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“What’s your 2018 New Year’s resolution?” 

 

That big question is back. It’s on your mind, and you have to be ready if/when you’re asked about it. Better yet, you need to have a plan. And whatever that “new” thing is, it starts NOW!

 

New Year’s resolutions can take on many forms. Not everyone needs a resolution like 13.1 miles. But for those who do, the 500 Festival has a number of advantages for any kind of runner or walker looking to get started.

 

This is not the New York City or Chicago Marathon. Anyone – and we mean anyone – can do this. So, here are five things you didn’t know about the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon that make it PERFECT for New Year’s resolutions.

 

 

1) It’s Fun

Did you know the Indy Mini has one of the highest walker-to-participant ratios of any major American road race? With a 4-hour time limit (18-minute per mile pace), the Indy Mini is one of the most forgiving courses for a beginning half marathoner. Yes, it’s still a race. That competitive spirit lives in all of us, but the Mini-Marathon is a 13.1-mile fun run. If you like fun, keep reading.

 

 

2) It’s Easy

Did you know the 500 Festival implemented it’s own series of training races specifically for the Indy Mini? It’s called the 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy, and it helps participants reach their resolutions by working up to 13.1 miles with three incremental races; a 3-Miler, 6-Miler, and 10-Miler. If the sound of these distances makes it seem easier to start, keep reading.

 

 

3) It’s Flat

Did you know the Indy Mini is one of the flattest courses in the nation? A limited deviation in course elevation allows runners and walkers to breeze along at their own speed – which is usually quite fast. After all, fast is what this city is known for. So if you’re in the game to get better and break that record, keep reading.

 

 

4) It’s Alive

Did you know the Indy Mini boasts the largest number of course entertainment groups for any road race in the country? Nearly 100 acts from DJs to bands and tap dancers to cheer squads line the streets of Indianapolis to motivate and encourage the participants. 13 pit stations line the course as well, filled with volunteers dishing out water and continuing the encouragement. If you think thousands of people cheering you on might help get you to your goal, keep reading.

 

 

5) It’s Epic

Did you know the Indy Mini takes you around the largest sports venue in the world? That’s what we said. The largest venue on PLANET EARTH! The Indianapolis Motor Speedway is the heart of the Indianapolis 500 and the month of May in Indy, and it’s the feature of the Mini-Marathon for Mile 6 and Mile 7. Nothing compares to coming down the home stretch and kissing the bricks. If you like epic moments, keep reading, and get ready for something unforgettable.

 

 

 

You can make your resolution to lose weight, eat better, and exercise. These ideas are great. But in 2018, make it tangible, make it real, and make it 13.1 miles.

 

Want to make it even easier? Do it with a friend!

 

Interested in registering for the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon? Prices increase New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) at 11:59 p.m. ET! 

 

Don’t wait! REGISTER HERE

 

 

 

 

The official 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon participant shirt and hat are here! If you’ve been waiting to see the swag for the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, then wait no more.

 

We joined our friends at WTHR to reveal the design for the 2018 Indy Mini participant shirt and hat from OneAmerica. We also offered a sneak peek at an updated prototype for the Finisher Medal. Here’s what 2018 Participants will receive at this year’s race:

 

Participant Shirt

The shirt design for the 42nd running of the Indy Mini features a number of Indianapolis and Indy 500 themes. Most notably, the top of the Borg-Warner Trophy is featured on the front of the shirt just like the raised silver medallion on this year’s medal. The back of the shirt features a large crest that includes an iconic photo of the Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the distance of 13.1 miles, the Indianapolis flag, and the famed yard of bricks.

 

Just like the medal, this year’s shirt design is a unique first. It’s the first participant shirt to come in 500 Festival red and feature an off-center logo. The long-sleeve participant shirt compliments the red accents on the 2018 medal, and the blue hat completes the ensemble with red, white and blue represented in all of this year’s gear.

 

This year’s participant shirt is made of a blended poly fabric to maximize ventilation and comfort while wicking away sweat. Shirts will be gender specific for optimal fit.

 

Participant Hat

The 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon participant hat, provided by OneAmerica, pulls from the same color pallet as the shirt and medal. We think it looks awesome!

 

Ready to let the world know you’re taking on the Greatest Spectacle in Running? We’ve created an #IndyMini #FlatRunner that you can post on social media! Get your #IndyMini #FlatRunner here.

 

Want to view more photos of the participant shirt? Click Here

 

The 2018 Indy Mini participant swag is just the beginning! To check out the complete list of what 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon participants will receive, click here.

As the holiday season approaches and New Year’s resolutions begin to feel like realities, the 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy, is here to help.

 

Knowing the rigorous transformation process from winter hibernator to springtime success story, the 500 Festival created the Miler Series. The Milers are a spring series of races stair-stepping runners and walkers toward 13.1 miles in the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

 

The Miler Series consists of three unique distance, including a 3-Miler, 6-Miler and 10-Miler. The races take place in February, March and April in downtown Indianapolis with three different courses and more city-centric routes than the Indy Mini.

