Photo By Master Sgt. Jeff Lowry | Placards of Indiana's fallen service members line the back straight at the...... read more read more
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INDIANAPOLIS — Approximately 20,000 racers travel more than 260,000 miles during the 500 Festival Mini-Marathon.
Yet one section, the Gold Mile, along the back straight of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, stands apart from others and embodies the deeper purpose behind the race and the month of May: honoring Memorial Day.
"The Gold Mile carries a lot more weight than just the distance — it’s about meaning, memory and connection," said Carly Smith, the support coordinator for Indiana Survivor Outreach Services. "For me, the Gold Mile is a space to reflect and honor. It’s a reminder of sacrifice, service and the lives behind the loss."
Smith has served in that role for 17 years, since the outreach service's inception in 2009, helping Hoosier Gold Star families recover from loved ones lost while serving in the military.
Though this year's mini marks the 50th anniversary of the race, the Gold Mile is a relatively new addition that made its debut in 2018.
In late 2017, Smith along with Glenn Amos, the 500 Festival vice president of operations, had conversations and wanted a way to further honor the Gold Star families spread throughout the Hoosier state.
"Working with Survivor Outreach to bring in Gold Star families that we have across the state, we as the Festival, we wanted another way to get them involved in month of May activities and show our support for the sacrifices their loved one has made," said Amos.
Eight years in, the Gold Mile now features the families, volunteers, hundreds of U.S. flags, bunting along the speedway's catch fence and most importantly placards that showcase fallen service members' photos and bios. More than 200 placards are staked into the ground, cover the length of the backstretch and represent Indiana's fallen heroes since 9/11 to present day.
"It really drove home the meaning of the Gold Mile," said Amos. "Without those pictures, and their bios, nobody necessarily knew what Gold Mile was about, and it didn't have the meaning behind it until you could see the faces of those individuals."
What the Gold Mile means to the runners filtered back to Amos with the addition of the placards by Indiana Fallen Heroes.
"Then you started to hear the stories of people saying 'the Gold Mile along the backstretch brought me to tears' and 'I saw one of my classmates from high school' and 'I had to hug a family member,'" said Amos. "So it's all those different kind of stories that came from it where you could tell the real meaning of what the Gold Mile is." Smith has seen some of those stories play out firsthand.
"So many stories, but every year seeing the runners that physically stop at a fallen service member’s placard, kneel and say a quick prayer before continuing on," said Smith "Or a fallen family whose brother of the fallen was running, he stopped to hug his family who was there honoring his brother and cheering him on." Military members, either currently serving or retired, also have their stories.
Retired Lt. Col. Don Heichel started running the Indy Mini for health reasons, and this year will be his 15th. The Gold Mile affects him deeply as he served as a casualty assistance officer for two Gold Star families.
"It means a lot to me," said Heichel. "I always stop when I get there, and I salute the guys I know. Those families are like my second family now. I do it for them and to see them again every year."
The heartfelt stories from runners, volunteers and families of the fallen will continue in this year's run as well because the Gold Mile means so much to so many people and the community as a whole.
"At its core, the Gold Mile is about honoring the fallen while standing with those who carry their legacy forward, " said Smith. "It’s a visible, tangible way to ensure their loved ones are not forgotten. It says: their service mattered, their lives mattered, and their sacrifice is seen."
| Date Taken: | 12.31.1969 |
| Date Posted: | 04.30.2026 07:46 |
| Story ID: | 563928 |
| Location: | INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 18 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Gold Mile Honors Indiana’s Fallen at 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, by MSG Jeff Lowry, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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