Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 156: Mike Vollmer - Every. Single. Indy. Mini

Finish Lines & Milestones: Episode 156: Mike Vollmer - Every. Single. Indy. Mini

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Guest: Mike Vollmer, Indy Mini Alumni Club Member⁠

Show Notes:

Mike Vollmer and I connected thanks to the ⁠500 Festival⁠, who introduced us knowing I'd want to hear from someone who has run every single Indy Mini since the very first one in 1977.

During this episode, sponsored by ⁠Cure⁠, we talk about:

  • How a politician's desire for name recognition in his own district accidentally launched a 49-year streak
  • What the first Indy Mini looked like — 762 runners, an 11am start, 85 degrees and full sun, and a $5 entry fee
  • Running his first mini in indoor track shoes with rubber heel cups
  • Standing next to Frank Shorter at the start line (the man who launched the running boom of the '70s!)
  • How the course has changed dramatically since 1977 — the scenic rolling hills along the White River, Coffin Hill, and why the track used to destroy ankles
  • His role in bringing St. Francis Hospital on as a sponsor — and how that sponsorship gave us the beloved finish line chocolate chip cookies 🍪
  • Jump the Gun — the midnight party at St. Francis in Beech Grove where runners could guarantee their entry starting at 12:00am on February 1st
  • His marathon PR of 3:35:45 at age 39 — and how he averaged 30 miles/week for over 20 years
  • Running 14 marathons, including his first the day he turned 30 in Chicago, and his last at 42 in St. Louis
  • Heart valve replacement surgery in 2020, prostate cancer surgery in 2015, and still showing up to the start line
  • Last year's near-disaster: only 4 miles of training after a torn posterior muscle, finishing 15th from last in 4.5 hours, with a fellow Alumni Club member pulling him along
  • His 25 years serving on the Mini's executive committee — overseeing everything from start line logistics to sponsor coordination
  • The Circle City Cloggers at mile 4.5 on 10th and Holt
  • Why he married a physical therapist (very convenient) and how she's gotten him to the start line more than once
  • His racing mantra courtesy of Kathleen Duffy: "Pick up my feet, Lord, I'll put 'em down... Hallelujah, I'm homeward bound"
  • Whether he'll stop at 50 or keep going (his answer might surprise you)

Previous Guests Mentioned

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This is a ⁠SandyBoy Productions⁠ podcast.

Episode Transcript

[00:00:00] This is a Sandy Boy Productions podcast.

Ally Brettnacher: Mike, do you remember how much you paid for your entry to run your very first mini? How much did it cost?

Mike Vollmer: was, uh, $5

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Welcome to Finish Lines and Milestones, a podcast for everyday runners. I'm your host, ally Brett knocker, and if you run, you are a runner and every runner has a story. Join me each week as I share these stories and we celebrate finish lines and milestones together.

All right. Before I dive into this week's episode, which is such a good one, I wanna say again to everybody who was involved in or getting ready to run the Carmel Marathon this year, that I'm so sorry that the race was postponed to May 31st, which is a Sunday. Little over a month from now due to severe weather in the forecast for Saturday April 18th.

I had a catching up with Coach episode with my coach, Rachel Senders, that was published on Wednesday, April 15th. If you wanna hear more about our reaction to that, [00:01:00] speaking of this week's episode in the upcoming 50th running of the Indie Mini, I will be hosting a live podcast event together with Lindsay Hein, the host of the All.

Have another podcast with Lindsay Hein We are hosting a live podcast event the day before on Friday, May 1st, and we have special guest, Emma Grace Hurley joining us. She is A-U-S-A-T-F Champion. She is a national record holder and runs for asics, so you don't wanna miss this event. I'm gonna link to tickets in the show notes. The ticket includes a goodie bag as well as some carbohydrates, some athletic brewing. So hope to see you there. We have limited tickets available, so go snag your spot now.

Thank you so much to 500 Festival for connecting me with this week's guest, Mike Volmer. Mike is a member of what they call the alumni Club for the Indie Mini. has run every single Indie mini since 1977, which is 49 finish lines at the Indie Mini. This is such an iconic race for our city, and Mike and I talk about how the race has changed over time, what the experience was [00:02:00] like the first couple of years, how he was responsible for bringing on the longest running sponsor, St.

Francis.

Who also was responsible for the cookies that are at the finish line weren't last year, but they're back. I'm happy to report that. And we just talk about all kinds of experience that he's had, why he runs, whether or not he'll be continuing this streak. And this is especially a fun one for Indie, heading into the month of May.

So I know you're gonna enjoy this very special conversation with Mike Vollmer.

All right. Here we go. Mike. So great to finally meet you.

Mike Vollmer: Nice to meet you, Allie.

Ally Brettnacher: I cannot believe that you have run the many every single year since it started, and I can't wait to hear all about it.

Mike Vollmer: Sometimes it's, uh, amazing that, I can't believe it's been that many times, but, uh, I really didn't start thinking about it until, uh, for the 20th mini, I think that was 96. They were selling, uh, these, hats that said 20 minis in Indie for $5. And, uh, one of the ladies who [00:03:00] was, uh, one of the main staff people at the 500 festival, she said, Mike, you should buy one of these hats because you've done all of 'em.

And I said, well, uh, yeah. Okay. So I bought a hat, I bought one of those hats and I still have it in my closet somewhere. But that's probably when I, when I realized that I had done 'em all and just kept doing 'em. the, probably the reason I got started, even though I'd run, track in grade school and high school and cross country a couple times in high school, I was, uh, mostly a, a sprinter in grade school in high school.

And I ran cross country, just to kind of stay in shape for the track season. So, in 19, uh, 77, Tony Holman thought it would be a nice idea to add another event to the, the race weekend 500 festival was not involved. So he got a couple of his friends and it was, American Fletcher National Bank, fellowship of Christian Athletes.

And, let's see. The 500 of course, and the, the mayor's office that, put [00:04:00] together the, mini program. And the first year there were, uh, 762 people in it.

The reason I, the reason I, uh, think I started it was that, a couple years before, in 1975, I had been elected to the Indianapolis City Council, from a district on the west side.

from which I, I served two terms on that, but, a lot about six miles, about 45% of the race course the first year, first several years went through the district that I represented, and a couple people said, you know, they're having this race. A lot of it goes through your district. Why don't you get in it?

So, like, you know, politician wanting to help their name, recognition. I entered. Had not, I think I trained like three days before total. Totally.

Ally Brettnacher: Perfect.

Totally perfect.

Mike Vollmer: So I thought, well, I'm just gonna take it easy. I had a goofy, uh, goofy hat. I went down to Sports Spot on 16th Street, which is still there, sporting goods store.

And they didn't know anything about running shoes. [00:05:00] So the guy said, well, we got some shoes over there that some people use. So I bought a pair of indoor track shoes,

Ally Brettnacher: Oh my gosh. I love that you still have them. Wow.

