The Six Hour Tatur Snake Run 
Are You Ready For an Adventure. Click here for more details
This unique race will be a timed run taking place on mostly flat, rock and root free, single track trails on the western side of Turkey mountain. The run will start March 8, 2008 at 9:00 am, and run until 3:00 pm. The course will head west from the old upper parking lot following some of the trails used in the Turkey and Taturs race, then north onto the Snake Trail. These are some of the smoothest and easiest trails on the "mountain". We also have taken great pains to remove all of the larger snakes from the course.
Actually, the snake trail gets its name because it winds around like a snake, not because of an infestation of slithery reptiles! You will run exactly 2 miles out, and then return and run the trail in reverse to the start/finish area.
You will pass FIVE aid stations per circuit, one at the start finish area at the upper parking lot, and one at the turnaround. You do not have to run for the entire six hours. You can run one out and back, run until you complete a half marathon, a marathon or a 50K if you're real fast. All starters who complete one out-and-back segment will receive a long sleeve T-shirt with our TATUR mascot being hotly pursued by a vicious viper! (see the picture in the top left of this page).
The above picture shows the relative smoothness of the trail. You do not need trail shoes, in fact we would recommend that you wear 
road shoes. You can choose to run a 1/4 mile out and back during the last hour for those not able to complete a full 4 mile out-and-back circuit. The winner is the one who runs for 6 hours and covers the most miles.
You can choose to run one circuit, then sleep for an hour and do another etc.
The entry fee is $20, which includes the shirt, and 2 awesome buffets of trail food and drinks. We are going to limit this race to the first 50 people who sign up. So ya better hurry if you want one of these awesome inaugural collectible T-shirts. We are only charging $20, so there are no awards, no fanfare, no belt buckles and no whining. If ya want all that, don't do this race. Smiles!!!
Click Here for Mail in Registration form (PDF). You can also register for the race at RunnersWorld Tulsa on 44th & Peoria.
Click here to see who is signed up for this race or to see how close we are to filling up!
February 2nd at 7 a.m. on Dan Little's ranch in Madill, Oklahoma
Tatur Brady Paddock scorches the marathon course and takes first place with a time of 3:22:00. Tatur Rob Philip wins the 50 miler overall with a personal best 9:15:00. This was his first run over the marathon distance. Kathy Hoover wins the womens division with a time of 10:24:00. Kathy set a PR of almost an hour with her win.
Also newsworthy is that Robin Almendares ran 18 miles in her first trail race and Charlie Willsey completed his first ultramarathon by running 30 miles!!!
From L-R:Shannon Wilson, Julie Swagerty, Jeff Childress, Monte LeBlanc, Brian Hoover, Mike Slough, Tina Williams, Miriam Howard, Jonathan Johnson, Dave Anderson, Karin Slough, Teeny LeBlanc, John Childress, Ken Childress, David James, C.J, Nels Bentson, Alexis Jones, Susan Young, Donna Bentson, Robin Hudson, Susan Dezso.
All twenty-two of us converged on the historic town of Gonzales Texas. Most of us met at RunnersWorld Tulsa at 4am and made the ten hour trip to Southern Texas.
We all stayed at the same motel in Gonzales and got to meet several of our teammates including our drivers and three great runners from Dyess Air Force Base in Abilene Texas. We went to Wal-Mart and purchased some supplies including a six pack of Shiner Bock beer which is brewed in the town of Shiner that we would be running through.
We went over some rules and strategies in the parking lot then all made the drive to the pre race pasta dinner where we met up with the Pirana team from Oklahoma City.
After loading up on spaghetti and salad we made our way back to the motel to get some much needed shut eye. The start times are staggered so that most of the teams finish around the same time. Our start was scheduled as one of the the first slots since we were not out to set any land speed records. As they sounded the canon at 6am we were off. We had two teams of nine people a piece. Our two relay teams would stay together and run in tandem. The race was 203 miles long and divided into 40 separate legs ranging from 3 miles to eight miles. We had two vans per team, one active van and one resting van.
