Tag Archive | "Oklahoma"

OKC Marathon_Half Marathon Medals 2014

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon & Half Marathon Medals (2014)

These are the finisher’s medal for the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon/Half Marathon that was held on April 27, 2014 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

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[Medal photo submitted by Daniel Butler.  Follow him on Twitter @RunDanRun26]

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State by State Ultra/Marathon/Half Marathon Medals Library

State by State Ultra/Marathon/Half Marathon Medals Library

Here is a massive indexed state-by-state library of all of the marathon, half-marathon, and ultramarathon medals (and more) we’ve received over the past four years.

Enjoy and be sure to Tweet us your medals @runitfast on Twitter or email them in to us.

United States

 

Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Hampshire
  • None
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
North Dakota
  • None
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
  • None
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
Washington D.C.
West Virginia

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Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon Medal 2013

Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon Medal (2013)

This is the finisher’s medal for the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon that was held on April 28, 2013 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Very nice medal. Here is a view of the beautiful back of the medal:

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[medal photo submitted by Carie Tagorda.]

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Oklahoma Aquarium Half Marathon Medal 2013

Oklahoma Aquarium Run Half Marathon Medal (2013)

This is the fun medal the finishers of the Oklahoma Aquarium Run Half Marthon received on April 6, 2013 in Jenks, Oklahoma.

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[Medal submitted by NaomiPipes. Follow on on Twitter @NaomiPipes]

 

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Snake Run 6 Hour Medal 2013

6 Hour Snake Run Medal (2013)

This is the medal for the 6 Hour Snake Run that was held on March 17, 2013 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Love the snake!

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[medal photo submitted by RIF #251 Josh Faulkner. Follow him on Twitter  @joshjfaulkner]

 

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A2A Half Marathon Medal 2013_joshjfaulkner

A2A Half Marathon Medal (2013)

 

This is the medal for the Arbuckles to Ardmore Race for Mercy A2A Half Marathon that was held on March 3, 2013 in Ardmore, Oklahoma.

Here is another view of the medal along with the bib and sticker:

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[Medal photos submitted by joshjfaulkern, follow him on Instagram @joshjfaulkner and by tobykeithweaver, follow him on Instagram @tobykeithweaver]

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Route 66 Marathon Medal 2012

Route 66 Marathon Medal (2012)

This is the medal for the Williams Route 66 Marathon that was held on November 18, 2012 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

This is the Marathon Maniac version of the medal. Besides the regular version and this one, there is also one for the 50 States Marathon Club. The silver coin is from the Center of the Universe Detour which adds an extra .3 miles to the marathon.

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[Medal photo submitted by RIF #40 Scott Stader.  Follow him on Twitter @scottstader]

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redbudemergencyroom

Catching Up With Amy Petty – Marathoner!

In March, we brought you the amazing story of Amy Petty who not only survived being trapped in the rubble of the Federal building during the Oklahoma City bombings but who also lost 200 pounds to make life better for herself and her son. You can read the story here:

RELATEDOKC Bombing Survivor Amy Petty’s Inspirational Story

When we last talked with Amy, she was training for her first marathon – The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon which took place this past weekend on April 29, 2012. I thought I would check in with her and see how her first marathon went. As it turns out, fate threw her yet another curve!

 A couple of weeks before the marathon, Amy was riding in the Redbud Classic 50 Mile Ride when she was hit by a tandem bike. She was knocked unconcious and didn’t wake up until she was in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Luckily, she didn’t break anything but had major road rash and injured her knee. Her knee was giving her trouble after the accident and she was afraid she wouldn’t be able to run but when I talked to her a few days before the marathon she said was feeling great. Ever the positive spirit, she said “Ah the challenges…when I cross that finish line I will know for a fact that I can do anything I set my mind to despite the obstacles!!!” No way was she going to let a little bike accident stop her!

I’m happy to report that Amy completed her first marathon in 6 hours and 30 minutes and she is now a marathoner! Amy was kind enough to answer a few more questions for me about her experience that day.

RIF: How did you feel before the start?

Amy: I was excited and nervous at the start.  I lined up with 27,000 other friends that I didn’t know yet.  The energy was awesome.  And then….to hear 27,000 go completely silent when we have the 168 seconds of silence to honor the lives of the 168 people killed….eerie.  – I cried like a baby.

RIF: Did you ever feel like stopping or was it just one foot in front of the other?

