More than 10,000 to take part in Route 66 Marathon
BY MICHAEL OVERALL World Staff Writer
Saturday, November 17, 2012
11/17/12 at 7:47 AM
For more information on the Route 66 Marathon.
More than 10,000 people will run in five races related to the Williams Route 66 Marathon this weekend, rivaling the size of last month's Tulsa Run.
Entries have more than tripled since the event began seven years ago. But organizers hope to keep growing in the years ahead, reaching 20,000 runners by 2016.
"We're trying to create a world-class event that lives on forever in Tulsa," said Executive Director Chris Lieberman.
"That's always been our goal."
Organizers limit the size of each race to avoid stretching logistics. And this year, for the first time, most of the races had "sold out" by Friday afternoon, reaching the maximum number of people who could enter.
The shorter races will start Saturday, with a 5k run at 8 a.m., followed by a 1-mile "fun run" at 9 a.m.
But the majority of runners will wait until Sunday, with a capacity crowd of 2,250 runners in the full marathon and 4,500 in the half-marathon.
About 70 percent of the runners come from the 918 area code, Lieberman said.
"We'll have eight or 10 foreign countries represented, too," he said. "So we're building a reputation all over the world."
Saturday's 5k course will start and end at Veterans Park, encircling the historic north Maple Ridge neighborhood south of downtown.
The course will also loop through Woodward Park at 21st Street and Peoria Avenue.
Sunday's marathon will take runners on a veritable tour of Tulsa.
Starting at Seventh and Main streets, the sights will include Cherry Street, Swan Lake, Utica Square, Woodward Park, Brookside, Riverside Drive, the Brady District and the University of Tulsa before ending at Veterans Park near 21st Street and Boulder Avenue.
Temperatures will stay in the 40s Saturday morning with sunny skies.
Route 66 Marathon road closings
Here's a list of road closings for Sunday's Williams Route 66 Marathon
The following streets will be closed from 5-8:45 a.m. Sunday
- Third Street between Boston Avenue and Boulder Avenue
- Fourth Street between Boston Avenue and Boulder Avenue
- Fifth Street between Boston Avenue and Boulder Avenue
- Sixth Street between Boston Avenue and Boulder Avenue
- Seventh Street between Boston Avenue and Boulder Avenue
Main Street between Third and Seventh Street will be closed from 10 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday
The recommended approach to downtown destinations East of Boston Avenue is the westbound Broken Arrow Expressway taking the Detroit exit and heading north
The recommended approach to downtown destinations West of Boulder Avenue is the westbound BA Expressway taking the Denver exit and heading north.
Lewis and Harvard avenues are recommended routes to downtown before noon.
The following streets are partially open for traffic during the marathon
- Two-way traffic in eastbound lanes of 41st Street between Cincinnati and Peoria avenues
- Two-way traffic in northbound lanes of Peoria avenue between 33rd and 41st streets
- Two-way traffic in eastbound lanes of 31st Street between Boston Place and Woodward Blvd
- One-way traffic in eastbound lane of 21st Street between Boston and Gary avenues. (Utica Square access at 22nd Place and Lewis Avenue).
- One-way traffic in eastbound lanes of 15th Street between Peoria and Delaware avenues (along mile markers 19 and 20)
Route 66 Marathon
Veterans Park finish line
Saturday
8 a.m. - 5k race
9 a.m. - 1-mile "fun run"
Sunday
8 a.m. - full and half-marathon and relay marathon
Original Print Headline: 10,000 will race in Route 66 Marathon
Michael Overall 918-581-8383
michael.overall@tulsaworld.com