Mike Vollmer: Pumas. And uh, I said, well, these don't have much, uh, padding in 'em. So the guy said, oh, we got these other things. They were called tuley, they're heel cups made out of rubber

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: had a, a kind of a waffle, uh, finish in them. And uh, so I put, I put those in and used them, but they didn't do much good. Because, uh, you know, I, and started out, on Monument Circle and the first two years of the mini, the race started, at 11 o'clock in the morning on the Friday before the 500 mile race.

The first two years at 11 o'clock in the morning on the Friday before the 500 mile race, the weather was the same. It was 85 degrees, about [00:06:00] 65% humidity and full sun.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: So, and of course, you know, a lot of people were, were there they, the first couple years they also had a seven mile event to go with the 13 mile.

So, you know, we were up there and, and, uh, so I thought, well, I'm gonna get up and see what's going on up front. So I got up there and all of a sudden there's Frank shorter standing next.

to me,

And the Mini had got him to come in. Of course, he won the 72, uh, Munich Olympic Marathon and, uh, kind of started the running boom in the seventies in this country.

Um, so we were chatting with him very nice. And of course then the gun goes off and he, he did evaporated, you know, well, with my lack of training and the heat. I was walking and I was walking by 16th Street, the first, probably 15 years of the mini, the course went straight up Meridian Street to the old Winona Hospital, left through, some Na West through some neighborhoods to 4 21 Northwestern Avenue, Northwestern Avenue, to [00:07:00] 38th Street, 38th Street West to the golf courses

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: down the, down the coffin, Riverside, golf courses, which was.

The most scenic part of the, of the mini ever to 16th Street West on 16th Street to the Speedway in the first entrance around the back stretch, finished at the finish line of the 500.

Ally Brettnacher: So cool. Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: And, the reason they quit that, and the last time they had that course was in 1992, was that since it was a point to point course, you either had to park at the speedway and then take a shuttle downtown to the start line, or drive to the start line, finish at the speedway and take a shuttle back downtown to get your car.

Mm-hmm. So the, the logistics became, more challenging. So that's when they put the 500 mile track in the middle of the

race,

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: Mm-hmm.

Ally Brettnacher: Makes sense.

Mike Vollmer: and they changed the course. In [00:08:00] 1993 that it was just straight out, Michigan Street and back in 10th Street around the mini. So the, the course, uh, is actually much easier than the first number of years of the mini because of the rolling hills on Coal Springs Road.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: it's pretty, pretty flat. and then in, um, in the, middle nineties, they moved the mini from the Friday before the, the race 500 mile race to the first Saturday in May. Why did they do that? Well, to be honest, the IRL or usac, or its predecessors, they compressed the 500 track schedule for may.

And of

you've heard of the term 30 days in May. It used to be, and I grew up about a mile due east of the 500, about 20th and Kessler.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: Well, May 1st in nine o'clock in the morning, the, uh, drivers and cars would go off and start practicing on the course. So it would be pretty much [00:09:00] 30 days of racing or qualifying or practice.

Well, I guess, uh, logistics or cost or something came but now and used to have qualifications four days of the four days in May. Now it's only two.

Mm.

Ally Brettnacher: Hmm.

Mike Vollmer: Well, and they didn't start really racing cars until basically the second week in May. Well, he couldn't really say 30 days in May anymore,

Ally Brettnacher: Right.

Mike Vollmer: so they moved the mini, basically sacrificed it, in my opinion. To start off May with a 500 festival race related event. And of course they have, you know, then the parade is the second week in May, and the parade used to be on this, uh, the parade is still the Sabbath, the day before the race 500 mile race. But they have some other events, uh, going on in May. So what, what that has done from a practical point of view, and non-runners in Central Indiana won't understand this, but when the mini was at the end of May, it was [00:10:00] almost always warmer than the start of May, but you always had at least three more weeks to train.

Ally Brettnacher: Good point.

Mike Vollmer: So if you have any kind of a, a bad winner in Indiana, unless you're. A, a, a really dedicated runner or like to run on ice and snow, you have shorter window practically to train.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: And, uh, motivation being what it is, a lot of people won't get out when it's, uh, 20 miles an hour wind and, uh, 15 degrees.

Ally Brettnacher: Right.

Mike Vollmer: So that's one way the mini's become harder, another way's become easier with the course or harder with the training.

But, as I've gone on, my training has, uh, has dropped off quite a bit. That COVID thing a few years ago Sure. Didn't help motivation or running with others or, training schedule.

Ally Brettnacher: right.

Mike Vollmer: So, I was walking by 16th Street in the first, 1977. Hot, hot, hot. I, I ran with a couple other people. One young guy was 12 years old.

He was pretty [00:11:00] good. Well then at, at seven, he, they were only in the seven mile event. So over there, uh, in the golf courses, they said, well, we're done now. And they had a finish line for the seven milers. So I'm on my own. I go in. So I, um, get to the 16th street and go out and they used to have just the one entrance on 16th Street, the underpass.

Ally Brettnacher: okay.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: and there was a guard, uh, one of the famous yellow shirts at the track sitting outside and he waved at me as I went by. Well, that's where you should have went in. But I was so far back, I couldn't see anybody in front of me or behind me. So I ran all the way down to 16th in Georgetown, about another half mile.

And I talked to somebody in the fence and he said, are you in that race? I said, yeah. He says, you go in back there. So I backtracked and went into the, uh, went by that yellow shirt of guy says, Hey, I didn't know this is, Where you turned in and he said, yeah, I was wondering where you were going.

Ally Brettnacher: Right? You're like, thanks man. Coulda [00:12:00] waved me down.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah.

So you go in, uh, back then and you, you get on the, pretty much now as you, get on the track and go all the way around and finished.

So I think it was two hours and 55 minutes, which was, which was pretty good, without any training.

Ally Brettnacher: Uh, yeah. And running an extra mile in there.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah.

uh, so I was sunburned. I was blistered all, all over my feet. I was a pretty much a mess. And, next year the same thing. And, I had a little better training. My time wasn't much better, but after the first two years in that weather and the experience I was done, I wasn't gonna do it anymore. a good friend of mine at the time, who lived in Speedway.

was in better shape than I was. He said, Hey, Mike, let's, let's run the mini marathon. I said, no, mark, I've done that the last two years. It's so hot. It's terrible. I'm not gonna do it. And he, and he says, well, they changed the time. It's earlier in the morning, nine o'clock. Well, after uh, the first two years, the 500 festival became the organizing body for the [00:13:00] race.

The first two years it was Fellowship of Christian Athletes, A FNB, the mayor's office. And, it was getting big enough that, uh, it needed to have more structure. 500 festival came in, moved it to nine o'clock in the morning, and I said, well Mark, yeah, okay, I'll do that. So we trained together some and came in, you know, and that, that was probably the best weather conditions of all light, very light rain, about.

about

55, 60 degrees. Uh, you didn't get soaked, but you kept cool. And we finished about hours and 20 minutes, which was pretty good for our training at that time. and after that, I kept doing it.

and

of the reasons was that, I talked my employer, St. Francis Hospital into being a co-sponsor of it.

it.

