Indy Mini finishers: 'Running with tutus makes everything better'

No, winning isn't everything at the Mini, where an ice-cold beer at the finish line is easily more satisfying for most participants than a first-place medal.

Kenyan runner Elisha Barno won the race at the OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, but for the pack of runners way behind him, wigs, tutus and face paint help to make the race feel more like fun than work.

An estimated 22,000 runners took part in the 39th running of the event.

"Running with tutus makes everything better," said Mariesa Bloom, a member of a running group who dubbed themselves the "Running Wives."

The women, three from Dayton, Ohio, and one from Indianapolis, said they didn't do any serious training before the race. But they all finished strong.

Cheers from the crowd pushed Keith Brakel to the finish line. He ran the race with his knee wrapped in tape.

"This is my first mini and I had a blast," Brakel said. "Three years ago, I couldn't go two blocks without having shortness of breath and chest pains."

But on Saturday, Brakel ran 13.1 miles with thousands of runners and a few moms-to-be who were determined to finish.

At 22 weeks pregnant, Amy Janick made her way around the track. The expectant mother has completed 50 half marathons in the past seven years.

"I'm just a little sore, but otherwise I feel good," Janick said.

Her baby boy is due sometime in September. Janick relaxed and celebrated with friends at the finish line.

A spirit of fun was mixed in with the finishers, who put on their dancing shoes to unwind on the lawn of Military Park. More than a half million people attend an event or program put on by the 500 Festival each year.

Call Star reporter Cara Anthony at (317) 444-6049. Follow her on Twitter: @CaraRAnthony.