Children Remember Their Dad's Love For Tulsa Run 20 Years After His Death

More than 4,500 people were in Tulsa on Saturday morning to compete in the annual Tulsa Run. Hundreds more showed up to cheer them on.

And this year, runners took a different route, starting on South Boulder in front of the ONEOK Plaza and ending on South Boston Avenue near the Philtower Building.

Crossing the finish line was a personal goal for so many, but for one family, it was much more than a fitness goal or a fast race time. It was all about remembering.

With the bang of a gun, runners began the most historic race in Oklahoma. It was a race that means a lot this year to a family wearing yellow sweatbands.

"We're out here to honor my dad, he died 20 years ago this year in a car accident,” Erin Darlington said.

A car accident took Rick Darlington from his family and from his love of running.

His favorite race? The Tulsa Run.

"We'd come down and watch him every year that he did it, which was about five years or so,” Todd Darlington said.

It is a tradition the native Stillwater family has never forgotten, thanks in part to an old picture that hangs in all four of his childrens' homes in four different states across the country.

"After he died, we realized we didn't have a lot of pictures of him, because he was always the one behind the camera,” Erin Darlington said. “But we had this amazing picture of him running the Tulsa run in 1986."

And it's not just the memory of their dad that makes the picture special; it's his classic 80's attire and unforgettable mustache that, to this day, brings a smile to their faces.

"I tried to match his picture as best as I could, so I matched the color of the shirt and bought some white shorts and some nice socks and we're all sporting our headbands,” Todd Darlington said. “And I grew this [mustache] out for the race too."

It was small ways to pay tribute to their father's life.

"I think he would want us to be here today, just running and celebrating him rather than being sad," Erin Darlington said.

Todd added, "It feels good, it feels like a good way to honor him, and it always feels good to hang out with family."

Some family members remember the days Rick Darlington would come across the finish line. Now his grandchildren are taking part and know why the Tulsa Run is more than just a tradition. It's a memory of a man they'll never meet, but one they'll always be able to remember.