Indiana

IU HEALTH 500 FESTIVAL MINI MARATHON

Indianapolis, IN

A Race in the Racing Capital of the World

Thursday, May 1, 2025

The best Hallmark movie plot is our story: Big city girl grows up in the metropolitan New York Tri-State Area, and moves to the Midwest, where she meets her husband, who was born and raised in Indiana. Ever since, my husband and I have been visiting Indiana nearly every year for the past 12 years to visit our family. Together, we have celebrated so many holidays, weddings, birthdays, personal and professional milestones, and just-because visits, and I can't express how much love and appreciation I have for my in-laws for all of the memories we have. This blog post on Indiana is dedicated to all of you — my awesome family!

Indiana is also home to my alma mater, Purdue University, where I obtained my master's degree. Despite my extensive familiarity with the state of Indiana, my trip this time was for the specific purpose of running in the 2025 IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, also known as the Indy Mini, and Indiana would mark State #22 on my quest to run a half marathon in all 50 states. It probably will come as a shock to you, the reader, that prior to this race in the Racing Capital of the World, I'd never run a half marathon in Indiana before. It wasn't until 2020 that I began traveling to run, following the COVID-19 pandemic, when I became determined to never take the things I love for granted once the world opened back up again. So, traveling to Indiana for a race, as a tourist, and not for a holiday or other occasion, was uncharted territory for me.

When I arrived that Thursday, May 1, 2025, I checked in at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown in the heart of the city. Victory Field was on prominent display from my 14th floor window, and I was about a block away from Lucas Oil Stadium. I also had a clear view of West Washington Street, which would be packed with tens of thousands of runners and spectators on race morning. Prior to my arrival, the hotel had emailed guests scheduled to visit that weekend if they would like to opt for a room on the quiet side of the hotel if we were "not participating in the race weekend activities." Even though yes, I was participating in race weekend, I still preferred to be surrounded by quiet, so I asked for room on the "quiet side of hotel." When I got up to my room, I was surprised that I could hear loud music playing outside my window, presumably coming from the valet/sallyport area right outside the front lobby.

I headed down to the front desk, and asked for a box fan, so I could sleep in peace when the time came. The hotel staff was fantastic and provided one immediately. My experience with hotels accommodating my box fan request across the country has been hit or miss — In the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, the response I got from the front desk was, "You're a city girl, aren't you," and in Detroit, I got the side-eye, implying I was some kind of a diva for making such a request. During my recent trip to Hawaii, the hotel blatantly did not have fans, and the consensus was they didn't use them there... you're supposed to open a window. When my husband and I travel together to all-inclusive resorts or go on a cruise, we always pack a portable fan for white noise. It's just who we are.

Later that evening, I took a Lyft to the Slippery Noodle Inn for dinner. I chose it based on the rave reviews it got across several different platforms, to include Reddit, and I always trust Redditors when it comes to local recommendations. Redditors proved especially helpful in assisting me with planning my trip to Detroit, so I trusted them when it came to the Slippery Noodle Inn. I was not disappointed. The restaurant is touted as Indiana's oldest bar, and it was very intriguing as far as the decor. More intriguing than anything else, though, is the building's history.

The Noodle's history goes all the way back to 1850, when it was originally the Tremont House. Through many name and ownership changes over nearly two centuries, The Noodle has remained Indiana's oldest operating bar within the same building. Still standing after the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, both World Wars, Prohibition, the Korean War, Vietnam War, Gulf War, and both the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, the original structure continues to endure as a community staple, and we can only imagine how many stories were told within the confines of those walls throughout history. My favorite fun fact is that during the Civil War — when the tavern was then known as Concordia House — it served as a way station for the Underground Railroad. Indiana was a Union state during the Civil War, and having dinner at a restaurant that is evidence of this part of Indiana's history was fascinating to me.

