Spectator Guide

We hope you’re excited about The Greatest Spectacle in Running®! The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K invite you to join in the excitement! Below you will find helpful information to prepare you for the nation’s Most Iconic Half-Marathons.

Race Morning:

If you plan on joining in person, arrive early in downtown Indianapolis to give yourself plenty of time to find parking. Many downtown streets will be closed to traffic and public parking in preparation for the 500 Festival running events. Several parking facilities will be open for event parking and please keep in mind that due to street closings, not all routes into the various parking locations will be available. Before you venture downtown, please review road closures.

Track Your Runner

Family and supporters can track the progress of athletes this year with runner tracking. We offer participant tracking to friends and family as athletes cross the timing equipment on the course and finish line. There are a few ways you can track a participant!

Track Through the Results Page:

Please keep in mind that bandwidth speeds may be slower than usual due to the number of people in the park and along the course,

Visit the race results page on May 2nd
Navigate to the 'TRACKERS' tab
Enter the name of your participant (this feature is only applicable for participants in the half marathon)
Stay on this page and you'll receive real-time updates with a red bell icon as your participant crosses each timing mat
Pro Tip: Check the course maps to understand the route and ask your participant for their estimated pace for accurate tracking. Results will auto-populate at the following locations:

Track Through Your Participant's Location:
If your participant is carrying their phone or smartwatch, they can share their location with you. Refer to device-specific guides for sharing locations (iPhone, Apple Watch, Garmin, Android (via Google Maps).

Cheer Zone at the Finish Line

Make your way to the WTHR Cheer Zone, located within the 500 Festival Post Race Party in Military Park where you can watch them cross the finish line! You’ll be so motivated after seeing all the different types of people crossing the finish line that you’ll want to be among the first to register for next year’s events.

Reunite With Your Participant

After the race, reunite with your participant in the 500 Festival Post Race Party. Located in Military Park in downtown Indianapolis, head to the Family Reunion Area in the north section of the park. There you will see signs representing every letter of the alphabet. Plan to reunite with your participant under the sign representing your last name. While at the Post Race Party, stay and enjoy an ice-cold Michelob ULTRA, great live music, and outstanding food from local food vendors.

Best Places To Watch

Start Line - Feel the energy and excitement as participants start their 13.1 journey. Runners and walkers have been training for months for this moment. Here is your chance to let them hear it!

Main Street in Speedway - Cheer on participants as they run through the heart of Speedway. Also marks the westernmost point of the course and is a great place for spectators from Indianapolis' western suburbs to watch.

Entrance to Indianapolis Motor Speedway - Feel the history and month of May come alive as Mini-Marathon participants enter the hallowed grounds of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. (please note that spectators are not permitted inside of IMS)

Victory Mile - Participants are in the home stretch now! Cheer them on as they run through the final mile on New York Street from White River to the finish line.

Finish Line - Watch and cheer for runners and walkers as they've completed 13.1 miles! This is the moment they have been training months for.

Broadcast Information

Tune in to WTHR – Channel 13 to catch live coverage of the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon and Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K.