Valerie Barker's Staging Area

There is a reason this race is so highly ranked. The race production is fantastic. So many aid stations and all well stocked. The race transportation was smooth and the start line was well organized with plenty of port-a-potties.

The expo was one of the largest I’ve been to recently. While the expo was packed, I didn’t have to wait in line at all to pick up my packet.

The metal is nice and finishers received a tech t-shirt. Lots of volunteers at the finish handing out food and water.

Spectators were sparse at the beginning but grew as we approached town. My husband was able to see me at around mile 11 and get to the finish to see me there as well.

I know finding hotels can be hard and expensive. We brought our camper and stayed at the Red Pine Campground, about 15 minutes from the start line bus pickup at Miller Hill mall. The campground rates were the same as their usual rates (I paid $55/night), so if this is an option, it’s a way to save money and still not be too far from the race festivities.

The course is no joke, but the scenery is beautiful. It’s an out and back course, and the road is closed, so there’s really not any spectators along the course except for at the aid stations. The aid stations were well stocked with a variety of fuel. My only suggestion about aid stations would be to have multiple port-a-potties at each one. Most did, but the one at miles 5/8 just had one and it had a line both times I passed it.

The start could be better organized. It wasn’t clear where to line up. I thought all races were starting together, so I was just mixed in with the 10k and 5k runners and we were slowly making our way to the start of the chute and then all of the sudden they called last call for the half marathon. A bunch of us had to squeeze our way around the 10k and 5k runners to get through. I think better signage making it clear that only the half marathoners should be at the front would be good. However, the road was so packed that even if there had been signs, I’m not sure I would have seen them because it was almost impossible to move towards the front because there were so many people.

Parking was also a challenge for my husband. We got to the race about 30-40 minutes early and that wasn’t early enough. He was able to drop me off about a half mile from the start, but he couldn’t find any parking until some of the 5k and 10k participants started leaving. At that point, he got a spot and was able to meet me at the finish line. So when they say get there early, it needs to be probably at least an hour early.

This race is mostly flat except for the bridge between miles 2-3 and again between miles 4-5 (out and back). The bridge looks daunting but it wasn’t too bad and it’s nice that it was near the beginning.

The race has a nice medal and there were tons of water stations on the course. The volunteers were awesome and the community also came out to cheer.

I recommend this race!

This is a small race mostly through the neighborhoods of Lawrence. The race has great volunteers and had someone stationed at almost every intersection or turn so that it was always clear where to go.

Regarding the course: The race was in the rain, which is out of the control of the organizers. About a quarter mile (or less) was on an unpaved trail and it was very muddy, so I wish that part could be eliminated. I also think it would be good if part of the race was through the university campus.

The metal was really nice and the long-sleeved t-shirt had a good design. It is just a regular t-shirt, not tech material. The post-race snacks were also good.

The race included free photos and the photos were really good. I’ve done other races with free photos and the quality of the photos weren’t that great and there weren’t many photographers on course. Not so with this race. Well done.

Overall well organized, small race.

The Indy Mini is a popular race for a reason. The course is very flat and there was lots of support along the course with water and gatorade. The community does a great job supporting the race with entertainment along the way. I enjoyed that the entertainment wasn’t just musicians, but also cheerleaders, cloggers, and even a robotics club.

To and from the Speedway was not the most scenic, but it’s iconic to be able to run a lap of the track. It really puts the size of the track in perspective when running it.

Nice medal, long sleeved shirt, and hat. The Expo was also one of the better ones I’ve attended in a long time.

I recommend this race. The support along the course is great. Every time I wondered when there would be another aid station, one was there. I’d guess roughly every mile. Also several people were out cheering, which was great. The course is mostly flat, but with a few mild hills to change things up for your legs. The course goes through LSU and some pretty neighborhoods. My only complaint is that some of the roads were a bit uneven and I almost rolled my ankle a few times. Watching the road gave me something to think about besides being tired, so maybe that shouldn’t be a complaint!

Super nice medal and T-shirt and not a bunch of other stuff that I don’t want in the packet, so that’s a thumbs up from me.

Perfect weather for 2024. In the 40s and not much wind. Great race, thanks to the organizers!

This was a smaller race, but was well organized with enthusiastic volunteers. Packet pickup was a breeze. I was in and out of the store in under 5 minutes. Several port-a-Johns at the start line. I was a little worried about the race being on a trail because in some places it was narrow, but there were few enough runners that I felt like I could settle into my pace right from the start and I never had problems with crowding. The race has great views and it was especially lovely running through the state park. Some hills in the course, but not too bad.

For swag, we received a long-sleeve tech shirt and medal. At the end of the race, they had pizza, beer, bananas, etc. Great race if you’re looking for something small.

This race was well organized. Packet pickup was quick and easy. The start line organization was also good. I did the back half marathon. I didn’t use the shuttle service to the start line as my husband dropped me off. A plus was that there were real bathrooms at the start, not just port-a-potties. The course was nice with a few rolling hills. I enjoyed running through the Space and Rocket Center, though I didn’t like the short trail run leaving the center as my shoes picked up some rocks that I had to stop and deal with. The botanical gardens were also nice to run through. The rest of the race was mostly through neighborhoods or town. Shoutout to the local police who did a great job closing the streets and dealing with some impatient drivers.

There were regular water stops (I liked that they use reusable cups) that were well spaced and organized to make it clear where to get water and Gatorade. Great food at the end and photos are included!

The race organizers were out and about and super friendly. Highly recommend this race.