Frequently Asked Questions
Bib numbers are assigned on a rolling basis starting in mid-April. Please use this link here to locate your Bib number.
About Registration
Online registration closed on April 29 at 7:00 am ET.
Registration for 2026 is officially sold out for the Mini-Marathon and 5K. There will be no in-person registration available.
No. You must sign up for the challenge itself. If you signed up for the Mini-Marathon and the Miler Series, you are not automatically signed up for the Mini-Maniac Challenge.
Challenges are the cost of the races and an additional $20 to cover the cost of the additional shirt and medal.
All online registrations will be confirmed via email. You may also confirm you are registered here!
Yes, you may choose to defer your Mini-Marathon or 5K race registration for one year. Deferrals cannot be extended beyond one year, and requests to defer again in future years will be denied.
Deadline: All deferral requests must be received by April 6, 2026. Requests after this date will not be accepted.
There is a $22.50 race deferral fee, which ensures your spot is secured for next year’s event, helps us cover related administrative costs, and allows us to continue planning a safe and high-quality race experience for all participants.
Steps to Submit Your Deferral for the Mini-Marathon or 5K:
If you need to defer a Challenge registration or switch to the virtual event, do not follow the steps below. Instead, contact the 500 Festival at info@500festival.com.
1. Visit the RunSignup Login page and sign in.
2. Click your profile icon in the top right corner and select Profile.
3. Find the 500 Festival Running Events and select Manage Registration.
4. Click Defer Registration on the top of the webpage.
5. Fill out the necessary information and you are all set! We will send out deferral codes in the Fall of 2026.
Expo & Packet Pickup
Thursday, April 30: 4:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Friday, May 1: 10:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.
You can pick up your race number at the Indy Mini Expo.
There is limited race day packet pick up, for an additional cost, in the event of extenuating circumstances. Please contact info@500festival.com for additional information. Packets will not be mailed unless you are a virtual participant.
Yes, a friend may pick up your packet for you. Make sure they have your bib number, a copy of your identification, and your confirmation email. It may be picked up at the Expo.
There is limited race day packet pick up, for an additional cost, in the event of extenuating circumstances. Please contact info@500festival.com for additional information. Packets will not be mailed unless you are a virtual participant.
Challenges
Mega Mini Challenge – Complete the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K and the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
Mini Maniac Challenge – Complete the Full Miler Series plus the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
Greatest Spectacle Challenge – Complete the Full Miler Series, the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K, and the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
You can find additional information about challenges HERE.
No. You must register for the challenge itself. For example, if you register for the Mini-Marathon and full Miler Series events separately, it does NOT enroll you in the Mini-Maniac Challenge.
No. Challenge registrations are not discounted bundles. Challenges are the cost of the races plus an additional $20 to cover.
Mega Mini Challenge and Greatest Spectacle Challenge participants will complete the 5K first, then be directed back to the start line for the Mini-Marathon.
After finishing the Mini-Marathon, you will pick up your Mini-Marathon medal at the finish line, then visit the Challenge Medal Station to collect your 5K medal and Challenge medal. You must be wearing your Challenge bib to receive your Challenge medal.
You can find additional information about challenges HERE.
Mini Maniac Challenge & Greatest Spectacle – Friday, February 12 at 12pm EST.
Mega Mini Challenge – Friday, May 7 at 8pm EST.
Mini Maniac Challenge & Greatest Spectacle Challenge – Sunday, April 11 at 11:59pm EST.
Mega Mini Challenge – Friday, May 7 at 8pm EST.
Pick up your Challenge medals at the Challenge Medal Station, located at the end of Runner Services just before the Post Race Party entrance. You must be wearing your Challenge bib to receive your Challenge medal.
You can find additional information about challenges HERE.
Getting to the Race
The start line for the Mini and 5K is on the north side of the JW Marriot in downtown Indianapolis, near the intersection of West Street and Washington street.
