INDIANAPOLIS — It’s time for the 48th annual One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, and Indianapolis is more than ready.
This year there will be more than 20,000 participants and the race is expected to attract more than 30,000 spectators to Circle City.
“May is the best month of the year, and it’s a great way to start the month,” said Nick Kowalkowski, one of the participants from Indianapolis.
“People who live here tell me it’s the best race ever,” said Lars and Stephanie Sorensen of Florida. “It’s good time with my daughter.” It’s fun, we schedule (races) once or twice a year, and I think this one will become a regular (race).
“It’s fun, the environment is great,” said Kayla Fisher, from Brazil, Indiana.
“The goal is to run an official half marathon in every state, so that will be number 13. Lucky number 13,” said Kimberley Mendez, one of the participants from North Carolina.
“The atmosphere and being able to run on the track is pretty special,” said Kimberley Mendez of Mooresville, Indiana.
It’s a race that people across the country look forward to all year. It was named “America’s Best Half Marathon” by USA Today’s 10 Best and recognized as one of “America’s Most Iconic Races” by Runners World.
“We’re really excited,” said Lindsay Labas, vice president of marketing and communications for the 500 Festival. “We hit all 50 states this year and 15 countries and five continents are represented on Saturday.”
Labas said this is the biggest year for racing since the pandemic.
“I really think it’s because that’s who comes together for this,” she said. “This couldn’t happen without our Indianapolis community, whether it’s our 3,000 volunteers, our local businesses or the military, this is truly a community effort and we appreciate everyone who are part.”
The course takes riders throughout downtown Indianapolis and includes live entertainment. One of the most special parts of the race is the “Gold Mile” inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
“The golden mile is about our fallen heroes here in Indiana,” Kowalkowski said. “It’s a mile from the 500 track where all of our fallen heroes in Indiana have their name and photo and you run in their memory.”
The 5K starts at 7 a.m. Saturday morning and the half marathon will follow. For more information on this year’s race, click here. Additionally, to learn more about parking and street closures, click here.
