Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

dan s.
park city, KS

  (07-23-2010)

"The OKC Memorial Marathon is a great event. It starts at the site of the OKC Memorial, where the federal building was bombed years ago. I had heard that the family members of the victims are the ones that put the medals on you at the finish line, but that wasn't the case.
The expo left a lot to be desired. It was very crowded and didn't really have much interesting.
The course is nice, fairly flat with only a couple good hills. The crowd support is great, with people spraying you with water or handing out candy or drinks as you run through several neighborhoods.
The race takes place near Bricktown, which has lots of restaurants, shops, bars, etc, as well as a water taxi and a smaller version of the Riverwalk in San Antonio.
There is great volunteer support.
Post race we had Carls Jr hamburgers, as well as tons of fruit and fluids available.
The race was televised live on local TV....a church next to the Start/Finish had the race running live on a big screen TV. The church also provided free pancakes, sausage, drinks, etc all day to the runners...since all the roads are closed on Sunday AM anyway, they have church on Sat night, cancel their Sunday church service and encourage all their attenders to serve and minister to the runners and families that day. My kids had a fun time with their inflatables, tatoos, face painting, coloring contests, games etc. Pretty neat that the church does this I think.
There is also a post race massage tent that was great. Probably 50 or more tables to give free massages to the runners. Enjoyed that very much.
Overall, great race, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Leo H.
Sachse, TX

  (04-30-2010)

"I'd run it again, but not before doing alot of hill workouts. The course has many short hills, mostly up hill. Its also very windy in Oklahoma City. It was very well organized, lots of volunteers and water stops. The best part of the race was the prayer service at the survivor tree before the race. Very inspirational and emotional seeing the Oklahoma city memorial. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Bryan S.
Oklahoma City, OK

  (08-05-2009)

"First time to race at the half marathon level, which was my longest run ever at that point. This race is very special to those of us who lived here during the 1995 bombing. It's a way to remember those who passed that day. The weather is a bit unpredictable in April in Oklahoma. This particular day was hot, humid, and windy. Not ideal conditions, but it was still a great race. Over 19,000 participants and the crowds along the course were great. I will definitely run this race again for many years to come. Next year is the 10th anniversary so should be special."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009