had made a big push to make sure women had a place in a field that is predominantly comprised of middle-aged white men .
But one barrier remained : the name .
After moving from Kansas to Stillwater to open District Bicycles , Bobby said he had never even heard of the historic Land Run .
“ Without knowing anything about what occurred in 1889 , I ignorantly named our event after the ‘ Land Run ’ the opening of the ‘ Unassigned Lands ’ to settlement ,” he said . “ Signs all over Stillwater speak of the Land Run of 1889 , with one of them celebrating that this is ‘ Where Oklahoma Began .’”
Naming the race after a historic event seemed like a no-brainer , but after intentional conversations and doing some homework , Bobby began to realize there was something very wrong .
“ The Land Run was one very public event in the long history of the US government displacing indigenous people ,” Bobby said . “ I ’ m working on learning about this history of genocide and the removal of Natives from this land we call home , and will be for a long time , but I know enough now to know that naming our race ‘ Land Run ’ was a mistake . I am by no means an expert on our nation ’ s history
Iron Monk Brewing Company . Plus , it ’ s geographically accurate : Oklahoma is in the middle of the United States , and a little bit south .
The Mid South wouldn ’ t happen just anywhere . The event organizers know that without the unique sense of community that Stillwater exudes , not to mention the red dirt roads in Payne County , the race just wouldn ’ t be the same .
Despite having more than 3,000 participants registered for the race , 2020 had different plans . Cold rain teamed up with the threat of a global pandemic to quell numbers at the start line , but it didn ’ t crush the soul of the event and those who participated .
Everyone who stepped up to the start line got a taste of the Oklahoma spirit on that cold , wet day in March , and it grew . Elbow taps replaced hugs and enthusiastic waves stepped in for high-fives , strangers encouraged each other as they slogged through the last few miles of a challenging course made even more difficult by the sticky red mud , and spectators waited well after dark for the last riders to roll in .
The event organizers know that without the unique sense of community that Stillwater exudes the race just wouldn ’ t be the same .
17 and I am overwhelmed by what I have learned so far … It was never the goal for the race to be tied directly to the actual Land Run that opened settlement to non-Native Americans in Oklahoma . We didn ’ t intend to celebrate or reenact those events . Nevertheless , the name did immediately connect us to its history , and for that we are sorry .”
So , on Dec . 31 , 2019 , Land Run 100 died , and The Mid South was born .
Like a phoenix rising from the ashes of its former self , The Mid South wasn ’ t really different .
“‘ The Mid South ’ is a name that we can give our own definition to through our experiences on these deeply red roads ,” Bobby said . “ This new name is an evolution of all the ways this event has changed over the last seven years . To me , The Mid South represents everything we ’ ve wanted to share since realizing how ridiculously good these roads are . This is our party . This is our place and time to be ourselves and to continue to invite others to join us . The Mid South is a place to get rowdy , to race , to finish and to celebrate .”
The new name wasn ’ t really new . It had been around since the first year , when Bobby posted an Instagram photo with # midsouthgravel , and gained popularity with the first batch of The Mid South IPA from
As The Mid South crew gears up for the 2021 race , things look a little different : event plans don ’ t include a party at Iron Monk or live music at the finish line ; participants will be required to wear masks at the start line and when in proximity to others , and Bobby won ’ t be hugging every finisher when they run , ride or walk across the line .
But one thing isn ’ t changing . The spirit of the race remains . It ’ s the spirit that pushes people to do hard things they never thought were possible , the spirit that turns strangers into friends , the spirit that connects people from across the world to the red dirt roads in Payne County , that makes The Mid South great .
Story by Sally Turner Photo courtesy 241 Photography
COMMERCE | 2021 Profile Magazine of the Stillwater Chamber of Commerce