After the first couple years, the 500 Festival was looking for more sponsors for the Mini as an executive at St. Francis, I had a number of departments under my, control and one of them was physical therapy. that was a big [00:14:00] time for hospitals starting sports medicine departments.

St.

had just started theirs and I thought. Boy that, that makes sense to focus on preventing disease and injuries as opposed to just fixing 'em like hospitals traditionally had done.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: So I started sports medicine as a part of physical therapy at St. Francis in 1980,

and I thought that'd be a good way to promote the sports medicine, department at St.

Francis by, having them sponsor, being a co-sponsor the mini marathon. And that started in, I think 1984 and, that went all the way to 2024 with St. Francis being a sponsor. They are by far the longest sponsor, of the Mini.

Ally Brettnacher: That's incredible.

Mike Vollmer: They just ended it a couple years ago.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: Uh,

and so that worked pretty well and, was able, able to garner some recognition for our department.

We had a lot of tie-ins.

with,

Injury checks and the training programs that, we sponsored, for [00:15:00] many years, bricks to Bricks training program that Ken Long used to do. It

was the, it was the largest, in, uh, state for many years. And I think at its peak it had, gee, a thousand people in it at four or five different sites.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Wow.

Mike Vollmer: so I, enjoyed that. And, uh, that training program helped a lot of people. the, the Mini, the first year, first two years, there was not much support along the course. They had water. That was about it. but at most of the water stations on those two hot years, first years, they ran outta water.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh no.

Mike Vollmer: So the table, they were, you know, I'd come by the water stations at six, seven or 10 miles and they'd, they'd be cleaning up the water station. The tables would be put away. No more wa they just ran outta water. So even at, and at the end, they did have some water. So as the sponsor representative to St.

Francis, uh, at one of the sponsor meetings, I asked the 500 festival. and it's longtime, executive director Josephine, how I said, well, we'd like to, we'd like to, what about some [00:16:00] more, refreshments, especially at the end, after this half a marathon race. She said, well, we got water. I said, yeah, yeah.

So they got, they were able to get Gatorade. That was a big plus.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: And I said, what about a, refreshment or a food item at the end? Well, if they, it finished at the track two days before the 500. And the 500, especially the yellow shirts as I call 'em, they didn't want the race, who, who most of whom were not really in, enamored with having a another race at the right.

They said, we don't want you to mess up the course, mess up the racetrack two days before. We don't want to clean it up again. So I said, well, what, what can we have? He said, well, you can have any kind of food. And I said, and St. Francis will pay for it As a sponsor, you can have any kind of food as long as it doesn't have a wrapper, a core, a seed, a peel, or anything that cannot be totally consumed.

So the next week I came back to the, the next meeting and I, and I had an idea, well, you know, everybody likes [00:17:00] chocolate chip cookies, so what would taste better after running 13 or walking 13.1 miles than a nice chocolate chip cookie with something to drink of?

Of course.

So St. Francis brought tables and, we bought cookies in bulk, chocolate chip cookies in bulk and had our volunteers, some from sports medicine, some from our wellness department, which we had started and handed them out not far past the finish line.

Well, needless to say, those were a big hit,

Ally Brettnacher: Yes, I bet.

Mike Vollmer: year in and year out, people in the training program and others, would say, I just can't wait to get a, get a chocolate chip cookie or several. Uh, oftentimes we, we always bought plenty.

Ally Brettnacher: did they come from? Like a local bakery at that time

Mike Vollmer: well, we couldn't find any, would make that size. We bought them.

They're, they from a company called Vorman, V-O-O-R-V-O-O-R-T-M-A-N. You can still buy 'em different places. I think Meyer might carry that brand. And we got 'em made in Canada.

Ally Brettnacher: Huh?

Mike Vollmer: made in Canada, [00:18:00] shipped, made about, a few weeks before the mini sent in boxes all sealed up. so after, the cookies went over and we, we managed to have extra, so we would give some to the Speedway Police Department, a nice box, big box of cookies.

Uh, the 500 festival office we get, we left a few boxes at the track for the yellow shirts, after which they were much more, accommodating to, for the, for the race, knowing that they could count on some something to snack on the weekend of the race and from their office. so that's how the cookies got started.

They went, St. Francis paid for those and helped hand them out all the way until their sponsorship ended in 2024.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Wow.

Mike Vollmer: were no cookies last year ' cause

Ally Brettnacher: trying to remember. Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: sponsors. Well, the 500 festival heard so many complaints about that,

Ally Brettnacher: Yes.

Mike Vollmer: that this year the cookies are back.

Ally Brettnacher: The cookies are

back.

Mike Vollmer: I don't, I don't know who the sponsor is, but it, it costs several thousand [00:19:00] dollars to, uh,

we provide that, we provide like 40,000 cookies.

Ally Brettnacher: So many cookies. Yes.

Mike Vollmer: I was with St. Francis, uh, and, was their sponsor representative until, I left there in, 2006.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: I was the vice president for many years there. And, the, uh, president of the hospital one day had an idea to, to eliminate the vice presidential level at the hospital.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: The vice presidents didn't think that was such a great idea. So, um, I had to find something else to do. I, I then later, I did some consulting, which I wouldn't really, didn't really like. And, the last, uh, oh, 10 years of my work life, I became a, broker at Charles Schwab

Ally Brettnacher: Oh wow.

Mike Vollmer: and then, uh, went to work for PNC Bank in Investments and eventually did a lot of loans.

And, I had always been interested in personal finance, done my own taxes for years, done my own investing since I was 21, [00:20:00] and, you know, had kind of a knack for it. So I left, uh, I retired, from, PNC, after a few years in, the end of 2015. And, I, I say I've been retired, but, we, uh, we had a pretty large house and, and, uh.

Decent sized property on the northwest side of Indianapolis. And just, uh, less than a year ago, we downsized and moved to a kind of a lower maintenance community up here in Zionsville, which is very nice. Now we kind of finally feel that we're pretty well retired without, without having a, a big house to take care of inside and out garden and, and, uh, almost an acre property.

So, uh, with a lot of mature trees. So, uh, that's it. Now, my running hasn't, uh,

increased so much I did for a while after I retired. But, I had surgery for prostate cancer in 20, uh, 15,

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: And

then, my heart valve needed replaced in 2020.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: Uh, so I had that done. And, managed to [00:21:00] make the minis, uh, that, those years, well, I did it before the prostate surgery and before the, before the heart surgery in uh, July.

