"Canceled" was the word organisers of The Mid South Gravel wanted to avoid, but as wildfires raged in the Stillwater, Oklahoma area, a formal announcement to scratch the 100-mile race, and companion events, was made just before midnight Saturday local time.
Organisers communicated with city partners and a safety management team on Friday and first cancelled evening activities when air quality became very poor, winds blowing heavy smoke into Stillwater and surrounding communities. They delayed the call to cancel all amateur events and the gravel race until late Friday.
"Over the last few hours, we've watched these fires intensify and advance to the west side of Stillwater. It's gotten bad, very bad. People in our community have lost their homes today," said race director Bobby Wintle on an Instagram post made approximately eight hours before the pro race was to begin. He confirmed that the priority was on safety, with emergency workers focused on saving lives and structures.
"We've spent the last few hours getting updates from our city partners and agency heads. They've all been working non-stop to protect our neighbors, our friends, our families, our community and keep our town safe.
"To put it simply, we cannot ask these crews to handle these fires and support the amount of riders we plan to have out on these roads tomorrow, and the number of people who might be downtown to celebrate those riders finishing The Mid South, The Mid South 2025 is officially cancelled."
Intense wildfires were burning across multiple counties in Oklahoma and Texas across the week, with hurricane-force winds gusting to 60-80 mph making it difficult for fire crews to battle. ABC news outlet KOCO in Oklahoma reported Saturday morning that the governor had issued a state of emergency in 12 counties, with more than 130 individual wildfires reported across 44 counties.
The 14th edition of The Mid South offered one of the richest one-day payouts in North America, with a $100,000 prize purse share equally between the women's elite and men's elite fields. Defending champions Lauren De Crescenzo and Torbjørn Røed were both set to take on stacked pro fields, while more than 2,500 other participants were in Stillwater from across the US and several countries to take part in two gravel ride distances as well as multiple running events.
"Heartbroken [that] The Mid South is canceled this year, but it’s the right decision. As much as we love racing, the safety of the community comes first," three-time winner De Crescenzo posted to Instagram.
"People are losing their homes, emergency responders are stretched thin, and with the air quality at dangerous levels, it just wouldn’t feel right to line up and race through it all."
Large fires closest to Stillwater raged on the west side of Stillwater and the neighboring county of Logan. Massive plumes of smoke were visible on Friday. Paige Onweller took to Instagram to post a screenshot of the air quality index, which was reported to be 158 instead in a healthy range under 50.
"This is me, reminding it’s okay to prioritise your health, if anyone here needs to see this. Regardless of what happens, I will not be racing at The Mid South tomorrow. This is the AQI from a few hours ago and this will not clear overnight. I feel bummed riders are in the position to think about this," Onweller posted to Instagram Friday.
"For me, I’m prioritizing getting home safely and out of the smoke. I will not race in unsafe conditions and jeopardize my health. I wish the community of Stillwater and all of Oklahoma well wishes in restoring the damages from these wild conditions."
Men's elite rider Joe Laverick scheduled the stop in Oklahoma on his extended trip to the US, but made the all he would not compete on Friday before the race was cancelled.
"It’s 21:03 on Friday night and I’m lying on the floor of an Airbnb which isn’t mine. We evacuated our place five or six hours ago due to fires. We’re safe, let me be clear," Laverick posted to his blog overnight.
"There are wildfires on the edge of town, people are getting evacuated big time, and I won’t go outside without a mask, but the race is still on. This blog is a quick one, with my perspective. I will not be racing tomorrow."
