Mini marathon to raise scholarship funds

Runners attending the seventh annual IU Mini Marathon and 5K Run/Walk on March 31 can expect an unchanged running route from years past, though there will be some new additions along the route.

As of Wednesday, 1,200 people are currently signed up to participate, said Jacquelyn Beane, IU Alumni Association alumni event and service coordinator.

Last year, more than 1,500 people participated in the event, which is coordinated by the Indiana Running Company with assistance from the IUAA.

Proceeds from the race will generate funds for the Bill Z. Littlefield Scholarship for Survivors, which aids students who have beat cancer.

The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m. on 17th Street, in front of the DeVault Alumni Center, and the Mini will start at 8:30 a.m. at the same location. The 13.1-mile Mini route will take runners north near Assembly Hall and south near Bloomington High School South.

New this year are local bands along the Mini route. Two bands, one near the Sample Gates and one near the intersection of 17th Street and the IU Credit Union, will entertain event participants and those who come to cheer them on.

Online registration for the event has closed, but those interested can register from 4 to 8 p.m. March 30 at the packet pickup point at the DeVault Alumni Center or from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. before the race, also at the DeVault Center.

In its first six years, the event has raised more than $100,000 in scholarship funds.
For more info about the race, street closures and how to volunteer, visit http://alumni.indiana.edu/together/recreational-events/mini-marathon/

— Matthew Glowicki