How do I get my company involved?
Step 1. Chose a Team Captain: Each company will need a Team Captain to lead their team and coordinate with the 500 Festival. The 500 Festival will provide promotional and training materials. Team Captains also have the opportunity to receive a free entry.
Step 2. Enroll Company: The Team Captain will fill out a team registration form
here. The 500 Festival will provide the Team Captain with a link to your team's online registration.
Step 3. Get Your Team Signed Up! The Team Captain will reach out to their coworkers with all of the promotional and training materials along with the team registration link.
Step 4. Start Recruiting! Here are some recruiting tips you can use to capture employees:
- Motivate your team- Encourage your colleagues to sign up by offering small prizes or incentives to people who register.
- Spread the word- Let your coworkers know that you are looking for anyone to join the team. They may know someone in another department that would be willing to participate. Also, let them know that friends and family can participate in the challenge as well.
- Stay active- Remind your teammates to go for a quick run/walk during breaks, lunch hour, or even after work.
- Make it fun- Continue to update your teammates on how many people have registered, or even plan weekly or monthly challenges for running/walking. Anyone who is isn’t signed up might see how much fun it is and will be inspired to join
- Communicate the benefits- Team members receive discounted registration, an opportunity to engage with colleagues, customized training plans, and other resources.
Benefits of Staying Active
Routine exercise and physical activity can lead to an overall healthier lifestyle and improved work performance! Staying active can provide the following health benefits:
- Reduces stress, improving mood and overall mental and emotional health
- Increases energy levels
- Boosts immune system
- Improves sleep
- Lowers blood pressure
Getting Active at Home
- Family exercises- go for short walks, runs, bike rides, hiking, etc.
- Get outdoors- during lunch break go for a run or walk. Don’t have much time? Break your runs/walks/workouts into smaller sessions by splitting up your times.
- Set goals- challenge yourself by setting up goals and making plans to achieve it by a certain date.
- Examples:
- Try to beat your fastest mile or 5K
- Run X number of miles in a week or month
- Make a detailed running plan that will lead to 13.1 miles by a certain day
Training Blogs
Our friends at OrthoIndy have featured blogs and videos on training for the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K. These are great resources to share with your team members.
8 Quick Tips on How to Train for a Mini-Marathon
What Kind of Running Shoes Do I Need