500 Festival Running Events
Always double-check with the organizer's website! This page may contain affiliate links.
500 Festival Running Events
The 500 Festival Running Events are a series of road races and related activities held in Indianapolis and produced by the 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization that celebrates the Indianapolis 500 through community events each May. The main weekend features the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, a 13.1-mile half-marathon through downtown Indianapolis and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K, which hosts the USATF 5KM Championships.
Event offerings and participant resources include an expo with packet pickup, a post-race party, course maps and spectator information, a participant guide, pacers, medal engraving, VIP options, race photos, and training and nutrition tips. A Miler Series presented by OrthoIndy provides three preparatory races on scheduled dates and serves as a timed training series. A virtual program—the Indianapolis 500 Mile Challenge and Gasoline Alley 250 Mile Challenge—lets participants log set mileage totals between June and October. Registration for future editions is available through the event registration system.
Additional event elements include youth and community-oriented races, opportunities to run for charity, elite athlete fields for both the half-marathon and the 5K, and volunteer and merchandise programs organized by the festival. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
- Distances
- 13.1 miles (half-marathon)
- 5K
- KidsFit Final 5K
- 3-Miler, 6-Miler, 10-Miler (Miler Series)
- 250- and 500-mile virtual challenges