Indianapolis mini-marathon at the Motor Speedway, 2018

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, which takes place in

Indianapolis, Indiana Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Mar ...

, is the largest

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish or shortcut ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...

, and the seventh-largest running event in America. As of the 37th running in 2013, it had sold out the entire running field of 35,000 for twelve consecutive years. Commonly known as "The Mini," it attracts runners and spectators from all over the United States and the entire world. In 2011, participants came from all fifty states and nine countries. The race includes a men's and women's running division, as well as men's and women's wheelchair entries. The Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K, a shorter version of the Mini utilizing the same start and finish lines, runs the same day. The Mini-Marathon began in 1977 and became an official 500 Festival event in 1979. The 500 Festival, a not-for-profit volunteer organization, was created in 1957 to organize civic events celebrating the

Indianapolis 500-Mile Race The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of India ...

. Over the past 55 years, the 500 Festival has grown to become one of the largest festivals in the nation. The Mini-Marathon is one of the first events of the month of May at Indy. The course currently starts in

downtown Indianapolis Downtown Indianapolis is a neighborhood area and the central business district of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Downtown is bordered by Interstate 65, Interstate 70, and the White River, and is situated near the geographic center of Ma ...

, includes city streets then heads west toward Speedway. It features a full loop around the

Indianapolis Motor Speedway The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is an automobile racing circuit located in Speedway, Indiana, an enclave suburb of Indianapolis, Indiana. It is the home of the Indianapolis 500 and the Verizon 200, and and formerly the home of the United Sta ...

, then returns to finish in the downtown area. From 1977 to 1992, the race was held the Friday before the Indianapolis 500 (part of

Memorial Day Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for mourning the U.S. military personnel who have fought and died while serving in the United States armed forces. It is observed on the last Monda ...

weekend). Starting in 1993, the race was moved to early May, the Saturday three weeks before the race except a few exceptions. The men's record for the Mini is 1:01:52 set by Nelson Oyugi in 2014. The women's record was set in 2010 by Janet Cherobon with a time of 1:10:59. From 1994 to 2004 it was known as the Indianapolis Life 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. In 2020, the race was cancelled for the first time in its history, due to the coronavirus pandemic. Entrants from this year's were given invitations to the 2021 race.

Selected history

2008

The race resulted in the closest finish ever in the history of the event: a tie. Two Kenyan runners, Lamech Mokono and Valentine Orare, were declared co-winners, extending the streak of Kenyan victories to 13. In the women's race, Janet Cherobon successfully defended her title. Tony Íñiguez became a three-time champ in the wheelchair division.

2011

The 2011 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon took place Saturday May 7, 2011. A pair of newcomers brought home the men's and women's titles in the 2011 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in Indianapolis. Moroccan Ridouane Harroufi took the men's race, winning in 1:02.45, while Everlyne Lagat of Kenya captured the women's race with a time of 1:11:29, snapping the four-year win streak of fellow Kenyan

Janet Cherobon-Bawcom Janet Cherobon-Bawcom (born August 22, 1978) is an American distance runner. She grew up in Kenya, before attending college in the United States. In college, she won three Division II national championships and was named an All-American eight t ...

, who took second. Adam Bleakney of Champaign, Ill., took advantage of the ideal conditions to win the wheelchair race with a blistering time of 49.18. The 2006 winner of the same race, Bleakney, a member of the 2008 U.S. Paralympics teams, was competing in Indianapolis for the first time since his previous win.

Past winners

References

External links

*
Timeline of the Indianapolis Mini Marathon
at ''

Indianapolis Star Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...