Indy Mini-Marathon named nation's best half-marathon

The Greatest Spectacle in Running is getting national attention.

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon has been named the nation's best half-marathon as part of USA TODAY's 2023 10Best Readers' Choice travel awards.

According to USA TODAY, the half-marathon is the fastest-growing race distance in the United States with some 2 million runners participating annually. 

The public had the opportunity to vote on their favorite race and in the end it was the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon that came out on top. 

The marathon, often referred to as the Indy Mini, takes runners through downtown Indianapolis, past historic landmarks and famous sites like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

It's one of the nation's largest half-marathons, bringing some 35,000 runners to the Circle City each year. It's also part of the 500 Festival, which leads up to the iconic Indianapolis 500. 

The Indy Mini beat the RunTheBluegrass Half Marathon in Lexington, which is known for being "America's prettiest half-marathon," and the Hippie Half, which brings people to Gregory, Michigan every summer to camp, run, listen to live music and enjoy a festive atmosphere. 

posted Saturday April 29th