10th Anniversary Oklahoma City
Memorial Marathon

April 25, 2010

Copyright © 2010 Rodney Chang.  All Rights Reserved


Assembling for the start at 6:30 am; at the Memorial site on N. Robinson Avenue; cold lower 50s with blistering 10-15 mph gusts;
walking the 5 blocks from my hotel to the Start, I never shivered so hard (even in much colder weather), in fact shook most of
the coffee from its foam cup, never able to get it into my mouth without spilling most of it all over my shirt!

 

 

 

Many attended the earlier 5:30 am service for the Oklahoma City bombing 15th  anniversary

 

 

 

And we're off!  Announcer declares 21,000 (up from 17,000 in 2009)  runners, of which 2,600 are full marathoners

 

 

 

We pass the Ford Center which I could see from my 11th floor south facing room (Suite 1111) at the Colcord Hotel.
The night before there was a playoff game between the Thunder and the Lakers which the home team won, making the
series at the time 2-2.  Could feel the hometown spirit in the air in this new NBA playoff city! 

 

 

 

Entering Brickton area

 

 

 

Nice early morning shot of the city skyline

 

 

 

Crossing over on an overpass bridge

 

 

 

lst aid station

 

 

 

2 miles 

 

 

 

University of Oklahoma medical center (I attended U.O. for a summer session long ago; 
so I was a Sooner for a short duration in my life)

 

 

 

 

 

 

See these oil pumping rigs all over the place.  Cabbies relay that Oklahoma City doing better
than most other American cities due strength of oil and gas industries; also having the Federal
Aviation Administration's airport tower training center in Oklahoma City strengthens the local economy

 

 

3 mile mark just before the state capitol

 

 

 

An photo opportunity : Hawaiian visits Oklahoma state capitol grounds

 

 

 

Jim Thorpe - an athlete of the twentieth century, known for his ability in several sports. A Native American,
 he was a leading college football player and also the best performer in track and field events 
at the 1912 Olympic Games.  Jim Thorpe was born in 1887 in Oklahoma Territory. He grew up in 
Native American tribes.  The names of the tribes are the Sauk and Fox.

 

 

 

The bronze figure on the top of the capitol's dome is of a Seminole Indian.
About the capitol- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oklahoma_State_Capitol
The state capitol campus is famous for oil wells being located there and remains today as
 the only state capitol grounds in the United States with active oil rigs

 

 

 

Let's later go fishing!

 

 

 

Great shot of the activity at an aid station situated above an inclined slope

 

 

 

Oklahoma National Guard Armory

 

 

 

We run under a freeway to get to -

 

 

 

- the entry of Jefferson Park

 

 

 

- in which the 5 mile mark is passed

 

 

 

I am trying!!!!!

 

Keep on Running

Marathon course photo-documentation by participating runner Rodney Chang