The Land Run 100 was created in 2013 for the love of sharing amazing roads in places where cyclists haven’t been before. In late 2011, as the District Bicycles family was beginning to form, came the discovery that the rural roads surrounding Stillwater, OK offered virtually limitless potential for gravel cycling.
The first Land Run linked 107 miles of red, rutted roads and featured over 6000 ft. of climbing and Carney, OK, as its halfway point. 121 riders braved the course that first year; today entries number over 1000. Every year, the weather has been a defining characteristic of the Land Run 100. When rain falls on Oklahoma red dirt, roads become unforgiving and in some cases unrideable. Stories of ruined derailleurs and miles-long sections of hike-a-bike through “peanut butter mud” that can swallow a shoe have become staples of the Land Run experience. But even when Oklahoma gravel is hard-packed, dusty, and fast – as it is most of the year – losing yourself on these country roads can evoke strength, grit, and resolve that you never knew you possessed.
In 2018, the event embraces more riders than ever but also more than 100 runners, who have registered for the Land Run 50K. Between the bike race and the foot race, entrants will be coming from 37 states, Canada, Belgium and England.
For more information on the Land Run 100, see their many photo albums from previous races.