When I arrived, there was not a huge crowd, but things became very lively after 8:00 P.M. and plenty of groups started filtering in. The patrons were an assortment of bikers and conference-goers wearing lanyards with their names on them. The music volume increased, proportional to the increasing number of guests, and conversations grew louder so people could hear each other over the music and other guests. A hostess advised me to sit wherever I liked, so I chose a spot away from the bar on the restaurant side. I ordered the Teriyaki Chicken Sub at the recommendation of my waitress, and it was phenomenal... a great start to this trip.

Friday, May 2, 2025

On Friday morning I walked down the street to Cafe Patachou, which bills itself as "a student union for adults." The brightly lit restaurant had a very welcoming atmosphere and was already very busy for the first hour of opening. Truthfully I felt like ordering one of each thing on the menu, but settled on Bruce's Granola Breakfast with an extra slice of cinnamon toast (which they are locally famous for), and a lavender latte. The legend of the cinnamon toast extends beyond the farthest corners of Reddit, with Indiana natives and visitors discussing in-depth how to replicate Patachou's cinnamon/sugar/butter ratio.

Fortunately, Patachou sells their cinnamon sugar on their website. If you think this is a paid parnership with Patachou, it's not... their cinnamon toast is really that good. Bruce's Granola Breakfast was fantastic, as well, but the cinnamon toast is what will live rent free in my head forever. Following my fantastic breakfast, which I only wish I could try and duplicate at home, I headed to the North Exhibit Hall at Lucas Oil Stadium, where the 2025 500 Festival Mini-Marathon & 5K Expo was held. Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, was within reasonable walking distance from my hotel.

I'd never been to the stadium before, despite visiting Indiana nearly every year for over a decade. I did a self-guided tour of the stadium before heading into the expo, and found the stadium to be beautiful inside. All of the architecture and decor was an homage to the Racing Capital of the World and the Colts. The stadium has a seating capacity of 63,000, and from where I was standing looking out into the football field, it was extremely deceiving and hard to believe that many people could be packed in there during a football game or concert. The race expo was medium-sized by expo standards, and packet pick-up was pretty seamless with an abundance of volunteers working to distribute packets to hundreds of runners lined up in each queue. I picked up my packet first, and then explored the expo. Included with each race packet was a Mini-Marathon blue cotton long-sleeved T-shirt.

Other than the official Mini-Marathon race merchandise, there were plenty of fun vendors, including UnTapped. UnTapped's niche is all natural athletic fuel, and their flagship product is maple syrup-based energy gel. Maple syrup, according to their website, is water soluble and easy to digest, making it an optimal source of nutrition for endurance athletes on the run. "Plus," the website boasts, "Maple syrup is a cinch to clean up; just rinse with water." I am foreshadowing by mentioning this — the ease in which this syrup can be cleaned up will prove to be important later in this story. At the UnTapped booth, a friendly gentleman was offering free samples of their syrup, which I gladly tried and enjoyed. Also popular with customers are their energy waffles, and I was intrigued by the lemon-flavored waffle and the chai, and I purchased both.

Parked on display for all to pose for a photo with was the 2025 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, the vehicle bestowed with the honor of Official Pace Car for the 109th Indianapolis 500. The ZR1 is heralded as Chevrolet's fastest Corvette ever, capable of reaching a top speed of 233 mph, which is currently the highest top speed of any vehicle ever made in America. Standing next to the car, I was struck by how small it appeared in person compared to the photos I'd seen. It was pretty incredible standing beside it, knowing what it was capable of, despite how tame and vulnerable it appeared in its current state. It was peacefully parked on the carpet inside the exhibit hall as if it was a Siberian tiger sleeping within a zoo enclosure, waiting for the opportunity to spring to life from zero to 60 mph in 2.3 seconds.

The expo featured a 2025 Indy Mini participant wall, where participants and family members spent some time looking for their names. Before heading out, I entered some raffles at the booths advertising some local races, such as the Purdue Boilermaker Half Marathon. I'm not sure that I won an entry, but this race is definitely on my list for the future at some point. Last but not least, runners had the opportunity to preview the finish medals. I was excited to add this year's Mini-Marathon medal to my collection, which featured an INDYCAR SERIES car crossing the legendary Yard of Bricks.

