Runners Converge In Downtown Tulsa For Route 66 Marathon

Over 10,000 people got to run all over iconic areas in Tulsa Sunday for the annual Route 66 Marathon. Participants traveled from around the world to traverse the streets of Tulsa.

The Route 66 marathon is a Boston-qualifying race that is 26.2 miles. Christian Medina, the executive director of Course for Change, helped prepare 26 kids for the half marathon. Course for Change is a nonprofit in Oklahoma City that serves at-risk youth through a mentorship program. Every student who ran alongside Medina and the other mentors received a free pair of running shoes to make sure they were well-equipped. Medina says running is a unique tool that both mental and physical health.

"We're just out here to empower and mentor at-risk youth and just show them through running what they can overcome and what they can accomplish," Medina said.

Organizers say the marathon was founded to bring a big athletic event to the city that could show what Tulsa has to offer. This year, there is a new course for the marathon where runners will get to make their way through Riverpark’s Trails and Midland Valley trails.

"We always have quite a party out there so all of our runners know that Tulsa turns out and shows up in a big way,” Green said.

Carol Peralta is one of the students in the Course for Change mentorship program and she says she feels the organization has helped motivate her. She says the groups help train them for the different races and pushes them to reach the goal of finishing each marathon.

"I wanted to find a good youth group where I could be athletic with them and help each other out whenever were in trouble and I just wanted to be a part of something like that and Course for Change is something like that," Peralta said.

The Route 66 Marathon, Half Marathon, Marathon Relay kicked off in Downtown Tulsa.