World-Class Tulsa Tough Racing Moves To Re-Vamped Brady Arts District

The sound of cowbells is echoing though downtown Saturday night in the second leg of the Tulsa Tough. The racers have moved to the Brady District for the first time since its transformation.

Eight years ago when the event started most of what you see now didn't exit, and in recent years the Brady District was still under construction.

"And that starts day two of the Tulsa Tough,"

A 10-hour marathon of bicycling action was underway unleashing more than 1,600 cyclists across Green Country. Unleashing more than 16-hundred cyclists across Green Country.

"This is by far one of the coolest events that I've been to," said Philip Somers, a rider from Colorado.

"It's gorgeous, they've done a really nice job," said A'Laina Beckwith of Kansas.

6/7/2013 Related Story: Tulsa Tough, Several Other Events Make For Busy Night Downtown

Cyclists like A'Laina Beckwith will following routes ranging from 27 to 127 miles - all of them starting in the Brady Arts District.

"I'm really excited to race around it," Beckwith said. "Last year was kinda construction bound."

For out of town cyclists like Beckwith the transformation in the Brady Distinct happened overnight, but organizers like Chris Zenthoefer know that's far from the case.

"We stuck to this district, first when we were in this district there were about two businesses down here," Zenthoefer said.

He says what's now the Woody Guthrie Museum was a leaky old building they used to assemble bicycles.

"We literally dumped bleach down the elevator shafts it was so foul, so to see what it is now is pretty amazing," organizer Chris Zenthoefer said.

"You can bring your family and they have stuff to do, just the downtown area, the restaurants, just the party atmosphere."

Jerry Lewis is just one of hundreds of cyclists from out of state who not only provide high speed, high adrenaline action, but are expected to kick the local economy into high gear.

Organizers say in some events there are so many people from out of state that only a quarter of the racers are from Oklahoma.

The races will last all day, with the professionals hitting the tack around 9 p.m.

On Sunday races will kick off early at 6 a.m. at River Parks.

 "The crowds are just bigger than I've ever seen in the eight years of the event," said Event Director Malcolm McCollam.

McCollam wouldn't speculate on how much the event will bring in this year.

But it should far exceed last year's $3 million impact thanks to packed hotels, restaurants and bars and some of the best racing action in the nation.