Downtown Tulsa shuts down its streets for a Halloween morning tradition this Saturday, Oct. 31, as the 49th annual TTCU Tulsa Run brings thousands of runners and walkers through the 2K, 5K, 15K and Double races. Costumes are encouraged across every distance, and organizers say only limited spots remain in the 15K and the Double, which combines the 15K with the 5K.
The race starts near Third Street and Boston Avenue and finishes on Boston Avenue, according to News On 6. Packet pickup runs Thursday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., with race-day pickup also available, the station reports. According to event organizers, pickup will take place at VFW Post 577, 1109 E. 6th Street.
A Nearly Five-Decade Tradition Keeps Growing
The Tulsa Run traces back to 1978, when just over 1,000 runners turned out for the inaugural race, and the event has since recorded more than 150,000 15K finishers over the years, per organizers. The race remains one of the city's longest-running community celebrations, drawing participants of all ages and abilities, as KTUL reported ahead of last year's 48th edition. This year's Halloween theme carries through to the finisher medals, where each distance features a different costumed version of the event's Running Man mascot, according to a release detailed by rrm.com.
Race organizers are also leaning into the holiday spirit by encouraging costumes across every distance, the same release notes. The event has become something of a Halloween-morning ritual for downtown Tulsa, folding trick-or-treat energy into a long-standing fitness tradition that predates most of its current participants.
Conflicting Signals on the Course and Start Times
Organizers say the 2026 15K course required adjustments because of construction along portions of the originally planned route, and that the updated course has since completed the official certification process, per the event's own posted information. A separate event announcement, however, states that the 2026 courses will remain unchanged from last year — a discrepancy that has not been resolved between the two sources.
Start times carry a similar conflict. News On 6 reported that one race is scheduled to begin at 7:20 a.m. while another starts at 8:30 a.m., but the City of Tulsa's own calendar of special events lists the 5K at 7:30 a.m., the 2K at 8 a.m. and the 15K at 8:30 a.m. Runners are encouraged to confirm their specific wave time before heading downtown Saturday morning.
Street Closures and Weather Plans
City records show staging areas will be closed from 6 a.m. Friday through 3 p.m. Saturday, while the racecourse itself will be shut down from 6:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on race day, according to the City of Tulsa's calendar of special events. The city council's own agenda separately listed the Tulsa Run as a special event scheduled for Saturday, starting at 300 S. Boston Ave.
Organizers say the race is planned to go on rain or shine, though lightning or other dangerous weather could still affect race-day decisions, per News On 6's reporting. That contingency planning is standard for an outdoor fall event of this size, even as the course logistics themselves remain only partially settled in public materials.
Volunteers Still Needed at Water Stops
With race day fast approaching, organizers say they still need volunteers, particularly at water stops along the course. The event lists volunteer positions on its own website for anyone interested in helping out before Saturday's start.
For runners still hoping to join, News On 6 notes that only limited spots remain in the 15K and Double events, while the 2K and 5K appear to have more room. Whether watching from the sidewalk or lining up at the start near Third and Boston, Tulsa's Halloween morning tradition is set to fill downtown streets once again this weekend.