 

If you’re looking for a great way to achieve those New Year’s resolutions and make some friends along the way, then master the Milers and defeat downtown Indy this spring.

 

But hurry! The price increases this Friday (Dec. 15) at midnight!

 

Learn more about the 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy

 

 

“On the first month of training my true love gave to me… Epic Training Gear!”

 

Maybe your true love didn’t get you epic training gear for the holidays this season, but they should. And that’s just step one of what do with five months until the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. Check out the latest #IndyMini gear at the online store.

 

Step two? About 150 days remain until the 2018 edition of The Greatest Spectacle in Running, and it’s nearing decision time. New Year’s resolutions are on the horizon, and in order to stick to those commitments, you may need help at your side. So recruit a friend!

 

Step three is picking your training plan. May we suggest the 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy?  Unique distances of 3, 6, and 10 miles let you stair-step your way to a 13.1-mile victory in May.

 

Preparing your trip is step four! Unless your one of the locals, driving  an hour or more and finding appropriate parking might stifle your race morning ritual. Be sure to make your race weekend spectacular by staying in downtown Indy. Check out the official Indy Mini room block and book today!

 

Step five? Get your training started!

 

Learn more about the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon

 

It’s that time of year again! The 500 Festival is offering a Black Friday special available Friday morning (12:01 am) – Cyber Monday (11:59 pm).

 

*This offer ends at 11:59 PM TONIGHT! 

 

This ornament is a scaled down replica of the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Finisher Medal. A two-sided ornament, the front features a 13.1 emblem, the date of the 2018 race and a message from Meb Keflezighi, the greatest runner in American history and 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon participant. The back of the medal features a nutrition label, highlighting unique Indy Mini participant facts, including the number of inches, feet, and steps in the Mini-Marathon. These facts pay tribute to the “ingredients” for victory, including the training, strength, endurance, and greatness that goes into every participant’s Indy Mini story.  

 

• The ornament measures 2.75″ tall and 1.25″ wide
• It’s two-sided
• The ornament will ship in a commemorative gift box for easy gift giving, preservation and storage for years to come
• Supplies of this ornament are limited to the first 1,000 people to register for the 2018 Indy Mini or challenges, so register soon!

 

This offer is only available for Mini-Marathon and Challenge registrations. It is not valid for registrations for the 500 Festival 5K or 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy.

 

Additional Questions? Email raceinfo@500festival.com.

 

Hurry! This Black Friday offer is only available to the first 1,000 to register!

 

 

< Register to get your 2018 Holiday ornament medal! >

The 500 Festival crew will have a booth at Wednesday’s Drumstick Dash Expo located at Broad Ripple High School, and we want to see you!

 

Not only do we enjoy talking with participants of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon – and seeing them use their legs to give back to the Wheeler Mission and a great cause – but we have some exciting reasons to stop by our booth!

1) Register for a discounted rate

When you register onsite at the Drumstick Dash Expo, you will get $5 off both the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and the 500 Festival 5K AND we’ll waive the online processing fees. That’s a savings of about $8!

 

2) check out the new 2018 medal

The 500 Festival released the new 2018 medal design on Tuesday. Wednesday at the Drumstick Dash Expo is your first chance to see it in person!

 

3) enter to win a free registration!

As always, when you see the 500 Festival set up at a race expo, you can enter to win a FREE registration for the upcoming year! Already registered? Enter anyway and we’ll refund your registration if you win.

 

See you there! And thanks for “moving your feet so others can eat!”

In 1936, Louis Meyer won the Indianapolis 500. He sped back to Victory Circle to celebrate and cooled off the only way he knew how… with a bottle of fresh buttermilk.

 

The milk bottle has since become a staple of victory at the Indianapolis 500 the same way wearing the wreath and kissing the bricks (and the 500 Festival Queen) cement a driver’s place in history. Drinking the milk from Victory Circle is one of the most iconic moments in all of sports.

 

More than 80 years later, the tradition has grown and developed a phrase almost as popular as the tradition itself – “Winners Drink Milk.”

 

Regardless of speed and ability, defeating 13.1 miles in May is a victory. And there’s no better way to celebrate victory in May.

 

Along with this symbolic medal, the 2018 hardware also carries a signature from one of the greatest American distance runners of all time – Meb Keflezighi. Keflezighi will return to the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon for the third and (possibly) final time in 2018 after retiring from the marathon distance at the TCS New York City Marathon in early November. Click here to read about Meb’s passion for the Mini-Marathon and his return to Indy.

 

The front of the medal highlights the Borg-Warner Trophy and the date of this year’s race on a raised silver medallion.

 

On the back of the medal, a nutrition label accents the unique Indy Mini participant facts, including the number of inches, feet, and steps in the Mini-Marathon. These facts pay tribute to the ingredients for victory, including the training, strength, endurance, and greatness that goes into every participant’s Indy Mini story.