After the expo, I made my way down Washington Street and stopped at Wei Ramen for lunch. The restaurant was cute and cozy, and this little welcoming space delivers when it comes to authentic Japanese comfort food. I ordered the Yamitsuki Ramen and a side of gyoza, and it was absolutely amazing. I was reminded of my experience a year ago at Ume Craft Ramen during my trip to Lexington for Run The Bluegrass, when I was craving something easy on the stomach following that really challenging race course. In hindsight, Wei Ramen would have been the perfect post-race meal, though I didn't want to wait another day to try it out.

Wei Ramen is just around the block from Monument Circle and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument, which is where I stopped next. Originally, the Soldiers & Sailors Monument was constructed to honor Indiana's Civil War veterans, and eventually evolved to commemorate Indiana's veterans who have served in all conflicts prior to WWI, to include the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Mexican War, the Civil War, the Frontier Wars and the Spanish-American War. Each intricately detailed side of the monument represents the sacrifices made in each conflict, and the entire structure majestically stands only 15 feet shorter than the Statue of Liberty. Visitors can take an elevator or a set of stairs to the top of the monument and view downtown Indianapolis from an observation deck. The observation level is 330 steps up via the staircase, or the elevator takes visitors up to step 290.

While inside the monument, I elected not to head up to the observation deck only because both options seemed claustrophobia-inducing (for me personally), with very little circulating air, but I knew the view must have be impressive from up there. The ground level of the monument functions as a miniature museum, with photos, pamphlets, and displays honoring Indiana's veterans who served in each conflict. Aside from the beauty of the monument itself, my favorite feature was the fountain, which adds to the serenity of Monument Circle. While exploring the Circle, I visited South Bend Chocolate Company's Chocolate Cafe, and sampled their Dinosaur Egg ice cream. The Chocolate Cafe also had every flavor of popcorn imaginable.

Indiana has a pretty significant relationship with popcorn — in 2023, the USDA claimed Indiana produces one quarter of the nation's popcorn, coming in second to Nebraska as the largest popcorn producer in the United States. Indiana is home to Orville Redenbacher and Weaver Popcorn Co., two of the largest popcorn companies in the country, and in July 2021, the Indiana General Assembly approved a bill designating popcorn as the official state snack. I feel inspired to look up whether other states have a state snack now, but my true inspiration for researching Indiana's state snack is my husband, who is obsessed with popcorn. Because he was born and raised in Indiana, his obsession with the popped, delicious, versatile snack was unavoidable. I did not end up bringing a bag home for him as a souvenir, because as a popcorn connoisseur, he is very particular.

It was a requirement for me that my pre-race dinner needed to consist of plenty of carbs, and the solution was none other than Vicino, which is a popular downtown spot in Indy known for their cocktails and Italian dishes. Brette, Victor and I had never been there before, so it was a culinary adventure for us and we were excited to try it. Our timing was perfect, and we got there before the big dinner rush and long wait times. The restaurant offers an outdoor seating area and a cozy indoor space, and we opted for cozy.

We shared the focaccia bread and I ordered the Meatball Bolognese for my appetizer, since I was planning to get a big bowl of pasta for my main course and needed the protein. The appetizers were fantastic! I was skeptical that anything could top the appetizers, but the main course, my bowl of pasta, was amazing and packed with flavor, and I truly struggled to save room for dessert. The three of us shared a plate of cannolis for dessert, and they exceeded all expectations possible. Vicino was a good decision.

The Greatest Spectacle in Running: The Gold Mile and a Sticky Mile

Race Day: Saturday, May 3, 2025

I stepped out of my hotel to a light misting rain on race morning. The weather conditions could not have been more perfect for a race, at a damp 57° F, with a gentle 5 mph breeze. I headed up the block on Missouri Street and joined the 23,000 other race participants behind my hotel, where runners milled about up and down West Washington Street in a sea of ponchos, official Indy Mini baseball caps, and cute black and white checkered race gear. Pop music blared from speakers all up and down the corrals, and an announcer was in the process of hyping up the crowd. I joined two other runners under an awning, which shielded us from the rain. As the National Anthem was sung, we continued to hang out under the awning, with our hands over our hearts, anxiously waiting for an opportunity to dash into the start corral.

