Summer doesn’t truly begin until Tulsa Tough weekend: equal parts race, block party, and citywide family reunion, where upwards of 50,000 Tulsans come out to sweat, cheer, and spill beer over the barricades as professional cyclists whip by in a blur.
Tulsa Tough started as a ragtag cycling race in a downtown that wasn’t on anyone’s radar, says Executive Director Malcolm McCollam. “People thought there were tumbleweeds blowing through the streets of downtown,” he recalls. “There was a desire to do something that created a different image of Tulsa to the outside world to combat that image that we were nothing but flyover country.” Now Tulsa Tough has evolved into an internationally recognized cycling festival that draws athletes from all over the United States to T-Town. On the first weekend of every June, those streets vibrate with energy as cyclists and spectators flood the asphalt.
Tulsa Tough has come a long way since its founding in 2005, boasting new categories, new races, and an unquantifiable amount of glitter and beer. Thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic, which forced Tough to cancel races in 2020, this year’s event marks its 19th anniversary, not its 20th. That milestone will happen next year, coinciding with the centennial of Route 66.
Still, there’s plenty that’s new for 2025. Here’s a rundown of where to watch each day, what’s been added, and what to know before you go. And of course, if you really plan on celebrating, don’t forget to #TakeMondayOff.
Where and When to Watch all Weekend