as questions come up,
we will answer them here

read the rules first. several questions are answered there.

Q. do i need a crew to do this race?

A. you are not required to have a crew. you can complete this race solo. you will need to carry fluid and possibly some calories between aid stations, but you can make it if you are prepared and trained to do it that way. that said, we highly recommend a crew. you will have more fun, be safer, and have a better chance of finishing if you do. we find that 2 to 4 people in 1 or 2 vehicles can easily crew for up to 4 people if they are not running at extremely different paces. last time the crews that were there helped everyone out, so even if you don’t have a crew, you will probably get help whenever you need it.

Q. we are coming from out of town. where should we fly into?

A. Tulsa International Airport. the race will center around Catoosa which is a ne suburb kind of area to Tulsa. the Hampton Inn in Catoosa will be our base of operations and the finish line will be right across the street at the Catoosa high school track.

Q. where and when is packet pickup, and is there a mandatory pre-race meeting?

A. packet pick-up will be friday afternoon and evening at the Hampton Inn in Catoosa.

there is no mandatory pre-race meeting. everything you need to know will be in your runner handbook (which you get at packet pick-up.)

everyone must pick up their timing chip at the start line on saturday morning before 8:30 am.

Q. will there be an initial weigh in?

A. yes. you can weigh in at packet pick-up on friday or before the race on saturday. there will be mandatory weight checkpoints. at mandatory weight checkpoints every runner must be weighed before hydrating. weight loss of 6% (of check-in weight) will result in a warning and the runner will be observed before continuing. weight loss of 7% will result in disqualification.

Q. what about aid stations and bag drops, where will they be?

A. TBD

Q. how do i get to the start on saturday morning?

A. there are at least two possible answers:

a. if you have a crew:

we suggest staying in Tulsa (we have a special rate at the Hampton Inn) on Friday night and then driving to Baxter Springs, KS on Saturday morning. it takes about 1.5 hours to drive it. then your crew can work their way back to Tulsa as you complete the race. you can also come to packet pick-up at the Hampton Inn friday afternoon then drive on up to either Miami, OK or Joplin, MO (we have special rates at the Hampton Inn in both places) to be closer to the start on saturday morning.

b. if you do not have a crew:

there will be transportation available from Tulsa to Baxter Springs on Saturday morning. the bus will leave the Catoosa high school at 7:00am sharp. you will be able to safely park and leave your vehicle there. the bus will arrive in Baxter Springs by 8:30 so you will be able to pick up your chip, drop your bags and get to the start line. if you drop out during the race the sag vehicles will all return to Catoosa.

c. you are insane and/or and animal:

you can stay in tulsa, run to kansas on friday and then run back on saturday. we do not recommend this option.

Q. where should we stay while we are in oklahoma for the mother road?

A. We have special rates at the Hampton Inn in Catoosa, Miami and Joplin, MO.

Q. why route 66 on november 13 starting near the kansas state line and finishing near tulsa?

A. on november 11, 1926 “route 66″ was designated as u.s. 66. 80 years later, on saturday, november 11, 2006 we ran the mother road 100 from arcadia to sapulpa (okc to tulsa) on the oldest alignment of route 66 we could follow. everyone had a really great time. everyone wanted us to do it again. so we did. everyone had a great time doing part 2, so we are doing it one more time. this time though we are going to run the eastern part of the state. we don’t know what it is yet, but there is going to be something special for those who have done all three.

Q. what will the weather be like?

A. if i could tell you what the weather was going to be a year from now, i would be the most in demand weather man on the planet. however, i can tell you what the weather has averaged for that time of year

Q. what is the course like? is it all pavement? is some of it dirt? is there a shoulder? are there hills?

A. you get the idea. the course is mostly a state highway. most of it is paved. there is a lot of variation of the shoulder, sometimes it is dirt, sometimes it is grass, sometimes narrow, sometimes it is not there at all.

the course will be well marked with white chalk paint in both the mark below and large arrows at turns. additionally, there will be some upright signs to help the crews follow the course.

this is what the course marks look like:

Q. can i have someone pace me during the run? if so, when can they start?

A. yes, you may have a pacer. we really don’t care when they start pacing you, but we need to reduce the congestion at the start of the race, so let’s agree to not have pacers start until at least 30 miles into it (around afton). there is no charge for a pacer to run. they can eat and drink at the aid stations, but they do not get a goodie bag, finisher’s items, official time, etc. they are officially on the course, but they are not entered. pacers must sign a waiver and wear the pacer bib with your number on it.

Q. will there be finishers awards, shirts, swag—you know, free stuff?

A. yes there will. and lots of it. we set the bar pretty high with the first two editions, and we intend to exceed that standard this time. you get a real piece of the mother road, and if you finish you get a custom belt buckle! you will get an event shirt (cotton) and a finisher shirt (tech fabric) with the names of all those who complete the distance on it.

Q. i’m new to this ultra stuff, but i want to do this event. where can i get info on training, preparation, etc?

A. the best place we know of to get your questions answered is: www.run100s.com.