I never thought I had really any, uh, symptoms, but, uh, was told that, uh, you know, it was only gonna get worse and I'd be in better shape at 70, having the heart valve replaced and at 80 or whatever, so that then I, uh, oh a her a hernia I had, as a result of my, uh, prostate surgery, I'd have that fixed.

so, um, that's kind of slowed me down over time, uh, running wise. And, uh, we used to, there were to be a group of us at, uh, St. Francis, and we would run three or four days a week at noon.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: And, uh, we all had jobs where we had, you know, we still had to get our, our work done, but weren't tied so much to, uh, hourly, schedule.

And so we were able to do that. And, and I, uh, lived, for

20 years over in the 30th and Kessler area. I moved in right before the Benny, and, so a lot of my running route was along Cold Springs [00:22:00] Road, white River Parkway, a lot of the routes of the Mini, including the coffin hill, which, the old timers will remember. And, so I got, I got, uh, some good training benefit over there. Beautiful. Running along the canal path up to, uh, broad ripple and behind Butler and everything. Just a lot of nice, lower impact, running. the, the, canal path opened then in, mid nineties, and it was, great to, uh, great to run on, and then at the, at the, 25th mini marathon. This was 2000 and 2000, I think, 2001. they did a search at the 500 festival to find, to see who had run all the first 24, and they found, 13 individuals.

Ally Brettnacher: 13.

Mike Vollmer: And, so they had a, ceremony for us and gave her these, gave us these special shirts and everything, and made a big deal out of it. And, they called us the alumni club for having done all the events so that the 20 for the 25th mini, they let us start in the front row.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's really cool.

Mike Vollmer: Now, uh, [00:23:00] some of the, some of the guys, and they were all men, and some of the guys were pretty good runners. I wouldn't put myself in that category. I was fair at best, I guess in my good days. They said now. And at that time they had started to, uh, get some of the better, runners, some of the almost world class runners.

We used to call 'em the second and third tier Kenyans who would come in, you know, four, their sponsors would bring 'em in for the prize money of course. And so they said, now the canyons will be starting up. They're right next to you.

you.

We want all you guys to get over on one side or the other so you don't get run over,

which we did.

And fortunately that worked out pretty well. But, since then, I've been on the executive committee of the mini marathon. They wanted somebody who'd done running and could give firsthand, recommendations or critiques on the race, the course, the support, things like that. So. I guess this is my 25th year being on that, uh, committee.

[00:24:00] And, uh, so they have different subcommittees for start line, finish line, the after party in the part, registration, the Expo, which is, one of the largest in the country.

Ally Brettnacher: How many people on the committee would you say?

Mike Vollmer: there are probably, uh, 30, 30, 35. It includes representatives from, public safety, Indianapolis, uh, IMPD, Speedway Police Fire Department, department of Public Works, trash pickup.

Um,

So a

number of, uh, registration, a whole group from the, uh, expo support, handing out t-shirts, things like that. Um, so that committee meets a few times before the meeting and once after for wrap up. And, keeps improving aspects of the me from year to year. people who've, from other large races who've come in, generally regarded as, if not the best one, certainly one of the best organized events. it's a, uh, it's important event for the, uh, [00:25:00] 500 festival. It's a major, revenue producer for the 500 festival. And, uh, even though don't have quite the numbers as before, C

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: uh, this year will be a nice, bump up because of the 50th anniversary.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: I think one of the big reasons that, the Mini has lost doesn't draw 30 some thousand registrants anymore.

first of all, parking downtown used to be free on Saturdays on the streets. Now the city charges for it.

it.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm.

Mike Vollmer: So unless you wanna spend $40 for parking, second of all, there are, there's more competition for half marathons around that time of the year. In the spring, you got the, uh, flying pig in Cincinnati, which is usually the very next day for the many.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, people do both. It's crazy.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah, I know, uh, I know a fellow's done both several years and I could never understand it. And, uh, there's, Carmel has had one now for 10 or 15 years. Geist [00:26:00] used to have one, in May, but I think they maybe have moved that to the fall.

Ally Brettnacher: It's September now, I believe.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. So,

and with, with, more and more or fewer and fewer older runners, the mini means doesn't mean as much to younger runners by younger, I'll say 50 and younger, 50 and below, which is younger to me.

because, you know, say, uh, you have some friends and you wanna do the mini, okay, well, there may be one the month before or the month after, and if you can make a trip out of it, like to Cincinnati, that may be, is more fun with the, a group of your friends. Plus if you go to Geist or Carmel, you can drive up there and park for free and you don't, you know, it doesn't take up several hours with the logistics and the crowds.

And it's not as, you know, the, the other races aren't as crowds. So it's, it's just for, I think the, the way a lot of people look A more pleasurable experience, especially if you can do it with friends and, uh, not, uh, not [00:27:00] make a big deal. You could get a hotel room down there for a couple hundred dollars, I guess.

Um, but, that's why I think that some of the numbers have dropped off. It's not, it's not the only, half marathon around now

in, in

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, there's, I mean, there's so, so

Mike Vollmer: I mean, Zionsville has one where I live. they have one I think in the spring,

Ally Brettnacher: I don't know about the spring. I know the one that's in November around Thanksgiving. I've done that one once. Yeah,

Mike Vollmer: but there, so there there's more competition.

Ally Brettnacher: absolutely. Mike, do you remember how much you paid for your entry to run your very first mini? How much did it cost?

Mike Vollmer: was, uh, $5

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: and the first several years they, they limited the field.

The only way you could enter is by mailing in your physical application form and payment check or taking it down to the 500 festival office. the entries became available the first two years anyway at the, not at the 500 festival, but the, [00:28:00] A FNB banks was the place to get 'em.

they would, they would put them out at when they opened at nine in the morning, on a, a Monday. And I remember going into work late and stopping by and picking up a form and taking it down to the 500 festival office and then going to work because the race filled up in a week

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: or 10 days. And as the race got bigger, it became more popular and it still became difficult.

To get in unless you've got your entry form in. One of the things, I did at St. Francis, was a, program to guarantee you an entry in the mini

Ally Brettnacher: Oh,

Mike Vollmer: and I think back then it was February 1st when they, the applications became available from the 500 festival and you could not get one, before that.

So I asked, Josephine, how the longtime executive director of the 500 festival, okay, when can St. Francis pass them out? Not before nine o'clock on February 1st in the morning. And I said, what, what? No, not till February 1st. So I said, anytime on February 1st. She said, [00:29:00] February 1st. So we, we started a program and ran it for several years called Jump the Gun,

Ally Brettnacher: ooh.

Mike Vollmer: and we had a party.

At St. Francis and Beach Grove and then eventually their newer facility in, uh, down at, stop 11 in Emerson. And it started at midnight on February 1st

Ally Brettnacher: Oh

Mike Vollmer: if you came. And we had a, got an agreement with the 500 festival that if someone signed up there and we took their entry down the next day to the 500 festival, they were guaranteed to be entered in the mini no matter if it filled up in a few days or two weeks or whatever.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: We would also have a, uh, one and a half mile or two mile fun run around Beach Grove or then eventually the south side of Indianapolis and we have refreshments and sports medicine would be there and things like that. so we did that for a number of years then, then the registration eased up and they expanded the field quite a bit and jumped the gun.

