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Indy Mini Race InformationSaturday, May 2, 20092009 marks the 33rd running of the One America 500 Festival Mini-Marathon. With over 35,000 participants, the Indy Mini is the largest half-marathon in the United States!
- WEATHER: Bookmark WishTV to stay updated on weather conditions. The average high is 72°F and the average low is 52°F in May.
- MUSIC:120 entertainment groups and spirit squads adorn the 13.1 mile course. For more information on course entertainment, pleae click here.
 - COURSE MAP: To view the course maps, please click here.
- THINGS TO DO AND SEE: For a list of things going on in the Indianapolis are please visit: www.indy.org
- DID YOU KNOW: For the past six years the event has sold out. The 2008 event race sold out on Nov. 7, 2007. Don't be left out for 2009!
- RACE DAY SCHEDULE:
7:30 a.m. - OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon
8:15 a.m. - Finish Line 500 Festival 5K
*The post race party takes place until 2 p.m. The post race party is free and open to the public. |
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WHY SHE RUNS |
Why is running for NF important to me? have you ever been told that your child has a disease? Have you ever been told that your child will become deaf? One month after our daughter turned 13, we learned of the dreaded disorder Neurofibromatosis (NF). One day she was the highest scorer on her middle school basketball team. The next day we were told that she would no longer be able to play basketball and would probably become deaf.
This started a marathon of brain surgeries. In 1995, just three years after they discovered that there were two different types of NF, Amber had her first of 25 surgeries.
We as a family had to do something. Amber lost her friends. She didn't know what the next direction of her life would be. With little information about NF, we knew we had to do something to help out in raising awareness. We joined in the NF Marathon teams "racing for research" program. Amber's dad, David, and sister, Heather, ran the Maui Marathon/5K for NF. We were immediately hooked. The excitement of doing the race was unbelievable. Meeting other families affected by NF around the world fighting the same disease was astonishing. Running to raise awareness and hopefully a cure was the most gratifying feeling a mother could have. From Maui we went to San Diego where David ran another race.
We thought about the other races and knew of people who told us they would do a race for NF if it was closer to home. After Amber's last brain surgery in September 2005, Amber had a mission: "Get CTF to sponsor the local Indy 500 Mini/5K." The CTF foundation immediately agreed.
We developed "Amber's Army" -- a group of family and friends. Over the last four years there has been a steady increase in the amount of participants and volunteers. Participants have come out to show their support and raise awareness of the quest to solve the puzzle.
Our decision to make this a family affair is one of the happiest opportunities a parent can have. It is close to home and our friends have helped out. You can't just sit around and hope for a cure or treatment. You need to help all that you can so that there will be awareness and fund raising for CTF. You need to make others aware of how NF can take a child who is able to score 18 points in her first middle school game to hardly being able to walk 13 years later. This is the only way people are going to get the education and awareness about NF to hopefully find a cure.
If anyone is looking for a reason to run and have a purpose, the Children's Tumor Foundation is the best!
Jana Virgin, mother of Amber Virgin with NF2
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Medical student organizes 5K for NF
As a MD and PhD student, researcher and husband Brian Schmutzler stays busy. In 2008 he found the time to start and organize a 5K Run/Walk to raise money for NF research. Nearly 100 participants ran the course designed especially for the church property. Donated prizes were given to overall winners and winners in age and gender categories. However, the main focus Schmutzler said was on NF: patients, treatments and research. "We had a physician here in the area, Dr. Larry Walsh, who treats children with NF, speak at the beginning about what NF is, the current knowledge, and the future," Schmutzler said. The event brought together patients, healthcare professionals, family and friends. "I
think it was a shining success in every way: fund raising, the
running event itself, connecting people, getting the word out about NF," Schmutzler said. "Next
year, I would like to raise double or more money for the CTF."
Q. How did you come up with the idea of the Chasing down the Cure Run?
A. I
came up with the idea from a combination of my new found love for running,
my admiration and desire to help the CTF, and the example set by both the
NF Marathon Team and the Racing for Research team.
Q. How were you supported with the idea?
A. Steve
Kendra and Min and the whole CTF were very supportive in every way, from connecting
me to people in the area to help me out with the event to financial
support. The entire NF community in Indianapolis
and even the whole Midwest helped out by
getting the word out, getting donations, coming to the event, and helping
with sponsorships.
Sure! Just send them my way!
Q. How did you
hear about the Children's Tumor Foundation?
A. I
am a Young Investigator Award winner, so I do NF research (I am a graduate
and medical student, studying NF in the lab and seeing patients with NF).
My mentor, Dr. Cynthia Hingtgen, is a former YIA and continues research
into the mechanisms of neuronal changes in NF.
Q. What are you studying in medical school?
A. I
am an MD/PhD student and I love both sides of it. I love bench research on
NF and neuronal function related to NF and other inflammatory processes. I
also enjoy seeing patients and especially the kids and adults with NF. I
have a deep compassion for these patients, and plan to continue a medical
and research career in NF (in some medical specialty). I plan to finish my
PhD next summer and finish Medical
School in June of
2011, then pursue a residency in a yet to be determined specialty.
Q. Why is running important to you?
A. My
wife and I got into running about 10 months ago in an attempt to get in
shape and lose weight. We really got excited about it and started really
enjoying it after about 6 months (when we ran the Mini-Marathon here in
Indy, a half-marathon). We continued by running a number of 5K races in
the area, and we thought what better way to raise money and combine our
passions for NF and running than to have a 5K to benefit these patients. We
are now "addicted" to running, in that we really can't
go more than couple of days without it. We run 30-40 miles per week.
Q. What makes Indianapolis
a special place to have a race?
A. Indy
has a great combination of flat, beautiful ground, hilly areas, and
forest-like areas. Our race took place on the highest point in Hamilton county, the
county just north of Indianapolis. It was part on road (side-walks and
parking lots) and part off-road (on grass and through a forest area). There
is a strong running community here, with 4 large running stores that each
have running teams and training teams. The Mini-Marathon is the largest
half-marathon in the country, and many local runners run in this race. Several
ran in the Chasing Down the Cure event, including the female winner of the
2007 Indy Mini-Marathon. The community here in Indy is very generous, and
donations were quite large. There is also a strong NF community here, with
one of the largest clinical and research NF centers in the country. It is
also the central location for all of Indiana and much of the upper
mid-west for NF treatment. So, it was easy and a good opportunity to get
all these people together.
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