INDIANAPOLIS – The OneAmerica 500 Festival Mini-Marathon, one of the nation’s largest footraces, has been canceled for the first time in 43 years. There is no make-up date for the May 2 race.

Organizers announced Wednesday that the half-marathon is off and that all other 500 Festival events are suspended in an attempt to slow spread of COVID-19.

The 13.1-mile race and Delta Dental Festival 5K will become virtual races. Registrants will receive details on how to participate and still earn their 2020 shirt and medal. Other options, including rolling of registration over to next year, will be announced later.

Sabrina List, vice president of marketing and communications for the 500 Festival, said in an email that countless options were explored for a different date or venue. She said there were too many unknowns to proceed.

“We arrived at the conclusion that we wouldn’t be able to provide the Indy Mini experience that participants have come to expect over the last 43 years,” List said. “We were mindful of the resources required to help us produce this event of our size, including thousands of volunteers, medical personnel, IMPD, the Indiana National Guard, Homeland Security, Indianapolis Motor Speedway staff, corporate partners and many others.”

She said details will be forthcoming on a new on-track running and walking experience at IMS later this year.

Other canceled events besides the Mini are the Kick Off to May, April 29; Kids’ Day and Rookie Run, May 9; Mini-Marathon Expo, April 30 and May 1, and all April education program study trips at IMS.

“The 500 Festival recognizes the unique and challenging times that we are all facing together,” said Bob Bryant, president and CEO of the 500 Festival. “May will certainly look different than the last 60+ years, but with options to participate virtually or to reschedule some events to a future date, we are confident that the future looks bright and the things we hold dearly will continue albeit in a different form.”

Official results from 2019 included 19,240 finishers.

The Mini starts Downtown, winds through IMS and finishes at Military Park. It annual attracts entries from all 50 states and 15 or more foreign countries.

The Mini has been selected the best half-marathon in America for each of the past two years by The BibRave 100. Also, the Delta Dental 500 Festival 5K was named one of the top 25 races of 10 miles or less.

Rankings are determined by runner nominations, surveys from the running industry and online voting.

Runner’s World has placed the Mini on its list of most iconic races for the past four years, and Lonely Planet includes the race as one of the nation’s 15 best running events.

Frank Shorter won the inaugural Mini in 1977. He won a marathon gold medal at the 1972 Munich Olympics and silver at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com or call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.