Amy: I sailed along on a total runners high until mile 10.6.  Then my left knee, the one that hit the pavement the hardest in my cycling accident two weeks ago, started giving me trouble.  I began limping at a pace of 17 minutes a mile.  3 power walkers passed me up.  I was devastated.  I had spent months training and was on track for a 5:30 finish time.  I watched between mile 10.6 and mile 17 as it slipped away.  At mile 17 I stopped to pee.  Big mistake.  When I opened the porta-potty door there were two medics there.  Does that tell you how bad I looked?  They were waiting for me and started talking to me about pulling off the course.  I asked if there was a medic tent nearby where I could get my knee wrapped up.  They escorted me to the tent and they wrapped the knee and tried to talk me into pulling off the course.  I said I was going to finish if I had to crawl.  Then suddenly a cyclist friend of mine showed up beside me and made me start talking to her.  A stranger gave me what I hope was Advil and by mile 19 I was doing a 12ish minute pace which I held until the very end.

 It was so enlightening to me.  Here I thought I had it all planned out but things went differently.  Isn’t that life?  I thought my life was all planned out too but suddenly at age 45 I’m single.  Well guess what – when push comes to shove you find out what you are made of and you dig deep and somehow rally yourself to finish strong regardless of past regrets or failures.  

 When I turned the last corner I saw my coach Mark Bravo and he told me that Camille Herron (who is one of the coolest elite runners ever) had won and broken the female record in the state.  I had been rooting for her and was thrilled.  He said she was waiting at the finish line to see me!!!  Bless her heart!  She finished in like 2:40something and I looked at the clock ahead and realized I was going to finish in 6 ½ hours…..the same amount of time that I was buried alive on April 19, 1995.  Somehow it seemed fitting. The finish line couldn’t have been more special regardless of my pace!  But hey….I sure did set myself up for an easy PR for next year! 

Amy, Mark Bravo & Camille Herron

RIF: How did you celebrate after the marathon?

Amy: I got a little ripped off on the celebration part because my aging body revolted against me and I ended up sucking down Advil and taking it easy.  However, I was able to visit my nieces party for just a bit with some of the other runners and that made me feel like I was one of the “cool kids”!

Congratulations on your first marathon Amy! I hope you got that celebration & partied like a rock star!

I don’t know about you but I think Amy is definitely one of the “cool kids”. Amy pushed past her limits on Sunday and she pushed herself to not only finish but to Run It Fast in those last miles! Once again, she proved that a positive spirit, the will to succeed, a sense of humor, and determination can help you overcome incredible odds! I think that’s very cool.

Amy Petty Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Finish

[photos and video provided by Amy Petty]

 

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Oklahoma City Half Marathon Medal and Ribbon – 2012

Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon Medal (2012)

Here is the finisher’s medal from the Oklahoma City Memorial Half Marathon that took place on April 28, 2012 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

It’s a beautiful, peaceful, and serene medal that pays homage to the memory of those who lost their lives in the OKC bombings seventeen years ago with the image of The Survivor Tree elm.

RELATED: OKC Bombing Survivor Amy Petty’s Inspirational Story

MORE PHOTOS OF MARATHON/ULTRA MEDALS AND BUCKLES

[Submitted by Michelle Kennemer. Follow her on Twitter @Rnrgrltx]

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200_lbs

Catching Up With Amy Petty – Her Inspiring Story

Amy - before and during Little Rock

Amy Petty is running her first marathon on April 29, 2012. Every runner’s first marathon is special to them but this one holds deep meaning for Amy. You see, she is a survivor and this marathon will allow her to celebrate her life and the lives of 18 friends and coworkers.
In 1995, Amy was in the Federal building in Oklahoma City when it was bombed. She was trapped in the rubble for hours but she was one of the lucky ones. She survived. Instead of letting that dark day be a shadow over her life, she’s turned it around and come out stronger. She made the decision to LIVE that day. She’s lost 200 pounds (!!!) since then, started running, and is much healthier so she can enjoy the second chance she was given.
Amy was kind of enough to let me interview her and I have no doubt you will find her story as inspiring as I do!
***

RIF: First, let’s talk about running. When did you start running?

Amy: 2010

RIF: How many miles do you run per week?

Amy: 25 this week but 31 last week

RIF: What’s your favorite race so far?

Amy: Oklahoma City National Memorial Run to Remember

RIF: What’s your favorite race bling so far?

Amy: Little Rock Half Marathon Medal (Note: the after picture above is from the Little Rock Half which she ran on March 4th. Amy ran it in 2:24:28 and set a 47 minute PR! Congratulations Amy!!!)

RIF: What’s your favorite running moment?

Amy: I love early morning running when sky is just breaking with light.  It feels like a new day – a fresh clean start is beginning.

RIF: Now that we have the easy stuff out of the way, let’s dig a little deeper.  Why did you start running? 

Amy: Because I am a survivor of the Oklahoma City 1995 bombing I was invited to pass out medals to the finishers of the OKC National Memorial Marathon in 2009.  I didn’t have any runner friends and really didn’t have a clue about the sport so it was a brand new experience to work the finish line.  I was so moved with emotion watching all the different people; young, old, skinny, fat, able bodied, disabled, all nationalities, etc crossing the finish line.  I vowed at the finish line the following year I would run a half marathon to honor the 18 co-workers of mine who were killed in the bombing.

