I was pleasantly surprised as I traversed over the two loops of the Go Long, Go Short, Go Very Long 50K course. Yes, there were a few industrial areas and … MORE
I was pleasantly surprised as I traversed over the two loops of the Go Long, Go Short, Go Very Long 50K course. Yes, there were a few industrial areas and construction that we went by, but the park areas near Turkey Hill and along the North side of the Arkansas River more than made up for the less than idyllic sections. For the most part, the course was very flat and paved with the exception of a short section of the trail near some construction. The one hilly part was when we went up over the top of Turkey Hill, which is considered an Urban Wilderness area by the Tulsa River Parks Authority. Of course, I didn’t like the idea of going up that hill on the second loop, but you are rewarded with a nice downhill stretch on the opposite side. There was a nice start/finish area in River West Festival Park, but the one big disappointment was the aid stations. There were enough of them for me and they were well manned, but the food and drink offerings were very limited compared to most trail marathons. The only drink offerings were water and NUUN drink, and the only food along most of the course were pre-packaged pretzels and peanut butter granola bars. Granted, they did have some delicious beef burritos and hot dogs at the finish, along with craft beer, but it would have been nice to have some more options at the aid stations. The finisher medals were really groovy, and the long-sleeve shirts were also nice. All in all, I would give the race a 4 out of 5, but if there was more at the aid stations, I would have given it a 5/5.
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A leisurely jog through the park
I was pleasantly surprised as I traversed over the two loops of the Go Long, Go Short, Go Very Long 50K course. Yes, there were a few industrial areas and … MORE
I was pleasantly surprised as I traversed over the two loops of the Go Long, Go Short, Go Very Long 50K course. Yes, there were a few industrial areas and construction that we went by, but the park areas near Turkey Hill and along the North side of the Arkansas River more than made up for the less than idyllic sections. For the most part, the course was very flat and paved with the exception of a short section of the trail near some construction. The one hilly part was when we went up over the top of Turkey Hill, which is considered an Urban Wilderness area by the Tulsa River Parks Authority. Of course, I didn’t like the idea of going up that hill on the second loop, but you are rewarded with a nice downhill stretch on the opposite side. There was a nice start/finish area in River West Festival Park, but the one big disappointment was the aid stations. There were enough of them for me and they were well manned, but the food and drink offerings were very limited compared to most trail marathons. The only drink offerings were water and NUUN drink, and the only food along most of the course were pre-packaged pretzels and peanut butter granola bars. Granted, they did have some delicious beef burritos and hot dogs at the finish, along with craft beer, but it would have been nice to have some more options at the aid stations. The finisher medals were really groovy, and the long-sleeve shirts were also nice. All in all, I would give the race a 4 out of 5, but if there was more at the aid stations, I would have given it a 5/5.
WENT LONGER FELL SHORTEST
Hello. I’m Aaron Burros, the Running Servant and wanted to share about my 50th Birthday Year Celebration Running of Marathons. I’m running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks … MORE
Hello. I’m Aaron Burros, the Running Servant and wanted to share about my 50th Birthday Year Celebration Running of Marathons. I’m running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 weeks benefiting St. Jude Children Research Hospital. Please take an opportunity to listen to the podcast TRENDS, BENDS and OPPORTUNITIES and read the article AARON’S AUDACIOUS GOALS and donate (links are at end).
“This past weekend, I ran the GO SHORT GO LONG GO VERY LONG Ultra 50K ( they offer a 5K, 10K and 25K to fit the name of the race). If you want a paved trail race that mixes half city with half trails for a 25K loop, this is the race you’re looking for. But that one hill though will challenge you between miles 8 & 9. But my challenge began the moment I left Houston Texas, USA, driving to the race.
Going into race day I was sleepless in Tulsa. Upon arrival to my hotel, I was met with those unfriendly words – we are overbooked and don’t have a room for you. I would have taken the couch in the lobby, but Covid restrictions prevented such desperate measures. And with the impossible task of booking a hotel at 1 AM, I was forced to sleep – of try to anyway – in my truck in 30 degree weather. But when you’ve been the victim of a violent crime (you really should read the article to find out), you don’t sleep soundly.
The day began before sunrise with me resting my eyelids as cars poured into the park one by one. I joined the procession and parked with privilege near the restroom. There’s not a bad parking spot at all. The atmosphere was calm, the runners were poised and the stage was set for an awesome race for many.
My plan was to complete the 50K in 7 hours. This wasn’t an impossible goal. My body was in agreement with me as far as my bullet butt was concerned. Even the hill didn’t throw me off. But what did was the fact that I was sleep deprived. So after completing the first loop, I knew that I was not going to make it a second loop as I had began seeing black lines in the vision of my right eye after each blink.
