Tulsa Run Celebrity Runners Named

By Cary Aspinwall
WorldScene Writer
Republished with permission from the Tulsa World.
2/7/2008

Mike Simons/Tulsa World file
Mayor Kathy Taylor waves to runners in the Tulsa Run on Oct. 27. Taylor will be a celebrity runner for the 2008 Tulsa Run.

Mayor Kathy Taylor and Bank of Oklahoma Senior Executive Vice President Steve Bradshaw will serve as celebrity runners for the Oct. 25 Tulsa Run, which will raise $25,000 for Family & Children's Services.

Tulsa Run will also have a new course this year, with the finish line at the soon-to-be-completed BOK Center at 200 S. Denver Ave.

Both Taylor and Bradshaw say they're excited about serving as this year's celebrity runners for the 15k race.

"My excitement is only exceeded by that of the people around me," said Bradshaw, whose boss, BOK President and CEO Stan Lybarger, served as a celebrity runner several years ago.

Bradshaw, 48, is not a runner but looks forward to training for the 15k as a new challenge.

"The last time I ran, I ran off the football field in high school," he said. "But I'm looking forward to the sense of accomplishment."

Taylor, 52, ran the Tulsa Run almost 20 years ago, but her busy schedule has kept her from exercising as much as she'd like to lately, she said. She has encouraged Tulsa residents to get fit and healthy through her Mayors' Fitness Challenge initiative, and she's excited about making time in her schedule for training for the race.

"I'm also a little competitive, so I do want to finish," she said.

As part of a new youth component this year, Taylor will lead a program with students from McClain High School for Science and Technology and Gilcrease Middle School who will train for the race.

"If kids get into the habit of exercising at an early age, it helps them build healthy habits for life," Taylor said.

Mayors Fitness Challenge

Join others in an effort to be healthy and get fit! Check out www.mayorsfitnesschallenge.com for great fitness tips, healthy snacks and recipes, informative links, trail maps, and much more.