I have a lot of very good things to say about this race. I should share that I did set a huge PR and my very first BQ, so I may have to work hard to say anything negative at all...
Expo:
All expos are roughly the same to me. This was a nice size one. Deena Kastor was there and was very accessible, so that was fun. Number pickup was a breeze.
Swag:
The race shirt is ugly and looks uncomfortable. The beanie is cute and will be worn on cold days. The official merchandise was pretty good. I got a really nice windbreaker that I wore in the race.
Lodging:
This is open of the real plusses to this race. Indianapolis is a huge convention city, so there are literally innumerable hotel rooms that are within easy walking distance of everything—the expo, good dining options, and the start and finish lines. I can’t recommend too strongly that you stay in one of the hotels to minimize the hassle factor on race morning.
Start:
I walked out of the nice warm hotel, walked less than 2 blocks, slipped into a corral and started running about 10 minutes after I left the hotel. This is another of the huge advantages of this race—no energy wasted getting to the race. There seemed to be no one trying to make sure you were in a particular corral. The half and the full start at the same time.
Weather:
The weather was perfect for me; 29 degrees at the beginning and 39 by the end. Unfortunately, there was a good headwind for most of the second half, but that’s how it goes.
Course:
The course is much more interesting than I had expected. It goes through urban, suburban, and park settings. The roads were not in great shape, requiring that you watch your step to avoid turning an ankle. There were also sections on which you are running alongside cars, mostly going in the opposite direction. There were also countless intersections with drivers eager to get the police to let them cross the course. They didn’t, but it was distracting.
Aid stations:
These were plentiful and pleasantly staffed, but not very large or long like in a huge race. They gave out water, Gatorade, and then various gels at some stations.
Crowd:
It was quite cold, and I think that this may have limited the crowd. I felt that aside from the beginning and end, the crowd was a bit thin. The ones who were there seemed happy and a few were handing out beer and Halloween candy.
Race Staff:
Uniformly pleasant and helpful.
Finish Line:
SO happy to be there. There were medals, knit hats, drinks, and food, including nice hot Domino’s pizza. There was a medal engraving booth as well. Unfortunately, there was no BQ bell...
Overall:
This is a great late fall race to try to PR and/or BQ. It’s flat and fast and you can count on nice cool weather. It’s not super crowded, especially after the half marathoners peel off at mile 7. The convenience factor cannot be overstated-the race is literally no sweat.

i had heard about this half marathon primarily because of the novelty of getting to run around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. I found out that it's much more than that.
This is a very well managed race. There are lots of hotels and restaurants within walking distance of the expo, start, and finish, so it's very convenient to get around on race weekend. The hotel even let me check out late so I could shower after the race. The expo was efficient and had a nice variety of vendors. The highlight was getting to meet and chat with Meb Keflezghi, who served as race ambassador. He always makes time to give everyone personal attention. The wave start was handled very well, with little delay between waves. The scenery on the way over to the Speedway is not especially great, but the enthusiasm of the crowd and the huge number of bands and dj's playing made up for it. Running on the track was fun--it's kind of forgiving/soft, which is nice. It's a long way around, 2.5 miles! Lots of runners stopped to kiss the bricks, but I just ran on by. The last part of the run was prettier than the first. There are tons of aid stations with Gatorade and water and there was a gel station at about mile 8-9. The finish line was attractive and had lots of fans. The medals were excellent and the postrace party was fine.
The lingering impression of this race is that it is unusually friendly and easy-going. The runners were polite and not trying to push it too hard, the volunteers were wonderful, and the people of Indianapolis seems extremely friendly and accommodating.
I would recommend this for anyone looking for a huge race with a small town feeling.

This was my first time running this spring half marathon and I'm glad I did. The only issues that I had with the event involved having drive downtown from the suburbs for packet pickup and finding parking that was convenient to the race. I understand that these races cater to people staying or living in the city, but 2 trips from the burbs and unclear instructions about parking were frustrating. Once I got to the race area, it was all good--very good. The location of the race is just wonderful. The park is lovely, like a hidden gem among the high rises. The organization was good, from gear check to port-a-potties to friendly and knowledgeable staff. The race course is familiar, but beautiful even on a foggy, sultry morning. The corrals were logical and prevented crowding on the course. The mile markers were very easy to see. The volunteers on course were outstanding. They were enthusiastic and competent and there was plenty of everything to go around. I loved the cold towels after the race. The medal was meh. I didn't need all of the beer advertisements on it. I loved the brunch, which I've never seen at a race before. It enticed people to stay and mingle rather than just leave after the race. I went and cheered on the other runners, which is always fun. The crowd support was good overall.
So, I would definitely recommend this race. It was run over a familiar course, but the location and quality of the brunch and volunteers made it special.

I was drawn to this race because it's run on a nice soft crushed limestone trail through a forest preserve during the prettiest time of the year in Illinois. It was a cold, but beautiful morning that was perfect for running. This is a fairly small race with few spectator opportunities, so it's quiet and almost peaceful at times. There were spectators at the turnaround who helped propel the runners home. The atmosphere was low key and friendly.
The only negative was the off-site parking which was mandatory for everyone. There is parking at the start site, and it would have been great to have had the option to get there early and sit in a nice warm car. It was cold standing around waiting for the start and my cheering section had to stand around for almost 2 hours with no access to a car or other warm spaces until I was done. This is really my only quibble and it was certainly not enough to turn me away from running this race again.
I had always admired the half zip with the cool logo from prior years, but this year the sponsor's name was so big and colorful that it seemed out of synch with the atmosphere of the race. The medals were ok, with different color ribbons for age group winners.
Packet pickup was a breeze and could even be done on race morning. Event photography was excellent. The course is terrific, but I noticed that I felt like it was very much uphill at about miles 10-11. Maybe I was just tired!
Overall, I would highly recommend this race for anyone looking for a small, laid back, friendly race that allows them to run freely on a beautiful course that's easy on the legs.

I decided to enter this half marathon just a few days before the race. After a disappointing half marathon 2 weeks earlier on a very humid day, I was excited that there was another race on a weekend that promised to be quite cool and dry. I was also intrigued by running a half on crushed limestone trails, which are far easier on the joints.
I arrived early to secure good parking and to register. The race had a low-key and slightly loose feel to it. This was a nice change from the hyper-professional races I've done in the city this year. It's not better, just more relaxed. The field was fairly small, under 700 total, but that was perfect for the course. The race starts and ends on a grass horse racing training track, which is a real novelty. Running on grass is not easy, especially at the end of a race. The rest of the course winds through the Danada Forest Preserve and offers a few gentle climbs and both open and forested sections. The scenery is great. There are a few loops that require turns, but the volunteers were very active and effective in directing traffic. There was almost no non- race related traffic on the trails. Fellow runners were very friendly and there was a surprising amount of fan support given the nature of the course. The pacers were also very helpful.
The cool weather and nice course enabled me to run a PR by almost 7 minutes, so my review may be influenced by my happiness about my time. Still, I would recommend this as a fun, casual, and unusual race on a beautiful course that should be easier on the legs. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, but all of the important elements, like good volunteers, adequate aid stations, a nice t-shirt, and plenty of port-a-potties were present.
My recommendations would be to improve the post-race refreshments and to do a little nicer job with the medals (a grey ribbon?).