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Indy Mini Marathon and 5K race goes virtual for a second year

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WISH) – Thousands of people will lace up their running or walking shoes from home for the 500 Festival Mini Marathon and 5K race on Saturday.

500 Festival President and CEO Bob Bryant said more than 7,000 runners from 14 countries and 47 states are participating virtually this year.

There is a virtual expo for participants to register for the event. Bryant added there will be goody bags from sponsors sent in the mail.

Participants can pick their route and track their miles on an app from home.

Bryant said the Indy Mini Marathon and 5K race is still seeing a big turnout despite it not being in-person. He believes there is still a lot of passion and pride in competing this event.

“Definitely a lot of people want to stay challenged, want to stay motivated, want to focus on their health and stay fit,” said Bryant. “I think they recognize that we’re close, but doing it in-person on such a large scale we’re not quite there yet in terms of running events. Obviously with the Indy 500 having participants and other sporting events like the NCAA Tournament, we know we’re going to be getting back to more in-person participation and we look forward to doing that next year.”