The day started out foggy and slightly warm. We would make good time in the early morning hours before the sun broke through in the afternoon and the temps soared into the eighties. All the small Texas towns that we ran thorough clapped and cheered as we made our way through their quaint shops and Main Streets. Several towns would have tents set up where they would be out cooking sausages, chili, hamburgers and other delectables to keep us fueled up for the upcoming night time.
Most of us got little to no sleep as runners trudged their way in the dark on lonely highways with narrow shoulders. The traffic was minimal but the thought of drunk rednecks still was at the forefront of many participant's minds as we hugged the sides of the roads.
Daylight broke and the skies began to look ominous as we hoped not to get caught in a torrential downpour. It did rain some, but not enough to slow us down much. By this time some of the Taturs had already run as much as 34 miles and fatigue was beginning to set in. Town after town flashed by as our two teams drew closer and closer to the goal that we had set out to reach almost thirty hours previously. Suddenly the last set of runners could make out the distant shape of the San Jacinto monument in the horizon.
We had made it to our goal despite the fatigue, a knee injury, fog, high heat, many sleepless hours and being cooped up in a van with several other not so sweet smelling runners.
We all joined hands and crossed the finish line together as team. After several hugs and promises to stay in touch we departed ways and quickly made plans of doing another relay like this in the not so distant future.This was truly a trip of a lifetime and we made some wonderful new friends and deepened some existing friendships.
Front Row L-R Teeny LeBlanc, Tina Williams, Jeff Childress, John Childress, Jonathan Johnson, Ken Childress. Back Row L-R C.J, Miriam Howard, Nels Bentson, David James, Donna Bentson, Dave Anderson, Robin Hudson, Monte LeBlanc.
Taturs Paul "Grim Reaper" Hall and Johnny "Tatur Uno" Spriggs finish a mudfest in Kansas City Missouri. The conditions made for a memorable day. The area had recieved a heavy snowfall the week of the race. The morning greeted the 400+ runners with chilli temps with snow and ice on the ten mile loop trails. However by the second lap the temps began to rise and the snow began to melt. The trails soon became a muddy "shoe sucking" mud.
Every runner's lower torso were totally brown by the time they crossed the finish line. Most runners had to tighten up their laces to keep their shoes from being sucked off their feet in the huge mud bogs. Every one had a great time and if you have never done this fantastic race put on by the Trail Nerds and RD "Bad Ben" Holmes you are missing out.
Entrants were also treated to a fantastic long sleeve shirt, coffeemugs, huge medals, and a challenging course.
Dan Threlkeld looks on as Johnny Spriggs receives an award
We had a great time at the Tatur year end party!! Over thirty five Taturs joined in the fun!! The event was held inside of Studio B within the KJRH Channel 2 News building on 37th & Peoria. I hate to say that this spread of food that was laid out had to ruin a few New Years' resolutions!!! We had chopped brisket, potato salad & bbq beans from Elmers BBQ. We had potato casserole, over 15 different desserts, snacks, cookies, sodas and other delectable items. The studio tables were decorated with tree limbs which were very hard to find in Tulsa. (humor).
After socializing and stuffing our faces we watched a Power Point slide show of pictures that the Taturs sent in and some that Dan T. swiped off of various sites. Then we presented the five Silver Spud awards that Dan had made. The five recipients of the awards were: Johnny Spriggs for the Most Tired Feet Award, Terriann VanDeventer for the Rookie of the Year Award, Randy Ellis for the Best Performance of the Year Award, Kathy Hoover won the Tatur of the Year Award, and last but not least Charlotte Lindley won the most Inspirational Tatur Award.
