After tragedy, a Mini-Marathon to celebrate

For the first time, Nikki Reed and friends came out to the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Saturday to cheer on friends and wave a created a batch of humorous signs.
“Everyone knows someone who is running this race,” said Reed of Indianapolis. “How can you not come out and support them?”
That sentiment was felt by the 35,000 registered racers who took part in the races, most of them running but others in wheelchairs or walking through the finish line.
Race time temperatures were around 60 degrees with winds at 14 mph. TV analyst Frank Shorter, who won the first Mini Marathon in 1977, said the wind might affect the front runners, but not those in the pack.
Despite the wind, brothers-in-law Mike Cahill, 29 of Fort Wayne, and Jeff Hines, 38 of Carmel, ran side-by-side, pushing each other along, to reach personal bests of 1:44:50.
Ethiopian runner Alene Reta, 31, did missed his best by more than two minutes but he still won the 500 Festival Mini Marathon with an time of 1:03:58 — more than a minute ahead of last year’s winning time.
“I am very happy,” he said after the race.
Some generally agreed that after the fatal bombing at the Boston Marathon, today’s event was an exercise in moving past the tragedy.
Mayor Greg Ballard said the Mini seemed as festive and celebratory as ever.
“I would have to say the runners are resilient,” said Sarah Smenyak, 39, Chesterton, who finished in about 1:40. “I didn’t notice any nervousness or anything out of the ordinary. The runners are determined to keep on running.’’
Ryan Ogilvy, 33, finished the race waving an American flag. The native Australian, an Air Force lieutenant stationed in Texas, said he signed up for the Mini in the Boston aftermath to show the American spirit.
A moment of silence honoring those killed and injured in the Boston Marathon.
National Guard, Indianapolis police and patrols from Homeland Security blanketed the Downtown area and the race route. Bomb sniffing canines were also in use. Gary Coons, chief of the Indianapolis Division of Homeland Security, said the public followed the advice of “see something, say something.”
Multiple calls came in about unattended bags or other suspicious items but everything checked out OK, Coons said.
“I think it went really well. From a planning standpoint everyone worked together at all the levels,” he said. “I just really wanted to thank the public for helping.”
Due to the high number of runners gathered along Washington Street, the last of the runners and walkers didn’t get across the start line until after 8 a.m.
Scott Noble and Bryton Robinson., both 12 and from Odon in southern Indiana were some of the last to cross the start line -- they hadn’t trained for the race but wanted to try it. They both clocked in at 3:50:23.
“This is just exciting to be a part of,” Robinson said. We have baseball to get us in shape. I think that will be enough.”