Published December 30, 2019 07:43AM
Land Run 100 to rebrand as 'The Mid South'
Oklahoma gravel race to change name in bid to bring awareness to oppression faced by minority groups.
Oklahoma's The Mid South is viewed by many as the kick-off race of a Midwestern gravel season. Photo: 241 Photography
Land Run 100 is to change its name in 2020. The Oklahoma gravel race will now operate as The Mid South.
A release from the race organizers, Monday, stated that the change was part of a bid to “bring awareness to the oppression that minority groups face.”
“In 2012, when a small group of us built our first 100-mile course and I named the event, I was completely unaware of the history behind the original Land Run of 1889,” said race director Bobby Wintle. “I was unaware that name held negative connotations for many still living today. With this awareness, we can no longer continue with the name Land Run 100 and we have made the decision to continue under the new name, The Mid South.”
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The Land Run 100 has come to be regarded as one of the must-do openers of the gravel season. The event runs through the red clay roads of Oklahoma and has frequently been raced in cool, muddy conditions, adding a further test to its 100-mile distance.
The Mid South has confirmed that existing entries for Land Run 2020 are still valid, and that nothing will change about the event except the name itself.