We waited until the very last possible minute to enter the start corral to avoid getting soaked before the race, and watched closely for an opening in the gate where we could jump in right before the gates closed and runners were no longer allowed to enter. Thankfully, the rain let up once we got inside the start corral, and the weather was even more perfect. We had 5 minutes to spare before our corral was scheduled to cross the timing mat. I checked my phone for the humidity conditions, and we had 83% humidity. I was already feeling pretty optimistic about my performance. Just fresh from the Hapalua Half Marathon in Hawaii two weeks prior to the Indy Mini, where the heat and humidity were pretty brutal, I couldn't be happier about the weather. I finished the Indy Mini approximately 30 minutes faster than my Hawaii time, another fine example of how much heat and humidity can impact performance.

The race start was the antithesis of what you imagine when you think of the Indy 500 — instead of ultra high-performance vehicles jetting off at some of the highest top speeds in motorsport to the famed preparatory command of, "Gentlemen, start your engines," we were 23,000 runners shuffling shoulder to shoulder across the timing mat in a slow, anxious trot as a colorful mass moving as one after the announcer released us. I have to admit, I was a bit disappointed no one said "Start your engines" to kick off the "Greatest Spectacle in Running." Totally a missed opportunity!

We ran the first mile down Washington Street, crossing the White River and passing the Indianapolis Zoo, then turned onto North White River Parkway Drive. We spent approximately 2 miles on West Michigan Street from there, with our first water and Gatorade stops appearing right before we hit Mile 3. I was literally surrounded by thousands of runners non-stop, the entire course, and at times it felt a bit crowded until the streets widened out. This was probably one of the most walker friendly courses I've ever run, second to the Hapalua, which promoted enjoying the course on "Hawaiian time."

I didn't exactly run this course on Hawaiian time, however the atmosphere was just as uplifting as my race two weeks ago had been. Volunteers were abundant, however, porta-johns were not. Every stop with portable toilets had a line of runners snaking around, and around Mile 4, my bladder began to dominate my thoughts as I searched for a viable toilet option without a line a mile long at every stop. Unfortunately, my "pit stop" wouldn't happen until Mile 9 (more on that later). Miles 4 and 5 took us through more of downtown Indianapolis and the neighborhoods in the suburban areas, which I admit was really not much to look at scenery-wise. The course was a bit hilly throughout, and not completely flat, so if you're someone like me who checks out the elevation profile of a course in advance, the elevation profile on the Mini-Marathon website is optimistically deceiving.

The hills were manageable, and probably for most runners, barely noticeable. Everyone noticed the hill before Mile 6, though, which was a bit of a beast, and the steepest of the course. The most scenic and exciting part of this course was obviously the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and we had the pleasure of entering the race track at Mile 6. Excitement started to build as we funneled towards the Speedway entrance. We climbed one monster hill, which thanked us for visiting the racing capital of the world, before heading to the gate to enter the track.

We completed one full lap on the track, which in total amounted to 2.4 miles. The steep banking of the track, designed to allow drivers to maintain higher speeds while negotiating turns, was a bit hard on my left knee and calves unless I ran on the innermost part of the track. The banking did not lend itself to more aggressive racing maneuvers for me, even though it did make me feel a bit like I was a race car. A very slow race car, running out of fuel. This was considered the toughest peak of the course, and some runners may have been in need of additional encouragement. That encouragement came in abundance from the somber, emotional experience that was Mile 6. Mile 6 was extremely special, because it was The Gold Mile, dedicated to honoring Indiana's fallen service members and their families (Gold Star Families).

Lining the course were hundreds of American flags and posters displaying the photos of Indiana's fallen service members, plus Indy Mini volunteers wearing gold shirts cheering on participants. I was not expecting the wave of emotion that came on suddenly when I began to run past the surviving family members of the fallen heroes, standing next to their loved one's photo. Seeing the family members brought me to tears, and I spent the rest of that mile wiping away tears and thinking about not only those loved ones on the course, but also the fallen Marines who I had served with while I was on active duty who lost their lives. It is difficult for me to write about this experience currently — two days after Memorial Day — without getting emotional all over again.

