In 2018, April and Tinley were featured on the Indy Mini blog for their inseparable mother-daughter bond and love for running. At the time, seven-year-old Tinley was training to shave time off of her 5K while her mom, April, was an ambassador for the 2018 Indy Mini – her first Mini-Marathon.
At seven years old, Tinley was eager to run 13.1, and now at ten, 2021 is the year! In a few weeks, April and Tinley (and dad too!) will run the OneAmerica 500 Festival Virtual Mini-Marathon together as a family.
To make Tinley’s first #IndyMini a memorable experience, April said they are planning to organize a small group of friends to join them along the trail system in Plainfield, Indiana. “This will be my daughter’s first Indy Mini and we are so excited to run it as a family.”
“Tinley is a huge motivator to me,” said April. “Her dad brings her to each one of my races and they cheer for me along the course and at the finish. Seeing her pushes me to keep going even when I may be struggling.”
One of Tinley’s favorite #IndyMini memories is eating breakfast at Charlie Browns in Speedway and watching her mom run by Mile 5. Then, they would go to the finish line where they could see her finish.
“I can’t wait to run it with her and my dad this year,” said Tinley.
It is evident the Indy Mini holds a special place in both April and Tinley’s hearts. The #IndyMini was April’s first half marathon ever!
“I completed 4 half marathons before I ran my first 5K. I have run 42 half marathons and less than 10 5K’s. The Indy Mini made me fall in love with half marathons!”
With 42 half marathons under her belt, April’s advice for first-time runners is to “Do it!”
April shared, “The Indy Mini is the greatest event out there. There is nothing like it. I had trouble training and wasn’t sure if I could finish it. I only made it up to 7 miles when I was training, but on race day I ran the entire 13.1. The energy at the Indy Mini is amazing, and it just encourages you and pushes you to the finish!”
Although this is Tinley’s first Mini-Marathon, this is certainly not her first rodeo. Tinley competed in the national Junior Olympics Cross Country Championships in 2019 and 2020. She was named the USATF Athlete of the Year for cross country for females eight and under. Her advice to other first-timers is simple: “Just keep running and you can do it!”
Don’t miss out on the 2021 OneAmerica 500 Festival Virtual Mini-Marathon! It might just become a family tradition. Register at indymini.com/registration and share your training on social media by using #IndyMini.