NORMAN, Okla. –

Members of the University of Oklahoma Naval ROTC are hitting the road Wednesday morning for a nearly 200-mile journey to Dallas, carrying the game ball ahead of Saturday’s Red River Rivalry.

The 29th annual Run to Dallas began at Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium, where midshipmen gathered before starting the three-day trek.

The runners will travel in shifts, with groups of about four taking turns carrying the ball before handing it off to the next group.

Midshipmen prepare for nearly 200-mile run

The journey requires runners to manage their pace and recovery over the three-day trip carefully.

Midshipman William Turner, one of the midshipmen participating in the run, said the group has four running shifts.

“We’ll run out of the stadium, run out of Norman altogether, and then we’re gonna have to start taking turns because we can’t all run at the same time,” Turner said. “It’s a lot of miles. So about a group of like four of us will run the ball, and then when we get tired after a couple of miles, we’ll switch off with the next group.”

The midshipmen said preparing for the run means putting in miles during early morning workouts while also focusing on recovery and nutrition.

“Just putting in the work, running more than what you think you can go and just at a nice, easy pace where you’re not injuring yourself,” Midshipman Nicholas Oetinger said. “I think it’s also just good to recover and eat the right foods. I think that’s just what we’ve all been putting our effort towards.”

Run to Dallas is about teamwork and camaraderie

For the midshipmen, the tradition is about more than carrying a football from Norman to Dallas.

Turner said the run gives the group an opportunity to build camaraderie with fellow midshipmen.

“It’s a lot of fun, and it’s really great to kind of hang out with all our midshipmen and run together,” Turner said. “I mean, once you’re running out there, you’re kind of just on the road. You’re just kind of talking to your buddies next to you, and it’s so much fun. It’s a lot of camaraderie we get. I just love the teamwork aspect of it.”

The run also connects OU’s ROTC program with its counterpart at the University of Texas, which holds a similar tradition ahead of the rivalry game.

“I think my favorite thing about this run is just honestly running alongside fellow mission men who you’ll see in the fleet later on,” Oetinger said. “I think it’s just also really nice to see the University of Texas come out and do the same thing as us. We all meet up and compete in some games later on. So I think it’s fun to see them there.”

OU ROTC carries game ball to Dallas

The Run to Dallas has become an annual tradition surrounding the Red River Rivalry, celebrating service, teamwork and sportsmanship.

The ceremony began at 8 a.m. Wednesday with a pre-run talk featuring OU head coach Brent Venables. The midshipmen were scheduled to begin their run around 8:15 a.m.

The group will continue rotating runners throughout the three-day journey as they make their way from Norman to Dallas.

The Sooners and Longhorns are scheduled to meet at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at the Cotton Bowl.