Oklahoma City Marathon

Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Communications

Ham Volunteer Registration Online Link

The Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon was organized to be a Run To Remember for those who died, those who survived, and those whose lives were changed forever, in the bombing of the Murrah Federal Building in 1995. It is usually held on the last Sunday of April each year. For 2023 that will be April 28 through April 30, 2023.

110 amateur radio operators are needed this year to cover the entire course with public service communications. We have operators that operate in all of these locations:

shadowing the race director at the Start and Finish lines
operators at each of 4 relay locations
at each of 19 medical tents on the course
net control operators
SAG vehicles
water and ice trucks
the incident command trailer
in the MASH medical tent at the finish line
in the lead vehicle for the full and half marathons
tail-end Charlie following the last runner
operators at the “kids corral” at the end of the kids’ race
radio observers along the “last mile”
operators at the Regional Emergency Operations Center in OKC
running in the race
and any other assignments that may be needed.

Volunteer registration is online, and you can sign up today. Be a part of this amateur radio community event. This will assign you to the Public Services Communications team.

Race day usually begins at about 0600 with an on-site check-in and most operators should be released by 1400. It is a very rewarding experience, to see and assist runners from all over the world.

There is a pre-brief meeting held about 2 weeks before the event where T-Shirts, credential packets (for those in the downtown area), frequency cards, and other necessary information are dispersed.

Most radio operators will need a good mobile or base unit with an external antenna. An HT with an external antenna and spare battery packs or external power supply may also work. Stay flexible and able to adapt to course changes and changes in the weather (hot, cold, rain, hail, wind, etc.) Follow the Marathon Communications Plan created by the Public Safety Communications chair.

This is the main fundraiser that supports the Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum. It usually about 1 million dollars each year. There are about 25,000 entrants each year.

The in-kind contribution of the amateur radio community is over $65,000 in volunteer time and equipment each year.