From Alaska to Chicago, Oklahoma State Alumni Find Cowboy Community on Marathon Weekend

The Chicago Marathon brought Oklahoma State alumni from across the country to the Windy City. But on Saturday afternoon, Cowboy football brought them together.

Inside Theory, a sports bar in downtown Chicago, a small gathering of Oklahoma State fans watched the No. 18 Cowboys defeat UCF 42-28, sharing their excitement about the program's resurgence under first-year head coach Eric Morris.

Among them were two members of Oklahoma State's graduating class of 2020 who traveled to Chicago for Sunday's marathon.

Megan, visiting from Greenville, South Carolina, is preparing to run her second marathon. Her friend Hunter Tolliver traveled all the way from Anchorage, Alaska, to support her.

For both, the weekend provided an opportunity to reconnect with their Oklahoma State roots.

Tolliver's journey to Chicago was anything but short.

“I took a red-eye. A little jet-lagged, but anywhere to be where my OSU friends are,” Tolliver said. 

It was also his first opportunity to spend several days exploring Chicago.

“Chicago is so cool, and this is my first real experience staying in the city for a few days,” Tolliver said. “The marathon is crazy. So many people, and waking up to Good Morning Chicago, people just out running everywhere. Just super fun.”

While Tolliver won't be running Sunday's race, she's looking forward to supporting Megan as she takes on the 26.2-mile course. Megan, meanwhile, is eager to experience one of the world's largest marathons.

“I'm so excited to run here and heard the atmosphere is incredible,” she said. “Family and friends came in, too.”

But before race day, there was another important event on the weekend schedule: Oklahoma State football.

The group discovered Saturday's watch party through the Oklahoma State Alumni Association. Theory provided a dedicated viewing area with tables for fans to gather, while the game's audio played throughout the space.

Orange-and-black decorations, pom-poms and stickers helped bring a taste of Stillwater to Chicago.

“I loved it,” Megan said of the atmosphere. “Got pom-poms and stickers. It was great.”

As the game progressed, more Oklahoma State fans arrived, creating an opportunity for alumni from different generations and locations to connect.

“Meeting so many people, and more just keep coming in as the game goes on,” Tolliver said. “Everybody is visiting. I think all the Chicago people left the city because of the marathon, but still fun to meet a lot of new people here.”

For Tolliver, the experience reinforced something familiar about Oklahoma State alumni.

“All OSU people are friendly, so it's always just community as soon as we see each other,” he said.

Megan shared that sentiment.

“I love it. It's one of my favorite things,” she said. “I wear my OSU gear everywhere, and every time I see them, I yell 'Go Pokes,' and it's like family.”

Saturday's gathering also gave alumni a chance to celebrate Oklahoma State's impressive turnaround on the football field.

The Cowboys improved to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in Big 12 play with their fourth consecutive victory, continuing a strong start under Morris.

For Megan, the change in direction has been particularly exciting.

“This is what we've been waiting for,” she said. “So much excitement. We don't think the Cowboy curse is anymore. Drew (Mestemaker) and Eric (Morris), I'm so pumped about them.”

She also pointed to the Cowboys' aggressive approach on fourth down as an example of the program's newfound confidence.

“On fourth down, we actually go for it and don't punt, and it's like, oh my gosh, we actually have confidence in ourselves,” Megan said.

Tolliver expressed appreciation for former coach Mike Gundy while embracing the excitement surrounding Oklahoma State's new leadership.

“Still love Gundy, but fun to watch a fresh team coming in and excited for what the future holds,” Tolliver said.

“We've been doing really good. The newness and everything is different. Doing things different than in the past, and it's fun to see.”

As Oklahoma State celebrated its first-ever victory over UCF, the gathering at Theory offered a reminder of how far the Cowboy community extends beyond Stillwater.

Some fans were visiting Chicago to run a marathon. Others had traveled to support friends and family.

But for a few hours Saturday, their shared connection to Oklahoma State brought them together.

For Megan, that sense of belonging is one of the most meaningful parts of being a Cowboy.

And for Tolliver, even a red-eye flight from Alaska was worth it. After all, as she put it, she'd travel just about anywhere to be with his Oklahoma State friends.