Shortly after passing the Mile 7 marker, we reached the famed "Yard of Bricks" located at the track's start/finish. The single yard of bricks are the last remnants of Carl Fisher's historic 1909 resurfacing project — which entailed resurfacing the original speedway with 3.2 million bricks — resulting in the speedway acquiring the nickname "The Brickyard." One of the Indy Mini race traditions entails kissing the bricks, which is a tribute to the Indy 500 tradition. The tradition actually originated with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s NASCAR Cup Series race, the Brickyard 400, and it was eventually adopted by Indy 500 drivers in 1996.

For Indy Mini race participants, kissing the bricks was optional, and many chose to do so for the photo opportunity and to be part of the tradition. I participated in spirit, but elected not to actually do it, because kissing bricks that thousands of other people had kissed before me within the last hour did not sit well with my germaphobia. We exited the Speedway a little after Mile 8, and by that point, we'd had two water stops and a Gatorade stop during our time on the track. As 109th Indianapolis 500 Winner Alex Palou had made his final pit stop on Lap 168, playing a risky game with his fuel mileage at that point, my final pit stop came at Mile 9 of the Indy Mini when my check engine light came on and I absolutely could not go another mile without peeing.

Thankfully there was a bank of porta potties right outside the Speedway upon our exit. I bit the bullet and waited in the annoying line for my turn, certain this would add at least 5 minutes to my finish time. As I was in line waiting, I suddenly heard someone shouting my name, and was super excited to see my friend Vicki leaving the course and running towards me. I was so happy and surprised to see her, and gave her a huge hug. Both of us were shocked that we ran into each other, in a crowd of tens of thousands.

I met Vicki through one of the 50 states half marathon Facebook groups, and we ended up running the Bird-in-Hand Half Marathon together in Pennsylvania two years prior. Since then, we've been actively following each other's running journeys. We later discovered we were on the same flight home, which was an incredible coincidence, and another example of how small the running community is. Vicki and I said a quick "see you later" and she took off, certain I would pass her later on the course when I was finished with my pit stop. I picked up the pace to make up some of the time, and the stop ended up being fairly inconsequential when it came to my finish time. My coach refers to this calculation to making up for a break as "runner math."

The rest of Mile 9 was uneventful, however when we reached Mile 10, I experienced a new challenge. I nicknamed Mile 10 "The Sticky Mile," because this was the location of the "pit station" offering UnTapped Energy Gel. UnTapped uses pure organic maple syrup as sports nutrition, as I mentioned previously while recounting the expo experience, and although I was a huge fan of their waffles, I was not a fan of their energy gel in that moment. Maple syrup was deeply upsetting to me for an entire mile straight.

For nearly that entire mile, the pavement was coated slick with sticky maple syrup from thousands of discarded energy gel packets. Runners thundered past the aid station in slow motion, bogged down by syrup sticking to the bottoms of our shoes. Every footfall came with a sticky squelching noise with each stride, and the chorus of hundreds of squelches of sticky shoes was actually quite comical. It wasn't until we reached the water station at Mile 11 that I was able to free myself from the syrup, and ran through the puddles of water along the curb to rinse the bottoms of my shoes off.

The last 3-ish miles were slightly uphill, and by the time I'd stopped my watch after crossing the timing mat at the finish, I noted the course was a bit long. This wasn't one of those typical instances where if you run the tangents it equals the exact race distance, or a GPS inaccuracy, this was an example of the course actually being a few tenths of a mile long. Other runners observed this as well. I didn't mind it, because the worse scenario is always when the course is short of the 13.1 miles.