No longer served its purpose. but, it was a, a great party at, [00:30:00] midnight at at midnight, uh, going to a party at a hospital.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, wild.

Mike Vollmer: we had to keep the noise down in the lobby though, for the

patient.

Ally Brettnacher: bet.

Now,

so the, the paper forms you would get either through St. Francis or at the bank, would people start, were there copiers? Like could you go make copies of them and cause I'm trying to remember that timeframe. What would've been

Mike Vollmer: you could, you could make a copy, but for a couple years it had to be an original entry.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, I bet.

Mike Vollmer: Then they loosened up on that, of course. And as long as, your check cleared you had, were able to get in the race. So, the first two years were kind of disorganized.

500 festival came in and, gave it some nice structure and, rules and, was a, a much better experience for participants. Another big addition was when the, uh, when walkers were allowed into the event, which, gave a significant boost to the numbers of participants in the mini.

Ally Brettnacher: I bet. Yeah. What about your very first? What about [00:31:00] the first medal and the finish line experience? 'cause being on the track, is it similar to how it was now where you hang out for a while?

Or would you just kind of leave and then, yeah. Do you still have your medals, I'm assuming?

Mike Vollmer: still have my metal. I meant to get it out. It's about the size of a half dollar. And, uh, it was, it was a, uh, a 501st 500 medal, which they give out. They still give out. You got a separate medal, you got a finisher's medal. Then you, then the people finish in the top 500, get a separate medal. This was a separate little medal and I might be able to dig it out if you give me a minute, if I could,

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah. I would love to see

Mike Vollmer: lemme see. Hang on a second.

I meant to pull it out and I it didn't. This is a, uh,

here's an entry for the 1981 mini,

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: the application inside.

Ally Brettnacher: Whoa.

Mike Vollmer: Picture

Ally Brettnacher: That's so cool.

Mike Vollmer: on the back.

Ally Brettnacher: Do you [00:32:00] tend to save stuff, Mike? Do you just like having, because I'm just surprised you have so much cool stuff that you've saved from it.

Mike Vollmer: I, I was, uh, pretty busy while I was on the city council and, always, I was also on the, uh, white River Park Commission for the first 20 years

and, tended to throw things in, in piles. but, I got rid of a lot of things when I moved. So, uh, well, I can't find my metal here. I stuck it somewhere, but I've still got my medal and my, uh, finisher certificate.

but at the finish line, at the track that Speedway you finished and it was pretty unceremonious for the first few years. They said, oh, congratulations. Here's your medal, or.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: Or,

Mike Vollmer: You went to find some water and you made a left turn past the, uh, stands in front of the pits into what, was used to be called the snake pit.

First turn in field.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: That's where St. Francis later, that's where we gave out the cookies later and had water and

Gatorade, things like that. So, um, but it wasn't, uh, it wasn't the, [00:33:00] they didn't have the big finish line banner. It wasn't, electronically timed, of course, back then. So,

Ally Brettnacher: Oh yeah. Right,

Mike Vollmer: pretty, uh, they did have an overall clock and, uh, your, your time in the, in the standings was, pretty close to where you finished.

as opposed to now with each. Bib having its own chip on it and, uh, records your individual time. So that was pretty bad. Here's my, the, here's the shirt from

the first year.

Ally Brettnacher: They should remake those if they aren't for this year. They should have done that. It's so cool.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. And my number, back then they gave, they gave you two numbers. One for the front and one for the back.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, right. Okay.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. So, uh, I had, a few years later I had my number signed by, uh, Frank Shorter.

Ally Brettnacher: That's

cool.

Mike Vollmer: And, he comes back every year now at the expo and, is brought in and talks to, uh, participants and things like that.

Ally Brettnacher: I don't know if I knew that. did you use safety pins for bibs all these

years? Is that kind of always the tried and true? I

[00:34:00] think, Yes.

They have magnets and all kinds of, like, little things now, but the safety pins always work, so,

Mike Vollmer: they,

Ally Brettnacher: yeah. Yeah. I remember what I was gonna ask you. It was about your age when you started, and 26 seems pretty young to start City County Council too.

Mike Vollmer: well, I was elected, uh, right after I turned 25. I was, still in graduate school, in, in hospital administration back then. But, a good friend of mine's dad, we helped him in politics. he was elected Marion County Sheriff in 1974, and he, he held the seat on the city council that I then ran for the next year and, was successful.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow. Was that a typical age in those years

Mike Vollmer: No, that

was, uh, that was, considered pretty young,

so, but, it was a good experience. I met a lot of interesting people and, helped with some major, uh, expansion in Indianapolis, like the Hoosier Dome and, uh,

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, wow.

Mike Vollmer: bringing, bringing the Colts to Indianapolis and things like that. So, but I, I, [00:35:00] I mainly was interested in, improving the, uh, district that I was representing on the West side, near West Side.

Started, uh, at Belmont out to Speedway and then generally from Washington Street to 38th Street.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: And, uh, so I worked on a lot of things like, fixing sidewalks, getting streets, rep paved, improving intersections, a lot of transportation related things, parks, improving parks and things like that.

And, mostly constituent services. I was never really interested in climbing the ladder of politics and seeing, you know, how much power I could get and going to. Either the state or the national level because, you know, I think the higher up you get in politics, the, the further removed you are from the people that need you the most.

And, uh, so that was my motivation too. And, and when I was appointed to the White River Park, uh, development commission was, to give a nice, civic, uh, improvement, that would benefit the west side as well as the whole city of [00:36:00] Indianapolis.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Now, you mentioned obviously your, the surgeries that you've had over the years. Were there other races in the past 50 years that you almost missed? Like did you have kids? Were they born around that time? I'm just thinking there's gotta be other times where something had to have come

Mike Vollmer: uh, there were several that where I wasn't at the car, had a, had a pole or a strain that, I took with me into the race. But, None of which, kept me from completing it. So I actually, and I've done some marathons. I completed 14 marathons. but, I quit doing those because that was just too much pounding, especially on my

back.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: And, fir I did my first marathon the day I turned 30

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. The day of,

Mike Vollmer: the day of in

Chicago, and my last one when I was, 42. But, my biggest physical challenge, I would say the first year because of the heat, but of course I was 26, so that helped getting it through. But my biggest challenge was last year, uh, in February of last year doing yard work at our [00:37:00] previous, home.

I, pulled a muscle in my posterior,

Ally Brettnacher: Oh.

Mike Vollmer: actually, I tore a muscle, was not able to train really at all. My total mileage from, February 1st to the mini was four miles.