RIF: How did it feel in the beginning?

Amy: It was awful!!!  I could only jog for 10 seconds and then walk two minutes to recover.  I couldn’t figure out how to do it.  I immediately regretted telling everyone I was going to run to honor the loss of my friends.  I thought there could have been better ways to honor their memory and figured they were up in heaven laughing their butts off at me trying to run.

RIF: What made you keep going? Does that still drive you?

Amy: At first I kept going because of my deep personal commitment to honoring those lives lost.  I didn’t enjoy running and just had to push through.  I quit running after accomplishing the half marathon.  Then in 2011 decided I wanted to try it again.  This time I hired a coach to work with me.  Coach Mark Bravo (www.runbravo.com) was one of the best investments in running that I could have made.  I learned so much and actually began to love running not to mention dropping another 25 lbs.  I started at a 15 minute a mile pace (yes those power walkers were passing me up) and now can run 4 miles at a 10 minute a mile pace.  What drives me now is the desire to push myself farther, to keep my body in shape, and I love those endorphins!

RIF: What do you love/not love about running?

Amy: I struggle with being last or at the back of the pack on group runs. It really messes with my head to have an old guy who looks like he is barely running pass me up and then I realize that I am going even slower than he is.  I don’t let those feelings last long though, I think about all the losers still in bed that I am beating!  Better yet, I think about my former 350 lb self sitting on the couch eating ice cream and dying a slow death.  I am beating that fat girl even if I come in last.

I love the competition with myself.  I love hitting a PR!!  It seems on every long run I learn something new about myself.  I do a lot of deep thinking while I run. 

 RIF: What are your goals for 2012?

Amy: 26.2 miles at the OKC National Memorial Marathon Run to Remember!!  Then shift to cycling and ride 500 miles through the state of Oklahoma from the Texas border to the Kansas border.  Next will be the half ironman distance at the Redman Triathlon in August – YIKES! 70.3 miles….uh…what am I thinking?

RIF: If you could go back and give advice to your beginner running self, what would it be?

Amy: Invest the money in a running coach, trainer, club, or class.  If I would have done that I would have learned properly how to run/train from the beginning and would have had more emotional support.

RIF: One of your major accomplishments so far is losing 200 pounds! Congratulations! Can you tell us what the turning point for you was? When/how did you decided to lose the weight?

Amy: On April 19, 1995 at 9:02 a.m. I fell 3 floors and was buried alive under 10 feet of rubble when the bomb went off.  I was conscious the entire time and lots of time to reflect on my life and my priorities.  The rescuers had to leave me right after they found me because everyone thought there was a 2nd bomb.  I knew what was happening so I had about 45 minutes of being buried alive and waiting to die when the next bomb went off.  I made many decisions on how I would live my life if I ever made it out alive.  Losing weight was one of them.  It took a few years to get through the trauma of that day but once the darkness lifted I began tackling the different issues in my life one at a time.

RIF: How long did it take to recover from your injuries? Does the trauma of the bombing still affect you?

Amy: I was in the hospital for 8 days with severe lacerations.  My biggest physical injury was my right leg had a portion removed but the bone was still intact.  The physical injuries were nothing compared to the mental and emotional trauma.  It took a few years just to get through the worst of it.  Even now, this time of year particularly I have my moments.

RIF: I cannot even come close to imagining what that must have been/is like for you but you created something positive out of this with your weight loss. How did you go about doing it?

Amy: I did everything!  Seriously, I think if you have a destructive habit you have to be open to try whatever it takes to get yourself free.   The definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over and expecting different results.  I had tried repeatedly to lose weight and couldn’t sustain the motivation.  I was so large at 350 plus having knee issues that I couldn’t move very well.  I researched bariatric solutions and settled on a procedure called a Gastric Sleeve.  Basically they removed ¾ of my stomach so that I can’t overeat in one particular meal.  However, I can eat often and I can eat high calorie foods so I still had to apply myself to lose weight.  Unfortunately, there is no miracle cure to losing weight.  Eat less and move more is the only real answer.

RIF: Did you have a lot of support?

Amy: It was a mixed bag.  I had lots of support but then there are always those that whether they realize it or not will try and sabotage your efforts because they want you to remain the same.  Ultimately your support and drive has to come from within.

RIF: Did you get frustrated along the way? How did you deal with it?

