"Running is the new gravel."

The Mid South 50k Run course is a perennial route for The Mid South. As such, we're running it again in 2023. Below are some words from local superstar runner and promoter of the Orange Dirt Trail Series, Larin Davis. The route is too good to change, so is this write-up from 2022.

The MidSouth 50K starts in the heart of picturesque Stillwater, Oklahoma on the corner of Husband and 7th street right outside District Bicycles. A quick right will set you off at a swift pace down main street and towards the edge of town. Just as you start to ask yourself “...is this actually a gravel race?” you make a quick right and head down into the floodplain that will guide you to those glorious country roads. After a few more winding turns you quickly find yourself passing the city limits sign. And there it is. Nothing but gravel and red dirt caressed in oak trees older than you. Here it begins, the most challenging yet rewarding course you’ll find this side of the Arkansas River. When you take that first step onto the lands of the Osage, Kiowa, O-ga-xpa, and Kickapoo you will find yourself blown away. Both figuratively and literally. The beauty will astound you and the winds will have you working twice as hard up the next hill. After a couple miles of climbing you will be greeted with another right turn and a relatively flat mile before the hills return to eat your lunch. Once you settle into the eb-and-flow of the rolling countryside you’ll find yourself at – you guessed it – another right. By now the roads have turned from gravel to red dirt. If you have never stepped foot on red dirt you will soon discover that it is your favorite surface to run on. A series of lefts will take you through the body of the lollipop portion of this course. Before you know it you’re at mile 18 and ready to get your feet wet. Really wet. The Karsten Creek crossing offers breathtaking sandstone views with a side of soggy socks. Rest assured, you are now on the home stretch. A quick snack and drink will be just enough to push you back over those hills and into town where your new friends are waiting for you, beer in hand.

Larin Davis