Ally Brettnacher: Mike. Oh my gosh.

Mike Vollmer: Just

four miles. So I thought, well, I'm just gonna show up and, you know, see if I can make it. So I started, you know, started off and, um, my injury was pretty well healed by then, but, I didn't want to do anything dramatic, so I, I walked jogged and, eventually more walking than jogging and, I don't know how I made it around the track, but, by 10th Street I was, about 10 miles.

I was stopping every half or quarter mile, stretching my back and, Calves and, finished 15th from dead. Last,

Ally Brettnacher: Whoa.

Mike Vollmer: yeah, four and a half hours just about.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: And, my wife didn't think I was, would make it. And I still today don't know how I made it. I don't, I don't think I made it on my [00:38:00] own really.

about 11 miles, one of the other alumni club members, gene Lach, came up behind me and saw I was having trouble and he, walked jog with me for a little while and, uh, I give him a lot of credit for helping me, get in there. but I, I must have looked pretty bad because at the finish line, which I had pretty much to myself, uh, some volunteers came out and kind of helped me across.

And I said, well, I can make it. And they said, we did. You didn't look like you were going to. So from the, I made it to the, uh, military park and they have our bags, the alumni night club people, they, they hold your bags for you in the little, band shell or wherever. So I kind of rehydrated and, I had a preferential parking place over at the visitor's center at White River Park, and they let us do that.

so for about the half mile walk from military park, actually less than a half mile to the White River Park Visitor Center took me 45

Ally Brettnacher: 45 minutes.

Come on. 500 festival. Where's the golf cart?

Mike Vollmer: to hobble. [00:39:00] Well, I, yeah, I didn't, I didn't see one and I didn't think of that. It would've been, that would've been nice. But, uh, so that was a pretty miserable experience.

Sat in my car for probably a half hour. Finally made it home. But,

Ally Brettnacher: Wow.

Mike Vollmer: so yeah, I don't wanna repeat that at all. But, so my, my training is I've slowed way down. You know, my, my, uh, PR in the mini was from 1990, 19 91, 35, 45,

Ally Brettnacher: That's cooking.

Mike Vollmer: like seven 18 pace. So yeah, I was, and they say, they say runners have a, about a 10 year window where they have some of their best times.

And I would kind of agree with that, but you know, that age, unless you, uh, unless you train incrementally more, he just, it's hard to overcome. But I know Gary, Gary Roeser, who, five time winner of the mini, he is, a couple months younger than I'm,

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: and I used to ask him, well, Gary, how do you maintain it?

And he, he trains like an.

an animal.

I think he still lives in [00:40:00] Florida, but, and I, he was one of the top ranked masters runners in the country for years.

Ally Brettnacher: Wow,

Mike Vollmer: Uh,

don't know if he still runs or whatever, but he also looks kind of bent over, because he's

Ally Brettnacher: I can picture that. Yeah. Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: And, uh, so that's one of the reasons I quit, the marathons.

It's just too much pounding. I used to do probably, three, half marathons a year, one in the spring, before the, mini, and then one in the fall. the, um, I did the Sam Costa half Marathon for like

20 years, 20 years in a row. And that was a good tuneup coming six weeks or so before the mini that would kind of tell me what I could do.

And then, in the fall I would do, um, the one at, Fort Benjamin Harrison, or a couple of the monumentals and things like that.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Uh.

Mike Vollmer: but

Ally Brettnacher: in 1990, how, how old would you have been, Mike, when you ran your fastest half?

That's too much math for me.

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Now back to the show.

In 1990, how, how old would you have been, Mike, when you ran your fastest half?

That's too much math for me.

Mike Vollmer: 39. 39,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That seems to be kind of a sweet spot. At least I'm hoping for me, that's how old I am now and I'm the fastest I've ever

Mike Vollmer: Yeah, 39 to 42. I was doing pretty well. my best marathon, happened when I was, I just turned 42, uh, in 92. It was, and, and my marathon training. I would start training for a marathon after the corporate challenge in early September

Ally Brettnacher: okay. Wow.

Mike Vollmer: Because

I, I was never a high mileage runner. And if I'd run over, uh, 50 miles a week, my body would start breaking down.

So for like 20 some years, I averaged over a year, 30 miles a week.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: was,

which was fine for me and, and some speed work and things like that. But, my, my last marathon in, 92 was in St. Louis, and I ran, 3 [00:43:00] 42 35,

which is pretty good on like 40 miles a week for two months. So I was, I was happy with that.

The next day in my office, I could hardly stand up straight and, uh, I think that's when I decided, my marathoning days were over.

Ally Brettnacher: yeah, yeah. My, my dad is 69. He turned 70 the day of the Carmel Marathon, and, uh, he ran the Marine Corps last year and he's like, this is it. This is my last marathon, and finally I believe him. I'm like, okay, I get it. It's, obviously a lot harder. What does your wife say about all of this, Mike?

Mike Vollmer: Well, I have a, I have a, fortunately I have a wonderful wife, very understanding. uh, it's my second marriage. We got married in our, our mid, forties. And, in addition to having sports medicine, as a department to help me with my aches and pains, as I've come up with them, uh, I was fortunate enough, uh, we met at St.

Francis. I was fortunate enough to marry a physical therapist,

Ally Brettnacher: perfect.

Mike Vollmer: so, that's kind of how [00:44:00] we met. And, she retired, before I did. but I, uh, I made her keep one patient and, unfortunately she doesn't take insurance. I have to pay in advance and, uh, I can't, I can't do any whining. Uh, but yeah, she's wonderful and has helped me quite a bit and got me to the, start line of the mini in better shape, than I would've been in, uh, on a number of occasions.

She, she, uh, she's done I think three half marathons. she did race some race walking and, she's, done the mini, I think in under three hours walking. So, uh, that's,

Ally Brettnacher: that's,

That's

really impressive.

Mike Vollmer: But, uh, yeah, I'm fortunate there.

there.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, absolutely.

Mike Vollmer: but yeah,

she, she's very supportive.

Ally Brettnacher: That's so helpful. do you have a, a, I guess a year that stands out or a year or two? I mean, I had people ask questions that they wanted answered from you, Mike, and a lot of people ask, what was your favorite race, which is has to be so hard, but do you have a couple examples of [00:45:00] why some races were your favorite?

Mike Vollmer: Oh, um, probably my PR race was, was, one of my favorites. It rained pretty much the whole time. but it was a, a light rain, kinda like the second year of the mini, which. It made it, cooler and, I've got a picture somewhere running in, uh, I didn't wear a shirt, just had shorts on and, you know, felt, uh, felt pretty good that year.

some others I surprised myself doing better than I thought I would. one it, I don't know if it's my favorite race, but it's probably one of the most memorable was that, it was in, 1987 and, I grew up, half about a mile east of the track, just, about 20th and Kessler and the race still came along 16th Street there.

so my mom and dad would. my dad had been re retired fairly, uh, recently. They'd come down and cheer me on, just, uh, you know, the, the, the Goodlett Street just west of Kessley. As I'd come by, they had to walk just a couple blocks from their house. Well, back in, uh, about the [00:46:00] time my dad, contracted lung cancer and, was in pretty bad shape.

