Tallchief Open Water Challenge – Race Recap and Review 

Quick Facts:

• Distances: ¼ mile, ½ mile, 1 mile, 2 mile, 3mile

• Location: Tall chief Lake, Zink Ranch (privately owned)

• Host: Tulsa Masters Swim Club

• COST: $38.00 all distances

• Benefits: Girl Scouts of Eastern Oklahoma, Camp Tallchief Scholarship Fund and Tulsa Masters Swim Club.

• Max participants: 150 swimmers total

• Date: End of September

 


What you really want to know!

• Swag: Race cap (colored for your event), tee shirt, medal

• Post race food: They offer a post race pancake breakfast complete with fruit, sausage and turkey sausage, coffee, juice and all the best fixins’…chocolate chips, peanut butter, powdered sugar!!!

• Awards: The 1st, 2nd, 3rd place awards for each event are pretty sweet too…I forgot to take a picture but they are a bronze turtle statue…its legit…you’ll just have to believe me.

My favorite things!

​1. Beautiful camp, beautiful lake, warm water!

​2. Very organized (it’s nice if it’s your first time doing an open water ​swim. Its small and easy to ask questions through email if you need).

​3. Best post race food I’ve had. Plus you eat at the lodge that looks ​over the lake. It’s a beautiful view and fun to take pictures from!

​4. Showers post race!

​5. Gracious race director – I actually showered and left my swimsuit, ​favorite Nike shorts and tee shirt in the shower house. When I ​emailed her about them and offered to pay for returned shipping she ​had already washed them and had them in ​the mail to me (free of ​charge) within the week! I was blown away! Definitely makes me ​want to go back!

 

Again, this is a great race if you’re a newbie to triathlons and want a small open water experience. Don’t get me wrong, there are fast swimmers, but being small and only a swim makes it a fun, low-pressure event! I’ve enjoyed it both years (as a very new and not proficient swimmer) and hope to make it back each year (hopefully just a little faster).

 

Cons: It sells out fast due to the small race cap so if you’re serious, sign up early!