More than 1,500 runners participate in third annual Mini Marathon

Music, cheers and spandex filled the parking lot of Memorial Stadium on Saturday as runners prepared for the big race. IU’s Circle of Life hosted its third annual Mini Marathon and 5K run and walk to help raise money for the Bill Z. Littlefield Scholarship for Survivors, an award given to cancer survivors. \nLittlefield was a senior lecturer in the Kelley School of Business who died of cancer in the summer of 2005. \nPresident and Chief Executive Officer for Circle of Life Sean Keegan MacCauley said just more than 1,500 runners showed up.\n“I am extremely pleased,” he said. “We only had 89 days to get the race off the ground with the transition from fall to spring. Now we have a whole year to prepare for the next race.”\nIU senior Andrew Zale had been training with a friend to prepare for the Mini Marathon. Zale said the two trained for the race by spending a lot of days running.\n“We have been training about two months, running every day,” he said. They ran six to seven miles on average each day. \nHowever, it was not just students who participated in the Mini Marathon and 5K. People from all over the community and a wide variety of age groups competed to support the cause. \n“I started the inaugural race three years ago ... I do it every year,” Bloomington resident Vickie Goens said.\nBut it was the young runners in the 5K that set the pace. The leaders could be seen crossing 17th Street only about 17 minutes into the 3.1 mile race. The first- and second-place finishers were both 14 years old. Bloomington resident Nick Kirkpatrick was the first-place finisher. \nTwenty-seven-year-old Cory Ferguson was the first runner to cross the Mini Marathon finish line and the top runner in the men’s division with a winning time of about one hour and 11 minutes. Ferguson finished the 13.1 mile course as runners and walkers were still striding in from the 5K. Bloomington resident Larissa Mikahaylova took first place in the women’s division, with a time of about one hour and 23 minutes. \nFerguson said he participated in the event to help prepared for the Boston Marathon, which he will be running in a few weeks. \n“It is a very hilly course, and I knew it would be a good challenge,” he said. \nHowever, for Ferguson, it isn’t just about preparation.\n“Circle of Life helps cancer survivors,” he said. “I had family members that have gone through cancer. It means a lot to contribute for a good cause.” \nThis year, the Mini Marathon and 5K had a slight makeover. Instead of being held in the fall, it was held in the spring. This change seemed to please runners. \n“It was the hottest race last year,” Goens said. “The hills and heat were a killer.”\nAnother twist was the promotion of groups for the 5K run and walk. \nSeveral greek organizations came out in support of Circle of Life by competing in the 5K and cheering each other on. \n“Our whole house is doing it, so you’re going to see all of us running together,” said sophomore Alpha Chi Omega member Megan Reeder. \nIU’s fraternities and sororities raced for $5,000 and a trophy as a part of the Greek Challenge for participating in the 5K. The top fraternity in the 5K was Sigma Nu and the top sorority was Gamma Phi Beta. \nAll runners and walkers got medals of participation when they crossed the finish line. Around 11:30 a.m., people gathered in the Memorial Stadium bleachers for the award ceremony. IU’s head football coach Bill Lynch and members of the IU football team handed out awards to the top runners in each category on the field.