UPS Gear check is provided for Mini-Marathon participants and is located on West Street, north of the start line and south of the Post Race Party. Please use the bag you received at the Expo and tear off the tag located on your bib. UPS Trucks are arranged by bib number. Please identify your bib number and corresponding truck to check your gear.
We do not offer race-day shuttles. However, check out the city bus routes at indygo.net.
Waves and Seeding
All participants will have a corral letter on their bib number. This letter corresponds to a specific starting location based on your estimated finishing time. You must start in this corral or, if you are starting with another person that is in a different corral, you must start in the slower of the two locations. The order of the corrals is as follows (from fastest to slowest) A, B, C, D, E, F, etc. Corrals will close 10 minutes before they take off.
See maps at IndyMini.com/maps
6:45 a.m. – Men’s USATF 5 KM
6:47 a.m. – Women’s USATF 5 KM
6:50 a.m. – Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K
7:35 a.m. – Athletes with Disabilities
7:40 a.m. – Wave 1: IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
7:55 a.m. – Wave 2: IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
8:10 a.m. – Wave 3: IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
8:25 a.m. – Wave 4: IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
8:40 a.m. – Wave 5: IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
Corrals close 10 minutes before they take off.
Seeding is proof that you have finished a road race in a certain amount of time and allows you to move towards the front of the Mini-Marathon at the start line. If you have achieved a race result that meets our seeding standards below, you are eligible to be seeded towards the front of Wave 1.
You can find our seeding requirements online at IndyMini.com/Seeding
If you do not meet these requirements, then it is not necessary to submit a seeding request.
If you participated last year, you will not be automatically seeded based on that finish time.
If you wish to be seeded, you must submit proof. Race results must be from the 2025 Indy Mini or a road race that occurred between January 1, 2025, and April 12, 2026. The deadline to submit your seeding proof is April 12, 2026, at 11:59 pm EST.
2025 or 2026 road race and are at least three miles in distance. Virtual results are NOT applicable
Participants completing both the 5K and Mini-Marathon will first line up with the 5K participants at 7:00 am. There will be TWO corral letters on your bib, the first letter is your corral for the 5K, the second letter is your corral for the Mini–Marathon.
After completing the 5K, participants will bypass the runner’s services and follow the signs directing them back to the start line for the Mini-Marathon.
From there, participants will join the second corral listed on their bib. If their corral has already left, they can join the next departing corral. Once they complete the Mini-Marathon, they will receive their medal at the finish line and pick up their 5K and Challenge medal from the Challenge medal tent in the Post Race Party, presented by PNC Bank.
Participants who wish to complete the Mini-Marathon and 5K but NOT register for a challenge will need to wear their 5K bib for the 5K, and their Mini bib for the Indy Mini. They cannot wear both at the same time. Challenge participants will receive one bib that will register their time for both events.
Participants are always allowed to move back in waves, but participants are unable to move forward from what is labeled on their bib.
Please simply see the Solutions Desk at the Indy Mini Expo.
On-Course & Race Experience
Although we don’t have any regulations against children running the Mini Marathon, we highly recommend that parents check with their child’s pediatrician before registering them. This helps to ensure that the child is healthy enough to run and won’t disrupt their growth patterns by running 13.1 miles. If the child is under 18 years of age, they must always run with an adult.
Strollers and dogs are not allowed on the course as they pose a tripping hazard and could be dangerous to other participants.
Yes, service animals are permitted to participate. While you are not required to identify your dog as a service animal, we recommend doing so. We ask that you register under the AWD (Other) category during registration so we are aware and can ensure you receive the appropriate bib. This helps other participants know it is a service dog and prevents distractions during the race.
Additionally, for the safety and comfort of all participants, please keep your service dog on a leash and under control at all times, and be prepared to clean up after them as needed.
Course maps for the Mini-Marathon and 5K can be found at IndyMini.com/Maps.