Others in attendance were: Dave and Marilyn Sargent, Ken and Dana Childress, Dan and Brian Threlkeld, Christy Bullard, Todd and Cadan Masters, Charlotte Lindly, Susan Young, Randy and Marcy Ellis, Joe Hartl, Bobby and Susan Michaels, Steve Huhn, Charlie Willsey, Robin Almendares, David Clear, Johnny Spriggs, Diana Snyder, Doug Massey, Alex Eaton, Whitney Brown, Steve Lee, Denise Smart, Mark, Cameron and Brandon Plate, Tom and Julie Dorothy, Terriann VanDeventer, Keith Landers, and Brian and Kathy Hoover
Charlotte Lindley receives her Inspirational Tatur of the Year Award.
On December 8th 2007 Charlotte along with about 20 other Taturs ventured south to do a 50 Mile/50K race called Sunmart. This race is located just north of Houston in Huntsville State Park. Several of us did the 50K race and the rest opted to do the 50 miler. The race is held in December to avoid the summer and fall heat & humidity that often smothers southern Texas. This year Mother Nature had a little surprise in store for the tougher than nails ultra runners. The start time temperature was in the high 70's and soared into the mid 80's by noon. Several runners experienced cramping, dehydration, nausea, vomiting, and other symptoms due to the excessive heat and humidity.
Charlotte was one of the fifty milers and struggled the 12 miles but finished just after nightfall. She did not eat or drink much after the race and rode back to Tulsa with a friend and arrived home in the early morning hours. She was fixing herself some tea when she felt faint and passed out and hit her head on a corner wall. Charlotte was taken to the hospital where doctors told her that she passed out due to dehydration and had broken her neck!!!
Several Taturs visited her in the hospital and Charlotte kept talking about how she was going to return form this injury and resume running. She remained positive, did not lose hope and was even setting goals for herself. The surgery was successful and after more than a week she was discharged form the hospital. The first thing Charlotte did was to force herself to stay mobile and as of the Tatur Party she is now up to walking three and a half miles!!!!
Charlotte will continue to progress and soon will be back to running long distances and continuing her adventurous ways. Charlotte's determination and will on her road to recovery serves as an inspiration to all of us and also reminds us how important hydration is with the sport of ultra running. For this Charlotte is our Inspirational Tatur of the Year!!!
That's right!!! It is that time again. TAT (Tulsa Area Triathletes) and TATUR proudly present the Second Annual Polar Bear Plunge. 2008 promises more crazy participants, (some of whom even may cross-dress) more fun and even a new event called the 300 Meter Arkansas River Scramble. Taturs Scott and Kathy Ostrem came up with this great idea to get Tulsa area athletes together in a setting conducive to laughing at each other and themselves. There is no fee for this event!!! It is becoming a Tulsa tradition to compete in the Race Into the New Years 5K on New Years Eve, then frolic in the Polar Bear Plunge the next day.
Last year we dozens of brave souls, including KJRH Channel 2's Chief Meteorologist and TATUR Dan Threlkeld, who showed up to brave the chilly weather and water to watch a hilarious spectacle as the participants frolicked in the knee deep water. Several TATUR members stole their wives bikinis, lingerie and showed off their goods. One TATUR even wore a Baby-New Year Diaper. Even if you are too SANE to participate, at least come down and cheer or even laugh at all the crazy's who brave the frigid waters.
We will have hot coffee, hot chocolate and even a $50 prize the best costume. Other awards will be presented for coldest polar bear, fastest polar bear, oldest/youngest polar bear,whiniest polar bear, most enthusiastic polar bear, plus a few other categories. Bring the kids dogs and friends and come enjoy the fun.
The “plunge”is a full body dunk in the river. The “river scramble”is running race in the river (no deeper than chest level), approximately 300 meters in length. Life jackets are recommended for the river scramble. Click here for a PDF more information on this great event. If you have questions or would like to become a sponsor of this event: Call Scott or Kathy Ostrem, 918-582-6525 (home) or email brian@tatur.org
There truly is no better way to ring in the New Year. Also, don't forget to sign up for the
Race Into the New Year 5K which starts at 11:45 pm on New Years Eve at 41st & Riverside. Click here for race application.