Wave Start Information

The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon utilizes a wave start, creating a more efficient and enjoyable race experience for participants. A wave start sends race participants off in five smaller groups (called "waves"). Each wave has its own start line fanfare, including being led off by the Indy 500 Pace Car, driven by an IndyCar driver!

Each wave consists of 5 - 6 smaller groups of participants (called "corrals"). We assign your wave and corral placement based upon your run / wheel / racewalk / walk status and your estimated finish time that you provided during registration. The Indy Mini uses the Chronotrack bib timing device. This means that a participant’s time does not begin until they cross the timing mats at the start line, so the wave start will not impact your overall time.

Benefits of a wave start include:

• A more enjoyable experience for participants including less congestion from start to finish
• Participants will be able to arrive later and have more time to enter their corrals than previous years
• Reduction in density of participants at the start line, finish line and throughout the course, allowing for easier access for safety and medical personnel as well as race officials
• More participants will be able to experience the “start” of the Mini-Marathon

Estimated Finish Times

Please be honest with the assessment of your ability, as you will be placed in a corral based on your run / wheel / racewalk / walk status and your estimated finish time. You can use our Pace Chart to estimate your finish time. As a reference, most walkers complete the Mini-Marathon between 3:15 and 4:00.

The Mini-Marathon has a time limit of 4 hours (18 minutes per mile pace). Participants must be able to maintain the 18 minute per mile pace or they will be required to board the trail bus. This limit allows our volunteers to clean and clear the course prior to the streets being open to traffic. Our Back of the Pack crew will be out to mark the time limit and encourage all the participants to keep going! The 18 minute per mile time limit begins when the last participant crosses the start line.

If you need to update your estimated finish time, please contact raceinfo@500festival.com.

Wave Start FAQs

How is my wave assigned?

Participants are placed in waves by their estimated finish time and run/racewalk/walk status submitted at the time of registration. Those participants who sent in seeding proof verifying that they can finish within a certain time will be lined up toward the front of the field.

When will I find out what wave I have been placed in?

Each participant will receive an email in mid-April containing their bib number, corral, wave and wave start time.

What are the start times of each wave?

Wheelchair – 7:30 am

Wave 1 – 7:33 am

Wave 2 – 7:40 am

Wave 3 – 7:50 am

Wave 4 – 8:00 am

Wave 5 – 8:10 am

Can I switch to a different wave?

Participants are welcome to move backwards to a higher corral and wave (Example: Corral J to Corral R) but will not be allowed to move forward to a lower corral and wave (Example: Corral L to Corral G).

How many people are in each wave?

Each wave will feature approximately 6500 participants.

How long will the gap be between each wave?

Each wave will start in 10 minute increments. With an average of 900 – 1000 participants crossing the start line per minute, there will be a 7- to 8-minute gap between the clearing of the previous wave and the start of the next wave.