Our finish chute finally came into view on the straightaway on New York Street, and tens of thousands of spectators lined each side of the road for the entire last quarter of a mile, cheering wildly for finishers and shouting our names. Indianapolis brought the energy, and I felt the love and camaraderie to the same degree as I did at the finish of the Detroit Free Press International Half, or the Garry Bjorklund Half (Grandma's Marathon Weekend). If you're looking to feel like the greatest celebrity on earth for finishing a half marathon, this race is for you. I sprinted through the finish chute with all of the remaining fuel I had left in the tank, collected my medal, a protein bar, water, and a small bag of apple slices, and met up with Brette and Victor at the finisher's festival.

The three of us were slightly overwhelmed by the amount of people crowded into the finisher's area, and we decided to head down the street to my hotel for an early lunch at Connor's Kitchen + Bar. Our timing was perfect, and we managed to beat all of the runners and spectators, who ended up trickling in after we'd placed our orders. Connor's prides itself on "elevated comfort food," and the giant stack of lemon buttermilk pancakes I ordered was beyond comforting.

They were by far the most flavorful and amazing lemon pancakes I've ever had, with giant blueberries throughout, served with maple syrup and fresh squeezed lemon juice. Drinking milk after the Indianapolis 500 is a time-honored tradition, and to celebrate this iconic tradition and my race finish, I ordered a Nutella Mocha Smoothie with my meal. It has to have milk in there somewhere, right? Close enough. Plus, it had caffeine, which I was in desperate need of. I ended up taking a to-go box back up to my room with one and a half leftover pancakes.

While I was in the elevator, two other runners were discussing the gravity of their starvation and were wondering where to grab something to eat. One of the women looked at me and said whatever was in my to-go box smelled heavenly, and I revealed the pancakes to them and recommended they turn around and go to Connor's. They offered to give me cash for my pancakes in a desperate bribe, and I laughed all the way up to the 14th floor. It's been three weeks since my trip to Indianapolis, and I've thought about these pancakes every day since. Thankfully, I'll be returning to Indiana again soon to visit family, and if I'm lucky, I'll have an opportunity to be reunited with the pancakes.

My last evening in Indianapolis ended with pizza at Ale Emporium, because I couldn't leave Indiana without keeping up my tradition of trying pizza in every state I visit. Obviously, I'd visited Indiana before, for many years, and consumed many pizzas over those years during my visits, but for the sake of my personal race weekend tradition, I opted for the BBQ chicken pizza. It was fantastic. Because dinner was on the early side, I later ended up revisiting my leftover Connor's pancakes and finished them off before going to bed.

Sunday morning was foggy and rainy, and I had a few hours before it was time to head to the airport. I wanted to try something new for breakfast, so I headed over to Spoke & Steele, which was located inside the Le Meridien hotel downtown. I guess I didn't know what I was expecting, but the food, and the inside of the hotel were a lot simpler than the website made them out to be. A positive spin on it is they have a fantastic website, which exudes elegance and sets the expectation that you're in for a fancy experience, however when you order your food, expect something a bit more down-to-earth and personal.

The pancakes I ordered were delicious and hit the spot, but they were no Connor's pancakes, sadly. Fortunately, customer service was top notch. After breakfast I took a short walk downtown and headed back to visit the Soldiers and Sailors Monument to take some of my last photos and say goodbye to the beautiful monument. It was time to wrap my trip up, so I headed to the airport, had a Fiesta Burger with fries from The Tap and a milkshake from Shake Shack while waiting for my flight. I only learned after the fact that The Tap had quite a few negative reviews on Google, however I will say my experience there was excellent.

The burger was outstanding, and my waitress, Dee, was extremely friendly, attentive, and made myself and the other customers next to me feel welcome. She even gave us menu recommendations when we learned they were out of an ingredient. My visit there made my wait in Concourse B go by quickly before I had to board my flight. I think some of the Google reviewers caught them on an off day. Please read the positive reviews too... this little restaurant deserves more love than it's gotten on Google. On my flight, I was reunited with Vicki, and we sat together and discussed our race plans for the upcoming year. Indiana was officially checked off for both of us, with a checkered flag finish!

LODGING:

Indianapolis Marriott Downtown

350 W Maryland St

Indianapolis, IN 46225

🏁🏎🍿

Happy running and safe travels,

Stefanie