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Mini-Marathon Numbers Down From Years Past

Last updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2014

(INDIANAPOLIS) - The One America 500 Festival Mini Marathon is less than two weeks away, and for the first time in more than a dozen years, it may not sell out.

Typically, all of the 35,000 available slots fill up for the half marathon that helps kick off events in May leading up to the Indianapolis 500. Not this year, and the weather may be part of the reason according to the race's organizers. "People didn't get a chance to get out and get the mileage they were hoping to get. We had a long winter, so we think people didn't get a chance to get out and get trained properly," said Megan Bulla, spokeswoman for the 500 Festival.

Many other running races now take place during the first half of the year, an apparent factor in the Mini Marathon's sales rate slowing in recent years, though before this year, the Mini has still sold out. Bulla says the 500 Festival doesn't see the other races as competition, especially if it gets more people involved in running. "Be it a 5K, or a fun run or a color run, there are all these things that have popped up around the city. Maybe they aren't doing the Mini this year, but maybe they will get into running and want to try it next year."

31,000 runners finished the Mini Marathon last year, more of a key number for the 500 Festival than the number of entries sold. "That is why we are rated as the top half marathon in the country is because of the number of finishers. We have that by a pretty large margin, so we hope to continue to be the nation's largest half (marathon)."

There will be one major security change for this year's race - Military Park, where a celebration is held just beyond the Mini's finish line, will be completely closed off. "What this allows us to do is to create four or five different check points that people can walk in and out of, so we can control the crowd better and do bag checks, and make sure it's more secure for everyone," Bulla said.

The One American 500 Festival Mini Marathon is Saturday, May 3, with the pre-race expo held May 1-2 at the Indiana Convention Center.

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