Month: April 2017

Mark Seitz

Q: How many Indy Minis have you run?

A: This will be my 19^th consecutive Mini.  It’s hard to believe that there are high school seniors graduating this month who weren’t even born when I did my first Mini.

Q: Who or what inspires you to run?

A: The past couple of years I have run with a group called Back on My Feet, which combats homelessness through the power of running, community support and essential employment and housing resources.  It is incredibly inspiring to see some of the BoMF guys that I run with reach milestones like completing their first Mini marathon or securing a job and moving into their own apartment.

Q: What is your favorite Mini memory or experience?

A: I am incredibly proud of my two children who used to come to the Mini to watch me, and are now running the Indy Mini as adults.  My birthday happens to coincide with the week surrounding the Mini so we get together with family and any out-of-time guests on Saturday night and celebrate my birthday, Mother’s Day, any graduations, and the completion of the Mini. It’s a fun tradition.

Q: What advice would you give to someone running the Mini for their first time?

A: Enjoy the entire experience!  Enjoy the race expo on Friday and the take in the nervous energy of other participants as you wait in your starting corral Saturday morning; see if you can spot an elephant up on the hill as you pass by the Indianapolis Zoo; high-five the youngsters that come out of their house to watch the parade of runners; say ‘thanks you’ to the police, medical teams, and national guard members who are positioned along the course; try to absorb some of the energy of the bands, cheerleaders, cloggers, water-station volunteers, and Chik-Fil-A cows though the middle part of the race; kiss the bricks!; look for US marathon legends who will be positioned along the IMS track; appreciate the accomplishment as you finally cross the finish line; ring the PR bell in the recovery area; give a big sweaty hug to any friends or family members that might be waiting for you (they’ll love that!); enjoy some Gatorade, cold milk, or a complimentary beer as you re-hydrate; celebrate with a nap and big meal later in the day… and sign up for next year’s Mini while the endorphins are still kicking in!

Jennifer Himes

Q: How many Indy Minis have you run?

A: I’ve ran two Mini-Marathons so this will be my third.

Q: Who or what inspires you to run?

A: I inspire myself to run and live a healthy lifestyle. I’ve always been my biggest cheerleader, but also my biggest critic. Every day I push myself to be better than the day before.

Q: What is your favorite Mini memory or experience?

A: My favorite Mini-Marathon experience was crossing the line after finishing my first Mini. It was such a great feeling knowing all the hard work and training had paid off.

Q: What advice would you give to someone running the Mini for their first time?

A: Anyone running the Mini for the first time should just have fun. Don’t worry about your time, just enjoy the race.

PS – Make sure you go to the bathroom before the race!

500festival.com  |  IndyMini.com  |  @500Festival  |  Facebook.com/500Fest  |  Facebook.com/500FestivalMiniMarathon  

Jim DeRuby

Marlo Neustifter

Q: How many Indy Minis have you run?

A: This Mini will be my fourth.  I’ve run in 14, 15, and 16.

Q: Who or what inspires you to run?

A: My grandmother and my father both died of heart failure before they were 60.  I started running as a heart healthy activity; to honor them and in hopes of making it past the 60 year old mark.

Q: What is your favorite Mini memory or experience?

A: My first half was the mini so that was AHMAZING!  I ran it alone in 2:32 on a statement I took as a dare. “You should run a half marathon”!   My original response was you are nuts, until someone else said:  “Why not?”  So, I took that as a dare and did it!

Last year was fun as well, I kept waiting to see Meb run by….and waiting…..and waiting until my sister said “oh weird, their is a whole group of people running by in neon”   While running, I’m straining my neck and head and see Meb, and his entourage already 100 feet in front of me.  LOL  My sister has no idea who Meb is.  But, I did catch a glimpse.

Q: What advice would you give to someone running the Mini for their first time?

A: My advice for every first time runner is to just sign up for the race.  Whether it be a 5,10,half or full.  Sign up for it!  I had never run a single day in my life before I turned 40, less than 3 years later I ran a half marathon because someone said I should.

500festival.com  |  IndyMini.com  |  @500Festival  |  Facebook.com/500Fest  |  Facebook.com/500FestivalMiniMarathon  

Danielle Williams

Q: How many Indy Minis have you ran?

A: Three (2013, 2014, 2016). I had to skip 2015 to have an ablation procedure to fix my heart’s tachycardia problem.

Q: Who or what inspires you to run?

A: So many people! My teenager is a beast! She works and trains so hard and I see all of her hard work pay off so it definitely makes me want to work a little harder. My husband, who I’ll probably never catch, but it’s a nice goal. I also get really motivated watching random strangers run. Watching people finish a half or a full marathon, I tend to pick out people of similar builds or with similar features and think, “Why am I not running that fast? Or that far?” Then new goals are set for myself!

Q: What is your favorite Mini memory or experience?

A: My first Mini was amazing! I had never run more than a 5K, which I actually walked a good portion of! I did some research on training and decided I might need way more time than suggested. I started training in September or October. My husband thought this was a crazy idea but decided he would run it, too. Neither of us knew much about the Mini. We had no idea that there would be a bazillion spectators lining the course and cheering for us. We had no idea that tons of kids would want to high five us. And the bands, and square dancers, cheer squads, amazing volunteers…..it’s a 13 mile-long party with thousands of friends! I was in awe!

Q: What advice would you give to someone running the Mini for their first time?

A: High five all the kids! Take in all the sights! Kiss the bricks! Take some pictures! Thank the cops and medics on the course! Enjoy the whole experience. Worry about covering the distance but don’t get too caught up in the time. And the most important thing; don’t try to run while drinking from water station cups. Choking while running is not fun! Walk!

500festival.com  |  IndyMini.com  |  @500Festival  |  Facebook.com/500Fest  |  Facebook.com/500FestivalMiniMarathon  

Andrea Farthing

A now-avid runner and active member of the running community, Andrea also frequents the Disney race series, as shown in her photo.

Q: How many Indy Minis have you participated in?

A: This will be my sixth time running the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.

Q: Who or what inspires you to run?

A: I started running just to see if I could do the Mini-Marathon. I kept running for the health benefits. Running for fun is my main goal. I try to find fun in everything I do.

Q: What is your favorite Mini memory or experience?

A: In 2008, not only did I run my first #IndyMini, but it was also my first half marathon. Crossing the finish line for the first time was unforgettable. My husband and son were there cheering for me.

Q: What advice would you give to someone running the Mini for their first time?

A: Make sure to pace yourself. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and run too fast in the first couple of miles. Save some of that energy to get you through all 13.1 miles.

500festival.com  |  IndyMini.com  |  @500Festival  |  Facebook.com/500Fest  |  Facebook.com/500FestivalMiniMarathon