Runner nominations and votes decided the Best Races in America for the decade. 

INDIANAPOLIS (December 2, 2020) – The 500 Festival, a nonprofit organization providing life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500®, today announces that the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon was recently named the #1 Half Marathon of the Decade in the 2020 edition of The BibRave 100: A Definitive List of the Best Races in America, A Decade in Review. The Indy Mini was also listed among the races with Best Medals & Swag over the past decade. Additionally, the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K was listed as one of the Best Races of the Decade in the 10 Miles or Less category. The 500 Festival was presented with these awards virtually on December 2, 2020.  

Named one of “America’s Most Iconic Races” by Runners World, the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon is one of the nation’s largest half marathons (for the past 20 years) and annually attracts participants from all 50 states and 15+ countries around the world. Known as The Greatest Spectacle in Running, the race starts and finishes in downtown Indianapolis and includes a lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, home of the Indy 500. The flat, fast course is packed with thousands of the nicest volunteers you’ll ever meet, 16 course aid stations and nearly 100 course entertainment acts. The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon is the 500 Festival’s largest fundraiser. Race registrations help support the 500 Festival’s free youth programs and events. The upcoming race takes place on May 8, 2021, and registration is currently open. 

“We are thrilled that the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon has been voted as the Best Half Marathon of the Decade. As the 500 Festival’s largest fundraiser, the Mini-Marathon is integral to our mission and helps us to provide free youth, health and fitness programs to over 100,000 Hoosier children annually,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of the 500 Festival. “Like so many other races, we made the decision to cancel the in-person component of our 2020 Indy Mini due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After making such a difficult decision, we received an outpouring of support from our participants. Knowing that they nominated us for these awards makes it all the more meaningful.” 

The BibRave 100 is an annually published list of America's best races. Rankings are determined based upon runner nominations, surveys from the running industry, and online voting. The 2020 BibRave 100 honored America's best races such as The Boston Marathon, The Bank of America Chicago Marathon and The Walt Disney Marathon, among others. The full results, including the other top finishers in the Top Half Marathon, Best Medals & Swag and Top Races 10 Miles or Less categories can be found here. 

“2020 was challenging for the running industry. We’re proud to shine a light on the events that have gone the distance to provide a great race experience for their runners over the past decade,” said Tim Murphy, Co-Founder of BibRave. “Runners put a lot of time and research into race preparation, and we hope The BibRave 100 is a helpful tool that helps them plan out their race calendar.” 

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Presenting and Associate Level Partners are OneAmerica, Delta Dental, Chevrolet, Franciscan Health, and Meijer. To register for the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, or to learn more, visit www.indymini.com or search #IndyMini on social media. 

About the 500 Festival: 

Founded in 1957, the 500 Festival is a not-for-profit organization that produces life-enriching events and programs that celebrate the spirit and legacy of the Indianapolis 500® and foster positive impact on the city of Indianapolis and state of Indiana. One of the largest festivals in the nation, each year more than half a million people attend an event or program produced by the 500 Festival. Since its founding, the 500 Festival has contributed more than $500 million in economic value to Indianapolis. To learn more about the 500 Festival, please visit www.500festival.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 

About BibRave: 

BibRave works with races and brands to help them engage with runners and ultimately drive more sales and registrations. Through their large and highly-vetted network of running bloggers (BibRave Pros), their popular Twitter event (#BibChat), The BibRave Podcast (Apple, Android, or Spotify), and creative custom content programs, BibRave helps endurance brands and races go beyond simple advertising and truly connect with more runners. 

The company’s consumer-facing product is a race review site where runners can learn about a race before signing up, and leave feedback after the event. The company launched in late 2013 in the Midwest and is now based in Portland, Oregon. 

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