KROP - Kaizen Rite of Passage

DESCRIPTION

KROP: Kaizen Rite of Passage – Year 2: DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK! 

Guess who’s back!? KROP returns to Tahlequah, Oklahoma at the rugged and scenic Welling Ridge Trails for its second year!

Runners can choose from 4, 8, 16 (25k), 32 (50k) miles, or the brand-new 40 mile (65k) distance. All races follow the same 4-mile loop, bringing you back through the start/finish area every lap—where the energy, food, and support never stop.

Why it's called a rite of passage: so you've done a 5k? Wanna go further but a 10k is too much? We've got a 4 miler for you. So you've done a 10k but a half marathon is too much? Ok, we've got an 8 miler for you. Need something to bridge the gap from half marathon but not quite marathon distance? We got you, try out our 25k. Have you already conquered the marathon and want to take your first step into the ultra world? We've got a 50k. And for those of you who have done a 50k and want to start working your way towards a 50 miler or maybe even a 100k...we now have a 40 miler! The directors of KROP are passionate RUCKERS and KROP is an outstanding place to slap on your first weight vest and move as a team with friends! Scratch all that...maybe you have never set foot on a trail before...we would love for KROP to be your very first trail run ever. And one final layer, maybe you're an experienced trail and ultra athlete, we believe KROP is a fantastic place to PR! Achieve your fastest 50k or otherwise! 

And because this is KROP, you can expect surprises along the way:

The Extra Magic Mile: Our friends at Lake Vian Hilltop Run have inspired this part of our course! At a random time during the day, a bonus mile will appear! It won’t count toward your mileage, but it will count towards your fun! There will be some keepsakes and fun sights along the way should you dare take this extra mile challenge. 
The Kaizen ROCK of Passage: A massive stone that appears at random. Whomever brings this ROCK back to the finish line will receive a crisp $100 bill as a reward. Year 1 there was only one stone. Year 2 we guarantee at least TWO stones that will be hidden on the course and available for the challenge. This challenge is NOT easy and is for entrants 18 years of age or over only. Let us be clear, we are asking you to potentially carry a 60lbs OR MORE rock with you on single track, technical, root twisted trails. It's as brutal as it sounds. 

Finisher Perks & Awards:

Complete just one 4-mile loop and you’ll earn a finisher’s award.
50k and 65k finishers take home a special KROP belt buckle.
Top 3 finishers in every distance will receive gold, silver, or bronze variants of the finisher medal.
In the Ruck Team Relay, teams battle for 10 hours straight, piling up miles for a chance to claim full-sized championship belts—each sponsored by a different local business.

The Vibe:
This isn’t just a race—it’s a 12-hour trail running party fueled by Team Kaizen hospitality:

Donuts for breakfast starting at 6am
Burgers & dogs on the grill starting at 10am
A fully stocked aid station with the salty, sugary fuel every runner craves including everyone's favorite BLUE GATORADE that ain't watered down. 

The Course:
Welling Ridge Trails are beautiful but brutal—rock-covered, root-twisted single track that demands focus every step of the way. You may trip. You may fall. But if you don’t show up, you’ll definitely miss out.

The Pace: To complete our 50k you'll need to maintain a pace of 22:30 per mile. To complete our 65k you'll need to maintain a pace of 18:00 per mile. 

Special note about the 65k: Have you heard of the Pumpkin Holler Hunnerd? It's a 100 mile race that's also hosted in Tahlequah, OK but in the month of October. The first loop of Pumpkin Holler is 40 miles and the pace to finish all 100 miles is...you guessed it...18 min/mile. We intentionally set up our 40 miler to be YOUR PERFECT final training run should you take on Pumpkin Holler in October! 

Whether this is your very first trail race or your next ultra, KROP promises challenge, camaraderie, and celebration for every runner.

Are you ready for your Rite of Passage?

NO LITTERING AND NO BEING AN A$$HOLE!

Respect our trails. It's a 4 mile loop. Put your trash in your pocket and toss it at the Start/Finish. 

A$$hole rule: KROP has runners and it has racers, yeah there's a difference. Approach every person on those trails with kindness. Announce yourself to pass, encourage one another (even if you're in the pain cave). At KROP, being a dick head is just as offensive as littering. When you run under Kaizen's flag you have the added responsibility of being a good person. 

Race Day Highlights:

Early breakfast and then HOT FOOD all day long starting at 10am! 

Official chip timed event by our friends at I:40 Race Service!

FREE Photography by MATTHEW LEE! 

DONATIONS

Any additional donations given upon registration will go directly to the Tahlequah Trails Association. Please help us give back to them for their generosity and hard work. 100% of the money donated will go to TTA to help them with future maintenance and projects. These are good people. Let's help them out. 

COURSE

The race course at Welling Ridge Trails is a 4-mile loop that starts and finishes at the start/finish area. All race distances will follow this same loop, which is a relatively flat, single-track trail offering beautiful views of the surrounding landscape. With approximately 417 feet of elevation gain and loss per loop, this course offers a perfect challenge for runners of all levels. 

Remember, it's suppose to be hard. And you can absolutely finish it. 

Check out this video of the course! 

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/reel/940191098619635

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXfn1E_kh-e/ 

Shirt

Registration comes with a shirt. Make sure you sign up by 8/28/26 for a guaranteed shirt. 

Child Discount

Our children are our future and our present. We're all about providing positive experiences at an early age that lead to lifelong healthy habits. We love seeing families making memories too. Each parent entry comes with one free child (age 15 or under) entry. This applies to live events only. Please direct message us if you are interested.

Huge thanks to the Outlaw Trail Series and Lake Vian Hilltop Run for leading the way on this. When we saw that they do this, we knew it was the right thing to do. Check out their events at outlaw100.com and https://runsignup.com/Race/OK/Vian/LakeVianHilltopRun for more family experiences. 

Location

KROP is located at Welling Ridge Trails just outside of Tahlequah, Oklahoma. Google map "Welling Ridge Trails" or click the link for easy location finding. 

Physical address: 19679 S 550 Rd, Tahlequah, OK 74464

https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cc8mAemRQR2ta7f87 

Bad Weather

There will be no refunds. It's Oklahoma, so you can't predict the weather, that's why at Kaizen we say every day has the same weather. This event happens rain or shine. In case of life threatening weather conditions the event may be changed to virtual or deferral to the following year.

Pack a poncho, cowboy.

Volunteers

We need volunteers. We have everything from helping with setup, packet pickup, course marshaling, aid station, and pack out. Register to volunteer by using the volunteer tab above.