used to be.

Course was more hilly than expected and ran through mostly suburban neighborhoods so not much to take your attention from it. Not a huge number of spectators, considering the good weather, but those that came out were very enthusiastic. A large number of live bands and recorded music was a great touch. Great route policing/volunteers. Nice refreshment stops with gatarade at each one and well marked. Only negative was when it switched to gatarade on one side of the street and water on the other side made for confusion. The only other confusion when all along red was for marathon and blue for half, but the sign for the split off for the two routes had the colors opposite. Great touch to have hotels convenient to the start to pre-arrange late checkout. This should be a best practice everywhere. The Aloft hotel was next door to the packet pickup and the start so very convenient. Disappointed with the packet pickup arrangement: No directions upon entry as to where to go to get your packet. My packet did not contain the race booklet so had to go back, but then later noticed it did not have the clear bag check either so had to go back in again. The t-shirt is lame/cheap compared to what you expect. Expo did have enough to get what you needed. Not much of a selection of restaurants open within walking distance of the start area. Starting corral arrangements were well planned and seemed to work well. Finish was confusing as I was given the wrong medal and thought to check before I got too far, but many others are not thinking straight at that point and the presenters could check. Not major but many were confused on where anything was such as the gear bag retrieval area, where the shuttle buses are located etc. It also was not readily apparent where a finisher should go to cheer on the following finishers coming in.

There were a couple of unique things that help make this race worth running. The course is constant rolling hills through many different areas of Tulsa. The pace leader told us that this year the course was changed so we ran about 1 mile on Route 66. I noticed no issues with the corrals, but I did not look at the one I was assigned, I just lined up near the pace team I planned to run. The Center of the Universe was a cool feature to an otherwise non-descript course. The post race food and drink was plentiful and good. I also liked the special area for Maniacs and 50 staters. Overall a very good organized race.

This was a well run marathon. My corral experience was perfect contrary to reports from past years. Water stops and the finish line were all very well organized. Every mile marker has a clock. The one big thing was... this was MUCH hillier than I had expected and I heard every single person comment on the hills. I had reviewed the elevation chart before registering, but somehow that chart didn't give me the proper understanding of how hilly it would be. I finished about 7 minutes slower than expected, but it was my fastest marathon from a relative standpoint (the ranking of my finish overall and in my division). I would recommend running this, but plan on running it slower than you trained for.

I am a 50 stater who ran here as my Oklahoma race. I usually prefer smaller races (this race had 2000 in full and 4700 in half) but I decided to run because of the perks offered to 50 staters. I was not disappointed. 50 staters and maniacs get a special pre and post race area and specific medals. First time marathoners get special medals too. But the entire race is well organized so all runners feel pampered. The race has already negotiated with the host hotels to give runners a late (3:00) check out. All races should do this! There are plenty of aid stops (all with sports drink) and volunteers. In 2013 we had brutally cold weather and still there were plenty of smiling supportive volunteers along the way. Many were set up to warn runners of ice patches ahead. The course is not terribly scenic but its pleasant as we run through neighborhoods surrounding Tulsa. There are numerous rolling hills. None alone are that tough but collectively they can hurt. I live in a hilly area so I did not think the course was too bad but I heard lots of complaints. I think most of these folks were expecting a flat course and were surprised. Check out the elevation chart. I gave the race only 3 stars for fans but it was very cold in 2013 so I can't blame folks for not coming out. I'm suspect the support is better in other years but I don't know for sure. I had the same issue with corral selection as other runners have identified but I just stood at the front of the corral and it was fine. The race could probably use one more corral because about 1 mile into the race we turn right onto a street that is too narrow this early in the race. But perhaps that complaint is a bit nitpicky. This race has a fun distinction. They offer a .3 mile (purely optional) detour where runners can run by what Tulsa calls 'The Center of the Universe'. You can experience a unique echo and get a cool commerative coin. This detour comes at the 25.5 mile mark so many folks understandably just want to finish. I took the detour and completed what the race jokingly calls the world's shortest ultra race!! I stayed in the Holiday Inn host hotel. It was literally steps from the start line (a blessing on this bitterly cold morning) and they have a free shuttle from the airport. They were very accommodating to the runners. Tulsa was very dead in the evenings. Restaurant options within walking distance were limited. I ended up eating every meal in my hotel. They had a good restaurant luckily but if you want some variety I think you'll need to rent a car. The expo was well organized, not too crowded and effortless. You can purchase race themed souvenirs if that's your thing. The medals are great but the short sleeve tech t-shirts are surprisingly bland. As I said I usually prefer smaller more intimate races but I really enjoyed my experience in Tulsa and I suspect others would have the same feelings.

