Thousands turn out for 43rd running of OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Thousands of runners made their way around downtown Saturday for the 43rd running of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
There were a few streets drivers needed to avoid while the marathon was underway. Parts of New York, Vermont and Michigan were shut down until about 2:00 p.m.
OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon road closures
Some runners have spent months training for Saturday’s 13.1-mile race.
The first wave of runners took off at 7:30 a.m. Those runners are more experienced and typically finish the race in about 70 to 80 minutes.
The next four waves are full of runners who are running for their own special reasons. Some are motivated by the experience, while others needed a little bit of a push.
“Picking up a habit for my wife, for her enjoyment and my health,” said Chris Hosapple.
Runners from across the country are even taking to the Indy streets to run in the marathon.
“This is my first time and actually my first time in Indiana,” said Tracey Hughes, who made the trip from South Carolina.
The first runners crossed the finish line Saturday morning. Panuel Mkungo, 25, of Coon Rapids, Minn. led the men overall with a time of 1:03:26. Ivy Kibet, 29, of Colorado Springs, Colo. was the female winner with a time of 1:12:11.
To see results from the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, click here.
For more information on the race and to take a look at course maps, click here.