St. Francis

Tulsa ToughBy Holly Mayhall & Mary Mandeville

What is Tulsa Tough?“The Saint Francis Tulsa Tough is a three day cycling festival designed to promote fitness and healthy lifestyle while showcasing the beautiful city of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Tulsa Tough offers events and spectating opportunities for everyone with professional and amateur races, recreational and tour rides, live music and vendors in one action packed weekend.”-Tulsa Tough website

About Tulsa ToughStarted in 2005Developed by the Tulsa Sports Commission and Tulsa WheelmanSupported by corporate sponsorshipIn 2008, the women’s pro races were selected by USA Cycling to be on the National Racing CalendarThe men’s and women’s races are now featured on the calendar each year

RidesFeatures two days of Gran Fondo rides ranging from 24 to 127 miles. These are referred to as tour rides, showcasing Oklahoma’s beautiful landscapes.

Saturday Gran FondoHeads south and southwest through Jenks, Kiefer, Kellyville, Keystone and Sand Springs.

Sunday Gran FondoThree routes take riders up north to Sperry, Skiatook, Vera, Ochelata, Barnsdall and Avant

RacesThere are three days of races with separate men and women’s categoriesCash prizes for winners

McNellie’s Blue Dome CriteriumTakes place on Friday nightConsists of Men’s Cat 3, Women’s Pro ½, Men’s ½ and the Men’s Pro/1

Brady Village CriteriumTakes place on Saturday of eventOffers something for all skill levelsDesigned for to be family-friendly with races, rides, activity zones and events for the kids

Riverview Criterium Tulsa Tough’s most grueling courseRaces consists of infamous Cry Baby HillRuns along the Arkansas River

Tulsa Townie and Festivals

Family activityNot a competitive raceOnly 8 milesFREE!Street vendors, bands, artisans and more

Problem StatementThere are not enough amateur riders in the 2012 Tulsa Tough rides.

Situational AnalysisTulsa Tough has gained national attention in the cycling community and more than quadrupled its overall participants in the past few yearsPromotes economic growth for the city of TulsaWhile Tulsans have expressed frustration with the disruption in traffic during the event, overall, the general public is happy to support Tulsa Tough and cheer on the cyclists

GoalOur goal is to gain more riders for the 2013 Tulsa Tough amateur rides by converting spectators into participants.

ObjectiveTo increase riders for the 2013 Tulsa Tough by 10% compared to the 2012 event.

Target AudienceFans/spectatorsFamilies

Key MessagesBiking is a fun way to help lead a healthy, active lifestyle.Participating in the Tulsa Tough is a great way to strengthen biking skills and meeting new people who share a common interest in cycling.

Reasons People Might Not Ride

Bikes and equipment are expensive with prices for the average race bike ranging from $300 to $1000The cycling community is very exclusivePeople may not know where to start and races and rides like those of Tulsa Tough require months of training

StrategiesPosting information on the website and social media outletsDistributing flyers to and partnering with bike shops around Tulsa

TacticsPartnering with bike shops in Tulsa to establish a beginners training program in which people are able to rent bikes from the shop and train toward riding in the 2013 Tulsa ToughPartnering with one of the several bike shops in Tulsa to raffle off a bike in which fans can enter to win during the 2013 Tulsa ToughConsistently updating the Tulsa Tough twitter and Facebook accounts to offer complementary merchandise for each time someone signs up to volunteer; for example, free T-shirts, water bottles, bike gear, etc.

VolunteeringWhile our main goal is to gain more riders, another great way to get involved is to volunteerWe hope to generate interest in riding by promoting volunteeringVolunteering areas consist of helping with registration, handing out water, being at finish line to cheer on winners, etc.

Evaluation/MeasurementWe will measure our success by comparing how many new participants have registered for the 2013 Tulsa Tough compared to the 2012 event, as well as the number of volunteers.