About Us

HOW WE BEGAN…

Since the 1970's, the Tulsa Running Club has worked to develop the Tulsa running community and served as a network for heath and wellness. Our goal is to provide a positive resource for local runners. We strive to support each other, with a dose of healthy competition, and grow the running community. Our members include runners of all ages, disciplines, and backgrounds. We have a broad focus, which includes the social, recreational, and competitive aspects of running.

TRC was organized in 1970. There were several people who had a hand in the club’s formation but, the main founders were: Art Wade, Jack Mandeville, and Bob Martin. The club started as a group of friends meeting at the downtown YMCA to run.

The first race in Tulsa was the Riverside Run — a 5-mile point-to-point route along what is now River Parks. The first face was June 1970, with 52 finishers. The first Tulsa Zoo Run took place the following month. In the beginning, Larry Aduddell was the only race director. Aduddell continued to organize races for the next eight years. Early races were $0.50 for members and $1.00 for non-members.

In 1979, the Tulsa Road Runners was formed. The club merged with the Tulsa Running Club in 1981. The TRC newsletter evolved into Oklahoma Runner magazine in 1984, and World Publishing Company took over the magazine.

The Tulsa Running Club is always looking to partner with like-minded companies to promote running and wellness in the Tulsa area. We have multiple ways to become engaged, which include: sponsoring social runs, volunteering opportunities, and donating to fund our collegiate scholarships. We are always open to suggestions that have worked for you in the past! Just tell us some about your company and how you'd like to be involved.

For people who would like to share their love for running and become more active in the Tulsa Running Club, we have multiple volunteer opportunities. Some of the ways you can become more involved include: volunteering at races, coordinating social events, and helping with ambassador programs.