---

News Release

Last modified: Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Saturday's seventh annual IU Mini Marathon continues its support of scholarships

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 28, 2012

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- A run through the challenging hills of Bloomington and the Indiana University campus, the IU Mini Marathon provides scholarships for students who have overcome the life-threatening challenge of cancer.

The seventh annual IU Mini Marathon and 5K Run/Walk will take place Saturday, March 31. The event is coordinated by the Indiana Running Company with assistance from the IU Alumni Association.

"It's a great race, especially for those who come from out of town," said Michael Mann, alumni program officer at the IUAA. "It's an opportunity for them to experience the true flavor of Bloomington and the campus."

The 5K Run/Walk will begin at 8 a.m. on 17th Street, in front of the DeVault Alumni Center. The 13.1-mile Mini Marathon will begin at 8:30 a.m. at the same starting line, and both events will finish at the DeVault Center. Several streets around campus and in town will be closed during the race, and other intersections will be blocked while participants cross.

Online registration for the event is now closed, but late entry is available from 4 to 8 p.m. March 30 at the packet pickup point in the DeVault Alumni Center and from 6:30 to 7:30 a.m. on race day, also at the DeVault Center. The cost of the Mini Marathon is $70, the 5K Run is $25, and the 5K Walk is $20.

The Mini Marathon and the 5K Run will be chip timed. The 5K Walk is recreational and will not be timed. Cash prizes of $500, $250 and $100 will be given to the top three overall male and female finishers in the Mini Marathon. The top three finishers in the 5K run will receive $125, $90 and $50 gift certificates to the Indiana Running Company.

Participants are encouraged to form teams. The largest team entered in the IU Mini Marathon will receive $500. The second-largest team will win $250. Teams get three points for each Mini Marathon runner and one point for each 5K runner.

Volunteers are also needed to help run the event. To volunteer, go to the event website at alumni.indiana.edu/iumini.

Kevin MacCauley, Myles Grote and Samantha Roper started the IU Mini Marathon while they were students at IU Bloomington. The event honors Bill Littlefield, a Kelley School of Business faculty member who died in 2005 after a battle with mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer caused by asbestos exposure.

Last year, more than 1,500 participants took part in the IU Mini Marathon and 5K Run/Walk. Organizers are hoping to equal or exceed that total this year.

"We're hoping the early spring weather holds and we get more runners than ever before," Mann said. "It's a great way to train, compete and stay in shape, and it's all for a wonderful cause."

In the first six years, the IU Mini Marathon and 5K Run/Walk has raised more than $100,000 for the Bill Z. Littlefield Scholarship for Survivors. The event has become an unofficial kickoff to the spring IU traditions of Little 500, Little 50 and Senior Salute.

The IU Alumni Association is dedicated to serving the university and its diverse alumni, students and friends. As one of the nation's largest alumni organizations, serving more than 560,000 graduates worldwide, the IUAA provides many programs and services to its members, nonmember alumni and the university. For more information, visit alumni.indiana.edu or call 800-824-3044.

---

---