As with the previous race, runners on every level were hitting their goals. I did stop to help a young lady who was half way through the 25K but couldn’t finish. I hope she’s better and will get back out on the course soon.
My goal was just a goal; but I wasn’t out there for a personal goal, I was out there for Aiden, a young boy I previously met at a marathon, and for Gabby, my two year old great niece who was diagnosed with a cancerous growth on her kidney (and with tumors inside her skull since last run) along with all the other children with cancer and other childhood diseases. #IRunforAiden and #GettingItForGabby
My pain was very uncomfortable to say the least. And while I can’t imagined the pain Aiden, Gabby and other young children go through daily from cancer, treatments and surgeries, I’ll keep pushing through until I cross the finish line at the 50th state in the Houston Chevron Marathon and Aramco Half January 16, 2022.
I was the very last 50K runner and didn’t finish. The volunteers treated us as if we were the top male and female finishers — thank you all for the excellent job. Continue to be audacious. Like Arnold, “I’ll be back.”.
What is Your 2021 Audacious Goal?
https://murfieldcoaching.com/2021/01/12/what-is-your-2021-audacious-goal/
DIRECT DONATIONS
http://heroes.stjude.org/runningservant
TRACK MY RUNS
https://raceraves.com/runningservant/
PODCAST INTERVIEW
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=824803278272266
Paved trail along the river...
Overall Rating: Good production. Nice trail along the river. Everything was as expected. Course Difficulty: It was really flat, with one big hill in the middle, which on a double … MORE
Overall Rating: Good production. Nice trail along the river. Everything was as expected.
Course Difficulty: It was really flat, with one big hill in the middle, which on a double loop, we covered twice.
Course Scenery: Some was nice, other was oil refinery’s and factories. None of it was bad, but there were a couple of areas that were better just because we were looking out over the river.
Race Production: Good. 25k and 50k started well before the other races, so no real overlap. Aid stations were where they were supposed to be, and course was well marked. Food at the end was awesome. There weren’t enough porta-jons, but are there ever?? One nice bathroom about 4 miles in, so we passed it 4 times. Packet pickup was a breeze.
Race Swag: Good medal and nice long sleeve tech shirt.
My Performance: It was ok. I finished a lot slower than I thought, but mostly because we were fighting a 20 mph headwind for half of the race-blah…so I think I walked about 6-8 miles of this one.
If you are looking for a 50k, but aren’t ready to wade across creeks or go mudding, this one will do. I think there are probably better paved 50k’s out there, but for a super low price, on this weekend in Jan-it would be tough to beat.
Small race, Fun atmosphere
This is a small race. The course is a paved trail along the river. It's more industrial on the west side than scenic. We ran by oil refineries and a … MORE
This is a small race. The course is a paved trail along the river. It’s more industrial on the west side than scenic. We ran by oil refineries and a waste water treatment plant. Needless to say, the smell was motivation to run faster! It’s an out and back course with a decent number of water stops.
Finishers food was a food truck, which was fun! The shirts and medals are cute.
Low-key and well-supported
This is an alright little race. The field is small, I think under 400 25Kers and maybe 75 50Kers - plus 10K and 5K runners too. It's put on by … MORE
This is an alright little race. The field is small, I think under 400 25Kers and maybe 75 50Kers – plus 10K and 5K runners too. It’s put on by Fleet Feet Tulsa, and is more of a community run. Although there do appear to be repeat runners.
The cost is low, I think I registered for 30 bucks, and you get a gender specific long sleeve race too. The motif is cute – Cat in the Hat-ish. Because it’s Fleet Feet, they make bib pick-up easy. You can choose any of their three locations or race-day pick-up. A friend picked mine up for me, and had no issues. Parking was ample at the start. I got there 30 minutes before gun time, and there was plenty of parking. The other thing there seemed to be plenty of was bathrooms. Not only the park restrooms, but also port-o-potties – at the beginning/end and a few on the course.
The course itself isn’t so great. You run the Tulsa River Trail, a paved greenway along the Arkansas River. I don’t know if the race is always on the West side – the East side currently has a bunch of construction. The West side is smelly. There is a water treatment plant, and an electric energy facility. Otherwise, you’re on a greenway. No impeding traffic (and this may be what keeps the costs so low – no real need to close roads. The majority of the course is flat, with one climb up to Turkey Mountain and back down again. Poor 50Kers had to run that twice.
All in all, I’d run it again. It’s not the most exciting race, but it’s fun, and in January there aren’t many other options. People are friendly, the aid stations were plentiful and well-stocked by friendly volunteers.
Also, as a note, I saw a fair number of Marathon Maniacs at this race.