Amy: Heck yes I got frustrated and still do!  I have 5 more lbs that I would like to lose and it is true that the last bit is the hardest.  I sometimes fall off the wagon and binge.  I hate to admit that but it’s true.  That fat girl just lurks around the corner waiting for a chance to jump back so I have to stay on it constantly.  I keep myself positive by reading books like Momentum: 77 Observations Toward A Life Well Lived written by my running coach Mark Bravo.  I constantly feed my mind with the positive. 

RIF: Can you tell us a little about the physical/mental/emotional differences you feel now versus when you weighed 350? (for example, did you have health issues that are gone or now you see yourself as an athlete where you didn’t before…that kind of thing. I don’t think people get what it’s like to be that big).

Amy: At 350 lbs I was on blood pressure medicine, had terrible knees, and severe plantar fasciitis and could barely walk.  I couldn’t fit in a booth at a restaurant, needed a seat belt extender in my car, could only shop for clothes at one store in town, couldn’t tie my shoes,  couldn’t get down on the floor to play with my son etc.

Now?  No blood pressure issues and a resting heart rate of 48!  Knees are strong and no plantar fasciitis despite the miles I run.  I can shop for clothes anywhere except for the plus size stores!  Now my son has to try and keep up with me instead of the other way around and when he give me a hug…his arms can reach all the way around me!  The best part is being able to run, ride a bike, and swim!  I was never on any team sport and never had a clue there was an inner athlete lurking inside.  It is the best part of my life now.

RIF: That is so awesome! I love what you said about the hug from your son! Ok, back to a few more questions about running and your first marathon. Why did you decide to do the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon? Do you feel the emotions of running this marathon will help carry you through it?

Amy: The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon is unlike any other marathon. It combines the intensely personal challenges of running a marathon with the emotion of a shared national tragedy. The OKC Marathon is not about runners, it is about life.  As I run this race I will see a banner for each of the 168 people killed along the race route.  I knew so many of these people and seeing their names as I run by will carry me through.  I will run celebrating my second chance at life while honoring the friends I lost.

RIF: Do you feel like your weight loss journey helped prepare you for the discipline of marathon training? Or the other way around?

Amy: Actually I think it was enduring over six hours of being buried alive and then fighting to get my life back for years afterwards that created a discipline for training and endurance.

RIF: I’m sure what you went thru was much harder than training for a marathon but what’s been the hardest part of training for you?

Amy: The first 20 mile run last Saturday was brutal.  I struggled the entire way. Let me share with you my journal entry during that run…

Mile 15: I see some people walking in front of me and I want to walk so badly but it won’t happen.  I can’t seem to control my performance but I am sure as hell not quitting or giving in.  I let myself think and remember what it was like to be buried alive, can’t see, can’t breathe, smelling that awful smell of death, knowing that I might die, having all those regrets….I really feel it and tell myself that this run pales in comparison to what I have already been through.  How I would have traded this day for that day in a heartbeat.  I pick up the pace.

RIF: What has the best part of training been?

Amy: I can best answer this by sharing my journal on the first training run we had this year that actually was on part of the marathon route…..

Mile 2.5: I see Presbyterian Hospital ahead.  Such a powerful emotion for me to see this hospital because 17 years ago this April 19th I spend eight days there recovering my my injuries after falling three floors in the Murrah Building and being trapped in the rubble for over six hours.  I remember looking out of the window that I am now gazing up at; and seeing all the cars on Lincoln with their headlights on in the middle of the day to show their support.  I found out 18 of my 33 co workers were killed while in that hospital.  The emotion is overwhelming and I look down to see I am running a 9 minute mile.  I am NOT a victim anymore. 

RIF: Finally, is there anything else you would like to share with our readers that you’ve learned from running, your weight loss, or surviving the bombing?

Amy: The biggest lesson I have learned through all of this is that we can’t always control what happens to us.  Life is not fair sometimes. But the one thing we can control is how we choose to respond to it and that truly is what makes the difference.

Amy Petty

***

Amy’s story is in incredible one of hard work, perseverence and hope. I am sure that her friends are watching her from heaven with big grins on their faces because they are happy and proud of what she has accomplished! She is absolutely correct that how we look at things really makes a difference. Whatever big “thing” you have on the horizon – whether it’s recovering from a tragedy, losing weight, or training for a marathon/ultra…or all of the above as in Amy’s case – our mental attitude will play a big part in that journey. A positive attitude makes the path a little smoother. I hope you have been inspired by Amy to make that one small (or BIG) change you’ve wanted to make in your life! Don’t wait for a second chance. Make that change now.

Thank you for sharing your story with our readers, Amy. Run It Fast wishes you the best of luck for the Oklahoma City Memorial and don’t forget…Run It Fast!

Amy exemplifies the Run It Fast attitude. Run It Fast is about leaving your comfort zone and trying new things, pushing your limits, boundaries, and being the best you can be, whether it be in running or in life.

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