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Virtually Racing
As sports events, races are canceled, postponed due to COVID-19, students find new ways to stay in shape, compete SARAH KIM STORY YAEL KISER, HALEY SLOSMAN SUBMITTED PHOTOS
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cross the country, a multitude of events are being canceled due to COVID-19. This includes previously scheduled sports events, such as the Indy Mini Marathon. The Indy Mini is one of the largest half-marathons in the country and was originally scheduled for May 2. However, due to COVID-19, new options had to be explored for the race to happen. Like many races nationally, organizers chose to make the half-marathon a virtual event for this year. This year, according to Kathleen Messmer, communications intern for the OneAmerica 500 Festival, participants must complete their race and submit their results anytime before June 30, 2020. Messmer described the many considerations taken into account before choosing to make the Mini virtual.
“We explored countless options– from a different date, to a different venue. We arrived at the conclusion that we wouldn’t be able to provide the Indy Mini experience that participants have come to expect over the last 43 years,” Messmer said via email. “We were mindful of the resources required to help us produce an event of our size, including thousands of volunteers, medical personnel, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD), the Indiana
ONLINE RUN: (BELOW) Junior Haley Slosman poses for a photo before running the virtual Indy Mini Marathon this year with her father Kevin Slosman. Haley said she liked having the option to still run a virtual race.
PAST RACE: (LEFT) Junior Haley Slosman poses with her father Kevin Slosman after completing the Indy Mini Marathon in May 2017. Haley said she has been running the Mini Marathon for many years with her father.
National Guard, Homeland Security, Indianapolis Motor Speedway staff, corporate partners and many others. Given the current situation that we all find ourselves in as we deal with the COVID-19 pandemic and out of respect for the ever-changing needs of those resource partners as well as the health and safety of our participants, it (became) clear that rescheduling wasn’t an option and moving our 2020 races to virtual runs was the best possible choice. At this time, there are just so many unknowns as it relates to resources and the needs that are facing them.” But Messmer said the option to race virtually is not for every athlete. With that in mind, she said the 500 Festival offered participants the option to participate in the virtual race or defer their registration for next year’s race. Junior Haley Slosman chose to run the virtual race, while junior Yael Kiser transferred her registration to next year. Slosman said although she chose to run the virtual race, she doesn’t think that the online race will compare to the regular race experience. “I like that they (had) the option to do the virtual races now with everything going on, but they don’t really compare to regular races,” Slosman said. “In a regular race, you would run with a bunch of other people and be able to run a course that the organization has set up. In a virtual race, you make your own course and set your own date that you want to complete it. You also run it alone and not with thousands of other people.” For this reason, Kiser said she chose not to participate in the virtual version of the Mini Marathon. Kiser said, “What I like about the Mini is that there’s so many people
