Cyclists Prepare For Saint Francis Tulsa Tough

Saint Francis is the title sponsor of the Tulsa Tough bicycle races, which begin Friday in downtown.

Barely a week after a mass shooting at the Saint Francis campus, race organizers have found a way to show how much they care. Thousands of cyclists from around the country and world will be racing throughout the weekend as people line the streets of downtown Tulsa to watch.

"There's something very special about Tulsa cycling that I can't explain to people unless they feel it,” said cyclist Rebecca Cunningham.

A year of planning, months of training, and hours of preparation, all leading up to this weekend. Saint Francis has been a sponsor of Tulsa Tough since 2006. Executive Director Malcolm McCollam says after last week's mass shooting, organizers asked this question:

"What can we do to let Saint Francis know how much they mean to us and how important they are to this community?" McCollam said.

The answer is to turn one of the races into a tribute to the victims. The Townie Ride on Sunday is free and open to the public. Riders in the six-mile race are encouraged to wear pink.

"As a visible reminder to Saint Francis that they mean everything in the world to us,” McCollam said.

For cyclists, Tulsa Tough takes on a new meaning.

"The race is an even bigger deal and it's more special to the people that live in the city of Tulsa this year,” said cyclist Conner Bender.

Bender and Harrison McClure are riding in the century race tomorrow for the first time. They've been training for months but say it's about the experience along the way.

"Getting to see all of Green Country on the seat of a bike is what I'm most excited about. And just the beautiful Tulsa scenery and nature,” McClure said.

Cunningham is riding with the Divas, a women's cycling group.

She says her motivation comes from the friendships by her side and cheers from the sidelines.

"So whatever you normally can do, you can do like 20 more miles because the energy that you feed off of other people is undeniable,” Cunningham said.

You can catch Tulsa Tough races starting Friday afternoon until Sunday.