The Mill Race Marathon is one of my favorite Indiana marathons. It’s truly one of our hidden gems in the state. I know all the other finishers of this event will agree. Here is my video race review (scroll below for text-only version & Strava map):
This year was only the second time I’ve done this event. It was also first time I stayed around for the after party – which is really what sets this event apart from any other. I’ll get to that in a bit.
The race takes place in mid to late September, so weather can be a bit of a coin toss. The first year I did this race was 2014. That year was really warm and sunny. This year was much cooler and overcast. It was pretty much perfect weather for running a half or full marathon. I actually spoke with several folks at the finish who had PR times this year.
The Course
The course is super flat and well supported. The first half of the marathon includes a little tour of downtown Columbus so there’s lots of crowd support. You also cross the iconic bridge over Flatrock River. You then head out toward the airport via some quiet residential neighborhoods. Once you get out there you actually run out onto the tarmac which is pretty cool since there will likely be some planes taking off and landing nearby.
Out here there is also a long stretch that would potentially be pretty boring. Thankfully volunteers put up dozens of cheesy motivational posters that are pretty entertaining. One of my favorites: “Run like American Airlines wants your seat”.
As you make your way back downtown, crowd support picks up and you can hear the “Finish on Fourth”. This is where this event really stands out. They close down a few blocks on their main street for this post race party. This includes a live music, lots of food vendors, coffee, and huge kids zone. It’s actually a very kid-friendly event if you have youngsters in your support crew. There are also several local restaurants and a really nice coffee shop right off the main strip. Lots of things to do post-race.
The Giveaway!
Ok, so what makes this race different from any other I’ve seen is their famous Truck Giveaway. Cummins is a major corporate sponsor of the race and they also happen to be headquartered in Columbus. If you’re not familiar with Cummins they are a Fortune 500 company that manufactures engines. So each year they give a way Cummins-powered RAM 2500 Crew Cab heavy duty pickup. It’s a massive vehicle and anyone who finishes the half or full marathon is entered to win. They announce the winner at 4pm the day of the event from the main stage at the after party. You have to be present to win, so lots of people end up hanging out all afternoon. This year just over 200 people finished the full marathon and about 1,500 finished the half marathon – so pretty good odds for a raffle if you ask me!
This was the first year I stayed for the drawing and unfortunately I didn’t win. But the winner did have a pretty cool story – it was her first half marathon and the first official running race ever. Can you imagine?
The Conclusion:
Anyway, I highly recommend this race if you are from Indy and haven’t done it or if you are in the 50 states marathon club and need to check Indiana off your list!