Name: April Woodruff
Hometown: Plainfield, IN
Year of first #IndyMini: 2008 and every year since except 2011 when my daughter was born
Fun fact about yourself: I never considered myself a runner, but my husband loved running and so I figured I should love it too. The first race I ever ran was the Indy Mini, and I went straight from couch to half marathon. I actually completed 3 half marathons before I ever ran a 5k. To this day I have completed 32 half marathons and only a handful of 5ks. I thought I was just going to run the Indy Mini once, but I immediately became hooked! My daughter has watched me crossed the finish line of every Indy Mini since 2012 and she will be running it alongside of me in 2021!
Favorite place to run: My favorite place to run is right in my hometown of Plainfield. We have miles and miles of paved trails that run all throughout the town. The trails have restrooms and water fountains as well. They are also marked at every tenth of a mile, so you can even get some great speed work in! I love that I can just walk out my front door and go. I have trained for almost every single one of my Indy Mini’s on the Plainfield trails system. I can easily have my daughter join me on shorter runs, or have her hop on her bike while I do longer runs. If you are ever on the west side I highly suggest you check out the Plainfield trails!
Advice for first-timers: My advice for first timers is to have fun and enjoy the race! There is so much support along the 13.1 mile course and the best volunteers around, so keep your head up and smile to all those supporters. You also won’t want to miss all the creative signs people make. I also think it is great to set 3 personal goals and know that it is OK if you do not hit your first or even your second. I also always tell first timers to take the Friday before the Indy Mini off from work, so you can enjoy the expo. The 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Expo is an amazing event in itself, and you can easily spend a couple of hours checking everything out. Also, buy the finisher gear and wear it proudly after the race. You have accomplished something great and you should be proud!