The “Back of the Pack” crew will be on hand to help, and there will be a bus following the last participants of the race. Any Mini-Marathon participants who cannot finish or cannot keep up with the 18 minute/mile minimum pace can ride the bus to the Post Race Party.
The Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K begins at 6:50 a.m. and has a time limit of 56 minutes.
Additional Details:
- The Men’s USATF 5 KM starts at 6:45 am.
- The Women’s USATF 5 KM starts at 6:47 am.
The first wave of the Mini-Marathon starts at 7:40 am, and the last wave starts at 8:40 am. The time limit for the Mini is about an 18-minute mile or about 4 hours.
The Athletes with Disabilities wave starts at 7:35 am.
The water stations are named “Pit Areas” as part of the Festival’s ties to automotive racing.
Pit Areas with water are marked with a “W” on the course map and will have blue banners on the course on event day.
Pit Areas with Gatorade Endurance Formula are marked with a “G” on the course map and will have green banners on the course on event day.
Course maps can be found at IndyMini.com/Maps
The gates to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will close at approximately 10:00 a.m. At that time, participants will no longer be able to enter the track, and they will be redirected to join the other participants on the course. The timing of this depends on when the last participant crosses the start line and follows an 18-minute mile pace.
While on-course hydration stations are available, participants are welcome to bring their own hydration pack, provided it adheres to the following guidelines:
– The pack should not exceed dimensions of 15” by 10” by 3”
– The reservoir capacity must not exceed 2 liters and should not exceed a total pack capacity of 5 liters
Friends and family members can track a participant’s real-time progress by downloading the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon app (on the App Store and Google Store).
All they need is the participant’s bib number!
After the Race
Save the date! The IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K will be on Saturday, May 8, 2027.
Meet your friends and family in the Meijer Family Reunion Area located at the Post Race Party in Military Park. This area will be divided by letters of the alphabet and will feature live entertainment.
A map of the Post Race Party, presented by PNC Bank, can be found at IndyMini.com/PRP.
Please make meeting plans prior to the start of the race.
At approximately 12:45 pm ET
Results & Awards
Open (fe)male + non-binary, Indiana resident (fe)male + non-binary, Masters (fe)male + non-binary, Grand Masters (fe)male + non-binary, Wheelchair (fe)male + non-binary, Multiple age group categories: 12 and under;13-15; 16-19; 20-24; 25-29; 30-34; 35-39; 40-44; 45-49; 50-54; 55-59; 60-64; 65-69; 70-74; 75-79; 80+
Merchandise
Merchandise can be found by clicking the “Merchandise” tab on the main menu or by heading to store.IndyMini.com
Merchandise is also available race weekend at the Indy Mini Expo and after the race in the Post Race Party, presented by PNC Bank.
Merchandise purchased online should arrive within 10 business days. If you are unsure of the status of your order, visit store.indymini.com and click the “Contact” tab.
Groups
Yes, we are happy to offer discounts to our Employee Wellness Challenge, Mini with a Meaning, and Badge Match Challenge. Please contact Luke Hays at lhays@500festival.com for more details.
Virtual Participation
You can complete and log your virtual Mini-Marathon or 5K starting on May 2 and the last day to submit your race will be May 11.
You can use the submission form found on IndyMini.com/Virtual to submit your virtual race.
Packages will be sent to the shipping address provided during registration.
You can run or walk that distance wherever you’d like – outside, on a treadmill, a local track, your neighborhood. Keep track of your run or walk using a watch, activity tracker or smartphone app.
Submit your race recap and time through our online form found at IndyMini.com/Virtual.
Times from virtual races are not considered "official" because there is not an official timing company onsite to verify results.
Typically, virtual race results aren't eligible to serve seeding proof. Policies vary by race and you should contact the race director to confirm a specific event's proof of time guidelines.
Yes! Race results will be posted online after race submission ends. The last day to submit your virtual race is May 11, 2026.
Still have questions?
Reach out to us at info@500festival.com, and we would be more than happy to assist you!