He, he, uh, died in, in 1987, but in the 90, 86 of race he was in, still in pretty bad shape, had radiation and some other things. but what he was always, probably my biggest supporter when I ran track in grade school and high school. He would stop by on his way home from work at the CYO field there on 16th Street across from the old, uh, Indians, ballpark, and, catch me at track me.

That my track meet in high school. Well, he, um, in 1986, he was confined to a wheelchair, but he had my mom wheel him down those two blocks and stand at there, sit there at 16th and Goodlett as I came by to, uh, cheer me on. And that was, that was very, uh, touching. And I, I had never, that was right at 10 miles and I have not before, since ran that last 5K any faster than I did that year.

year.

Ally Brettnacher: [00:47:00] I

Mike Vollmer: was pretty memorable.

Ally Brettnacher: Over the years. How has what you've worn, like shoes, clothes, you know, obviously that first pair of shoes you showed earlier, how has that changed for you over the years?

Mike Vollmer: Well, the, the, the technology of course, has been tremendous. the shoe cushioning has been a big difference. And before the, uh, some of the, you know, as it's progressed, the shoes I would, especially in the longer races, I'd come home from the mini and my hip sockets would be hurting because the pound and knees.

So I used to get the soane heel inserts, and especially for my, uh, left leg where I have a leg to length discrepancy, and my left leg is a little shorter than my right leg. So I'd build that up a little bit. but those, sore of thing, healer inserts helped quite a bit. And of course, the, uh, the tech running shirts and clothes.

Big difference

with the, the sweat. And, you know, I still take my feet and, I love the, uh, [00:48:00] those in jgi, uh, toe socks

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, interesting. Okay.

Mike Vollmer: because, so, you know, especially, and I don't, you know, when I'd run, uh, when I'd race, uh, and go faster, I'd get blisters or bleeding or they'd rub together. So that, that's, uh, been pretty well eliminated.

And, uh, I still take the bottom of my feet. I wear, um, knee braces with an open patellar on them

just to stabilize, my knees. And, uh, I think this year I'll probably, um, so, so, um, you know, I've had a few ankle. sprains that, uh, I still feel once in a while, but, between Myo, fluex and, Advil and Ibuprofen and, acetaminophen, as some of my, I call 'em my, some of my sponsors, they, uh, that, that seems to help.

I'm gonna, pretty much now the only thing that really bothers me, especially with longer distances, which I don't do much anymore,

is the, my low back. And I tried, uh, the other [00:49:00] day, in a seven mile, I'll call it run, but it doesn't really resemble that, I don't think. Uh,

Uh,

one of these, uh, paint patches, adhesive paint patches the low part of my back, which I, I think I'll use in the mini, just to, uh, just to help 'cause that, that pretty well tore me up last year in that.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: But yeah, but the technology's improved quite a bit. I'm not, you know, I don't, I'm not gonna get the, uh, Nike, uh, zoom vapor fly shoes at 400. That would be a waste of

Ally Brettnacher: Somebody, somebody should gift 'em to you. 'cause it would just look, it would look ridiculous. I would love it.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. That, that would be a waste. I'd probably, uh, sprain my ankle wearing

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah, that's true actually, you should not wear those.

Mike Vollmer: so I've got some pretty basic, new cushion type, I guess Asics is what they are, but

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. Asics? Yep.

Mm-hmm.

When you finish a race now and over the years, I mean, we talk about the cookies. I can see why people complain when they take things away. I run for the chocolate milk, so I like, I know exactly where they have it. one year at the [00:50:00] monumental, uh, I ran the half marathon and I go to get a chocolate milk and they're like, sorry, this is only for the marathoners.

Mike Vollmer: Oh.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: Oh.

Ally Brettnacher: When they heard from me, I tell you what, I was like, you gotta be kidding. I ran the 13.1 miles for that chocolate milk. So cookies, milk. What? What do you like to have at the finish line?

Mike Vollmer: that, you're right, Ally, that chocolate milk tastes delicious after a long run and is, and has been proven to, to be a, uh, good replenisher of, uh, energy and, and electrolytes and things, that, Gatorade is, uh, is always good. And there's just water. And I, I typically, as soon as I finish, unless it's, really chilly, I'll, I'll dump a bottle of water on my head.

I typically,

typically get, get kinda warm out there. But, that, and it also kinda perks me up rather than, uh, keeling over, I guess. So. But I would, uh, in my heyday, I would run, 15 to races a year.

a year.

So I would, you know, I used to, [00:51:00] uh, I used to run a race at eight o'clock in the morning somewhere and, uh, come home and, cut the grass and then, go coach my son's little league team in the afternoon, you know, and, come home and cook out or something, you know, at home on the grill out something.

Ally Brettnacher: But I can't do that anymore. So this will be, I think the second year in a row that I haven't done any more than just the mini event.

Mm-hmm. So

uh, it seems like, the way I used to train for a marathon is the way I'm training for a mini, I would peak right at the time of the race and then, go backwards.

Mike Vollmer: So, uh, for like, for a marathon, two weeks before the marathon, and two weeks after it, if I thought about it, I couldn't see how I. Could complete or did complete that event. But, I said, I've never been a high mileage, uh, runner. But, that training, you know, it does pay off. It's just, gets tougher as you get a little older and your motivation kind of goes away and you aches and pains can become [00:52:00] cumulative and, so, you know, as my wife reminds me, well, Michael, you're 75 years old.

I said, yeah, but there's some of these guys, there's one guy, Warren Sump Warren, might be Warren. No, it's Warren something, and he's 80 something and he's still setting records, uh, somewhere in the, he's from Colorado or someplace. But, yeah, there, there's, of the Alumni Club members. One of them is in his eighties, gene Lush, al such.

Who worked for many years at, Indianapolis Power and Light. He still does the event. He's done it every year and he has Parkinson's.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh wow.

Mike Vollmer: can't see how he did it. So I, it's kind of hard for me to, uh, complain about my aches and pains when I see him still doing it. Gene La uh, a few years ago was hit by a car going to the symphony downtown or Monument Circle and has, had a recovery.

But,

Ally Brettnacher: wow.

Mike Vollmer: so I, they mo, for the most part, they were all pretty well, uh, average or somewhat above average runners and just kept [00:53:00] doing it for

some reason. Liked, liked the running, and I was, I always enjoyed running and I loved track practice in grade school, and I just loved practice. And, so maybe it was the first thing I was, really good at, I guess.

Played little league, but, enjoyed the running and, uh, was captain of our track team for a couple years. And, we didn't, uh, do that well as a team, but, I always enjoyed it.

it.