 

This year’s medal is the first double-sided medal in the 42-year history of the Mini-Marathon. It’s also the second largest medal the race has ever produced, finishing runner-up to only the Borg-Warner Trophy medal in 2016.

 

To say we’re excited about this year’s design is a major understatement. We hope our participants are inspired by the significance of one of the most unique medal designs the Indy Mini has ever seen.

<<< Click here to view the full-size 2018 medal >>>

 

What’s the most important tangible item in choosing a race? Shirts, perks, and course options are all high-ranking, but the hardware is what’s going to hang on your wall for years to come.

 

Every year, the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon takes pride in designing and producing some of the most unique, iconic, and memorable medals for its participants. As we gear up to reveal this year’s medal in the near future, here are three things you need to know about it:

1) It’s Here

Almost six months before the race, replicas of the actual 2018 Indy Mini medal have already arrived. We’re getting ready to reveal them soon.

2) It’s special

Recent medal designs have paid tribute to the Borg Warner Trophy, the IndyCar on the 500 Festival logo, the Pagoda at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the entirety of the state of Indiana and the Hoosier spirit. But 2018? This medal reaches a new level of sentimental value when it comes to celebrating the Indianapolis 500.

3) It’s different

It’s not your typical medal.  Don’t expect it to blend in with your gray or chrome-slated medals that seem to be everywhere. This one tells a story; and it may require a few minutes to fully capture the meaning behind it.

 

Want to see it? Check the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Facebook Page on Tuesday, November 21 for the big reveal.

He looks like IndyCar driver Graham Rahal – so much so that the man[ager] behind the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon can’t walk around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway without a few starstruck looks.

 

He’s a Hoosier, through and through; exactly what you’d expect of someone leading the charge for the state’s largest and most historic road race.

 

Glenn Amos is a Carmel native, Indiana State University alum, and a fanatic of endurance sports, triathlons, road races, and large-scale events. And now, he manages one the largest half marathons in the country.

 

Glenn also manages the 500 Festival Memorial Service, presented by Rolls-Royce, the 500 Festival Miler Series, presented by OrthoIndy, and the newest event – the 500 Festival mini-mini.

 

It definitely takes everyone at the 500 Festival and a few thousand volunteers and community leaders to help make the Mini-Marathon go off without a hitch, and it’s just one of the events Glenn has to worry about. That’s why he shies away from any credit or glory.

 

“It’s bigger than just me,” he said. “It’s bigger than any one person.”

 

A committee of 100 people from the Indianapolis community come together to organize the event. IMPD, state police, Speedway police, IFD, EMS, Homeland Security, Indiana National Guard, sponsors, and thousands of volunteers play a part in the Mini-Marathon’s success.

 

So what does Glenn do?

 

“You’re always a little intimidated by an event that size. It’s always evolving and you’re trying to organize and communicate with hundreds of people, but that’s what I love about it.”

 

 

Prior to race day, Glenn and the Mini-Marathon committee are tasked with communicating, organizing, and executing a wide array of operational pieces, including; 400 portalets, 60 golf carts, 40 timing clocks, 2,000 bike racks, 10,700 feet of barricade, 3,000 parking spaces, and so much more.

 

There are also 150,000 Meijer cups to provide water to participants, and another 150,000 cups for more than 10,000 gallons of Gatorade. Start line committees, mile markers, buses, permits, and certifications are also part of the planning process.

 

After participants have come and gone on Mini-Marathon day, you can still find Glenn – and the rest of the 500 Festival staff – in Military Park, loading trucks and tearing down structures after about 72 hours without much sleep.

 

“Events are a different world,” he added. “It’s not 9-5. It’s hanging out with coworkers who become your friends, and eventually family.”

 

While the Indy Mini comes together through an entire community effort, there’s one man at the center, passionate about orchestrating an event and turning blank streets into an organized and impactful annual tradition.

 

“When people run our race, it’s a different experience than just running,” Glenn said. “We provide the experience piece. When you see the tradition – three generations of people out there doing it together – it’s creating that experience that I take pride in.”

 

Photo credits: Kati O’Brien

The holiday season is almost here and it’s time to think about friends, family, and loved ones.

 

And food. You can’t forget food.

 

If you’re training for the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in May, the holiday season might be your last real chance to have some cheat days, or weeks, before your true training tests really begin.

 

More than 30,000 participants stare down May’s 13.1-mile welcome party each year, and one of the greatest aspects of the Indy Mini is that you can conquer it with people you love.

 

With thousands already registered for 2018, it’s time to give the greatest gift this holiday season before the field fills up!

 

So enjoy your turkey, your football, your naps, and your warm fireplaces. But make sure that your spring celebration is spent side by side with the same people you love.

 

So tell a friend, tag family member, or send this article to a loved one YOU want to cross the finish line with this May.

 

Click here to learn more about the 2018 OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.