24th Annual Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is about more than running — it’s about celebrating life. That’s the spirit in which the Memorial Marathon was conceptualized by two Oklahoma businessmen who, while on a morning run, created the outline for this inspiring event. The inaugural race kicked off with just shy of 5,000 participants and has grown to host more than 25,000 runners and walkers from every state and several countries. It’s been named as one of the “must-run marathons” by Runner’s World magazine. It’s also an official Boston qualifying race.

The Run to Remember brings together runners and spectators from around the world to honor those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever in the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Each race begins with 168 seconds of silence in honor of those who were killed. Along the course, runners pass by 168 banners, each representing the name of one of the bombing victims.

Six events take place throughout race weekend: Marathon, Half Marathon, 5K, 5-Person Relay Kids Marathon, and Senior Marathon. Participants in the Kids Marathon run 25 miles leading up to the weekend, then finish out the last 1.2 miles on race day.

The Health & Fitness Expo kicks off race weekend festivities. It opens on Friday for packet pick-up and runs through Saturday. The Expo is open to all and features dozens of vendors with the latest in running gear and apparel.

The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum is the sole beneficiary of Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon event proceeds. The Memorial and Museum receive no annual funding from local, state or federal government, so this event — the Memorial’s largest fundraiser — is critical for the mission to continue.