I had the same issue with the corral. I have run the last 3 marathons in the 3:45 to 4:00 range and was put in corral D. The corral letter so small on the bib, I just walked into the corral A and they didnt say anything. So it ended up much to do about nothing. Stayed at the Holiday Inn, which is just a few steps from the start line. That was important since it was 23 degrees at the start. Overall I like the course. Rolling hills are fair (e.g., not too steep). Start and end in downtown but most of the marathon is though residential areas. Odd its called Route 66 but never really run on Route 66. Always had enough room to run, didn't feel closed in by other runners. The pace group leader was spot on. The post-race set up had spaghetti , thought that was a nice touch. Medal is a keeper, the short T was about average Other than the SNAFU with the corral set up, I would recommend this marathon

Loved this race! It was my 29th marathon so I have a decent amount of races to compare to. Course - Moderately rolling but nothing too difficult. Can run a good time on this course. Does give you a nice tour of Tulsa. Title of race is a bit misleading as only a tiny fraction of this race is on Route 66. First part of the marathon is actually a bit harder than the second half. They also have a 5 person relay but they never got in the way of the marathoners. Spectators - With a start temperature of 24 degrees and really not warming up much during the race, I wasn't expecting to see anyone out there. To my surprise, there were a good amount of very cheerful spectators. Many were standing on their front lawns offering encouragement as well as warmth (yes some people actually were burning wood to keep warm). Traffic Control - Tulsa Police did an excellent job maintaining traffic. Never had to worry about getting run over. They were also very friendly and encouraged the runners. Volunteers - Just plain awesome! So many of them too! Plenty of well stocked hydration stations serving water and gatorade at each stop. Organization - 5 stars! From the large details to the small details, everything was run very smoothly. From having volunteers stationed at trouble spots such as ice patches or speed bumps alerting us to such obstacles to even thinking of the small details such as providing heat lamps near the finish lines in order that fans and those that finished waiting for friends could keep warm. Bag pickup was a breeze with me just walking up to the tent and a volunteer spotting me and handing me my bag without me even uttering a word. Accommodations - I stayed at the Double Tree which is the host hotel just blocks from the start and right across the street from the expo. Great hotel at a very fair and affordable price. They even offered a late checkout. In summary, this is a very well organized and fun race. The town definitely supports the runners and the organizers really do take into account the needs of runners. I would definitely recommend this race wholeheartedly. Oh and if you like bbq, go to Rib Crib for some great food!

Okay, I'm a Tulsa native who LIVES in Tulsa! I trained on all the hills, the streets, on a lot of the course. I love my city! Not to start a war about crowd support but the temperatures were brutal!! I don't blame people for not standing out on the curb with a wind chill of 16!! But for those who did, THANK YOU!! I loved everything about this race (except the temps but that's not race organizers fault!). I loved the hilly course, through downtown, utica square, Cascia Hall, Brookside, Riverside, TU, Cherry Street, all the way to Guthrie Green! And, Bart Yasso patting me on the back at the finish? HECK YEAH!! I met many people on the course who were from out of town who told me how nice Tulsa was, and how friendly the people were! That says a lot! I highly recommend this race, we'd love to have you and hopefully next year it won't be so brutally cold! Looking forward to my next marathon..WHERE should I go?!?!

Corral insanity indeed. I won the men's 60 age and had been placed in D Corral with pace designated at over 12 min per mile when i had listed my expected finish time as 3:45 (which i missed by 2 min.) I had to work through literally thousands of slower runners who were placed in Corrals A and B, many who were obviously slower runners, some of whom were walking after just a few miles. I was not the only one who had to fight through slower runners as my travel buddy also won his age group and was also put in D corral. Further we heard from others experiencing the same corral misplacement. It's almost as if corral assignment was by random drawing. This is totally unacceptable and i will not run this marathon again and will spread the word until this issue is addressed.

Well organized event. Weather was brutal for Tulsa (gun time wind chill was 13 degrees and wind chill at Noon was 24, well below the average high of 56); combine the weather with the HILLS and this was a very challenging event. Water stations, while spaced apart a various distances prior to mile 20, where sufficient and well manned. Motivated volunteers provided much needed support in adverse weather. New route finishes in the Brady Arts District in Downtown Tulsa - great post-race food/beverage. Bart Yasso was one of the speakers at the expo and he was also greeting the runners at the finish line. And, the announcers stated your name, hometown and other congratulatory words as you crossed the finish line. Cherry St hills were brutal and pretty much Mile 15 to 22 was a steady uphill grind (so train accordingly...not a flat course). The medal was worth it! Huge medal and pictures don't do it justice. The organizers did a great job with corral assignments and the half-marathoners did not distract/interfere with the marathoners at all (the split just before Mile 13 was well marked). If you are looking for a challenging course with a great medal and great organization (without 45,000 other runners to join you) - then this is a race that must be on your list.

I am a 50-State Club member and Marathon Maniac and the race treated us like royalty (although our private porta-potties were not at the start). I must admit that I found this marathon to be a LOT hillier than I expected!! It seemed like the entire mile from 18 to 19 was uphill. And the beginning of the race seemed all uphill. Despite the hills, the course had a lot of enthusiastic spectators. It wasn't incredibly scenic but it was fine. It definitely was fun to run under the real Route 66. Traffic control was excellent. I stayed at the Holiday Inn which was literally right next to the start (and had a free airport shuttle). And the race director had negotiated an automatic late checkout. It's a short walk to the expo from there. Keep in mind that most restaurants in Tulsa are closed on the weekends. The race was really well-organized. The finish area was comprehensive and well-marked. The post-race shuttle service was easy and quick. I ran this race for my Oklahoma race and was not disappointed. I just wish I liked running hills better!

I would echo previous comments and say that this event seemed like the half was the star and the full was more of an afterthought. It definitely felt like once you passed the half finish you were running in a closed down industrial area or repeating the same areas. Overall, it wasn't a bad race but dull as a training run after the mid point. Traffic control was solid, but there was very little in the way of crowd support. The pavement was really torn up in long stretches of the course too. I also got really tired of all the rolling hills packed into the last half of the course. They weren't tough so much as just repetitive and boring.