More Than 10,000 Runners Ready To Take On Route 66 Marathon

Runners from all over the country are getting ready for Tulsa's 12th annual Route 66 marathon this weekend.

More than 10,000 runners will come to the expo at the Cox Business Center to sign in, pick up their packets, and, most importantly, get ready to run.

Steve Boone is one of those runners. He’s from Houston and runs about 35 marathons a year and said he never misses this one.

"For this size race, it’s probably one of the friendliest in the country. And, so, you know, it's hilly. It's never an easy race because the course is tough, but that's okay too. We don't need an easy course," he said.

Boone has participated in a marathon in all 50 states and in others around the world.

"This year will be 696," he said. “It's our social life. We get to see the world that way."

Race Director Tim Dreiling said, while this isn't the biggest race they've had, it comes pretty close.

"A little over 10,000. So, it's the second biggest year we've ever had," Dreiling said.

An area where Dreiling said the event is growing is getting more people running on both days.

"We've got about 900 people that are doing the 5K and either the half or the full on Sunday. We call those doublers," he said.

And for those who are not quite that ambitious, Dreiling said you can still enjoy the activities surrounding the marathon, like cheering on the runners or checking out the expo.

"If you're not in the race and you're just interested in health and fitness, come on down. We've got a lot of great vendors here, a lot of great product for sale. Some good deals," he said.

The expo will also be open Saturday for anyone wanting to sign in, check out the vendors and maybe load up on some last-minute necessities.