Saint Francis Tulsa Tough Ride and Race is a three-day cycling festival in

Tulsa, Oklahoma Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with ...

. It features non-competitive riding through scenic areas around the Tulsa Metropolitan Area and professional level races. It is held each year on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, the second weekend in June. Saint Francis Tulsa Tough attracts professional and amateur racers from across the country racing criterium style races on three different venues in the streets of

Downtown Tulsa Downtown Tulsa is an area of approximately surrounded by an inner-dispersal loop created by Interstate 244, US 64, and US 75. The area serves as Tulsa's financial and business district, and is the focus of a large initiative to draw tourism, wh ...

and along the

Arkansas River The Arkansas River is a major tributary of the Mississippi River. It generally flows to the east and southeast as it traverses the U.S. states of Colorado, Kansas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. The river's source basin lies in the western United Stat ...

. Prize money rivals the largest purses in the nation. In 2008, Tulsa Tough's women's pro races were selected by

USA Cycling USA Cycling or USAC, based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, is the national governing body for bicycle racing in the United States. It covers the disciplines of road, track, mountain bike, cyclo-cross, and BMX across all ages and ability level ...

to be on the prestigious National Racing Calendar. Based on voting by racers, race officials, and announcers, Tulsa Tough was ranked in the top 10 out of 30 NRC races in only its third year. With this proven success, the men's and women's races were again on the National Racing Calendar for 2009 and after the event were ranked in the top four among all NRC events. Saint Francis Tulsa Tough offers two days of tour rides with 50 km, 100 km, 200 km, and 100 mi options each day covering nearly 400 miles of Northeast Oklahoma hills and scenery. All routes feature

aid station An aid station is a temporary facility (often a tent, table, or general rest area) established to provide supplies to endurance event participants or medical first aid and provisions during major events, disaster response situations, or military ...

s and rolling support for riders of all sizes and abilities. Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is jointly promoted by the Tulsa Sports Commission and Tulsa Wheelmen and is supported by corporate sponsorship. Guidance for the event comes from an executive committee made up of several Tulsa-area cyclists and business people. Cry Baby Hill, the last part of the grueling River Parks Criterium race, serves as the annual finale of the Tulsa Tough race. There, Tulsans line the hill to cheer them on, chug beers and parade around in costumes. Although the event began organically with the help of Team Soundpony, it has grown to become one of the largest parties and social events in the city.

References

External links

Official website
*{{Cycling Archives race, 11841 Sports in Tulsa, Oklahoma Cycle races in the United States Recurring sporting events established in 2006 2006 establishments in Oklahoma