Mm.

Ally Brettnacher: Hmm. Now over the years too, with, the changes that have happened with the course itself, what are some of the things that you maybe miss about how the course used to be versus what you like about it now?

Mike Vollmer: Well, the, the original course was much more scenic, ran through the undulating hills, along the, white River and, golf courses. And, it was more challenging, but, uh, was more scenic until you got to 16th Street, which the cars would back up and you'd be inhaling. Carbon monoxide for a couple miles until you got into the track.

Uh, [00:54:00] this, uh, the course now is, and there'll be some construction on this course because of the blue line, I think on, Michigan Street this

year. which is the reason they're, giving more time between the start of the different waves. and they've added a fifth wave back this year 'cause of the number of entrances.

but, it's pretty much an out and back course to the speedway and back. I don't like running on concrete compared to asphalt. That's a lot easier. The track is still, difficult because it's either monotonous or, heaven forbid there's, sun out or it's

humid. Because, uh, and most people say, I just want to get off that track.

Actually, it is the only part of the course that Kenyans have ever complained about.

Ally Brettnacher: That's fair. It sounds, sounds about

Mike Vollmer: And the first, the first number of years, they did not have the entrance and exit lanes to the pits. So you were running on the track

the whole way

Ally Brettnacher: more

[00:55:00] sloped, right? 'cause you're all the way up.

Mike Vollmer: at the, well, you weren't all the way up, but on the, on the turns it was sloped

Ally Brettnacher: yeah.

Mike Vollmer: and just like the cars aren't supposed to, the, it was the inside of the track was ringed by the yellow shirts, the security personnel.

So you were run, you had to be above the yellow line. That's the way the course was measured. So you were always running at an angle.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Mike Vollmer: People hurt their ankles, hurt, broken ankles, knees. And, it was, it was not fun. So, um, fortunately the entrance and the exit, uh, ra uh, lanes on pit road from the back stretch to the, front stretch and the, front stretch around to the first second turn where you get off the track, those are much more level, and that's, you're not running on the track.

So that's, that's an improvement there. but the, uh, the, the newer course is, faster, but it's, maybe less, uh, less scenic. Although the, the entertainment along the [00:56:00] course is a big help to, uh, for a lot of people.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Do you remember what year the Circle City Cloggers started? Is that the right? Is that what they're called?

Mike Vollmer: Uh, yes, they are at, uh,

Ally Brettnacher: Just before

Mike Vollmer: 10th. They're at 10th.

Ally Brettnacher: mile five.

Mike Vollmer: They're 10th and Holt. Uh, right at, uh, about mile four and a half. And I know one of the ladies who's in that, I've known her a number of years ago, she

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, that's

Mike Vollmer: used to be, a race walker, but yeah, they have been around probably since, mid nineties, I think, at least.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah,

Mike Vollmer: And they're always a, they're always enjoyable.

Ally Brettnacher: they absolutely are. For anybody who's running their very first indie mini mile four and a half on the right hand side, they're so wonderful.

Mike Vollmer: I'm not sure now. I haven't seen for a couple years the, the preacher who wants to save everybody's soul at, on Washington Street

at a half mile into the course. But, uh, I wanted to tell him, you know, when we need you is about mile 12 and a half. Isn't that

you know,

Ally Brettnacher: You make a good point. That's [00:57:00] right. Yeah. If you wanna convert some people, you need to go Yeah. Towards the end. Yeah. Um, there's that big robot guy now. I think he took his

Mike Vollmer: Yes. Yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Mike, do you kiss the bricks or have you ever kissed the bricks

Mike Vollmer: You know, I, I used to ally and of course they, that's where one of the, uh, camera spots are, where they take a lot of the cameras and send you your picture and hope you'll buy 'em. I used to, but, in recent years, it's too hard getting back up.

Ally Brettnacher: Right. I mean,

I can only imagine. It's hard enough for me. I don't do it. I've done it one time. I've done, this will be my 18th Indie mini. I've done it once, so I mean, I feel, I'm like, wow, I've done 18. And then I'm like, wow, Mike is done. Gonna do 50. It's so amazing.

Mike Vollmer: time just, uh, passes by and, uh, you know, you, it's running is not as, uh, as much of a priority as it used to be. And, uh, there's other things, certainly more important, family and friends and, trying to be a, a good citizen, things like that and giving back to your community. But, you know, I always [00:58:00] enjoyed it and, uh.

enjoy it as much now because I, I don't run as, I don't go as fast and I get more aches and pains.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Right. It's not nearly as enjoyable. Um, do

Mike Vollmer: hat, Tom Hathaway, the longtime Southport and University of Indianapolis, track and cross country coach, who ran well into his eighties, used to say after he turned 70, they, they would ask him, well, how do you still do so? Well? He ran over a hundred marathons

Ally Brettnacher: geez. Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: within like three years. That was that one.

That's one thing that led to him kn needing two hips replaced.

Ally Brettnacher: Well, okay. Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. Uh, he would say that the way he keeps, his, uh, flexibility and training up, he stretches at least one hour per day.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: now that I'm closer to where, in age to where he was, I can see that because, as you, uh, you know, as the body ages, muscle fibers shrink in length. Most people don't notice that because they're [00:59:00] not that active.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Mike Vollmer: It's like the weekend warrior, you know, run into first base and pulling a muscle without warming up. The older you get, the more frequently that's gonna happen. To maintain the same flexibility, especially if you're a runner or walker

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Mike Vollmer: or do a lot of gardening, you need to stretch your muscles more.

Most people, especially runners being harder, hardheaded, won't stretch until they start becoming injured.

Ally Brettnacher: Yep.

Mike Vollmer: I, um, got plantar fasciitis terrible in the mid eighties and I didn't really stretch much. And, you know, I even though, and I, I got it once in high school and then started taping my feet, but, that's when I learned to some good stretches and stretching before and after.

And that makes, makes certainly a big difference. But a lot of people won't do it 'cause they think it's a waste of time until they started getting injured over and over and realize how valuable it's,

Ally Brettnacher: This is why I'm a terrible PT client because I'll go, [01:00:00] when I start hurting, they'll give me the exercises and I won't do them. I'm horrible. I'm the, I'm your cliche, typical hardheaded runner,

so,

Mike Vollmer: well, and even have, they even have, spots of, exercise places who primarily you go to and they stretch you.

Ally Brettnacher: Right?

Yeah. Right. Exactly. I know that's what I need to do more

Mike Vollmer: And, uh, but it's, you know, my favorite one is to, uh, lay in a door jam doorway. And put one leg up, say left leg up, to get 90 degrees and the, the right one down, and then vice versa. And it takes a while to get perpendicular, but that stretches the whole back of your leg.

Ally Brettnacher: yeah.

Mike Vollmer: um, you know, hips, of course, those are harder to do.

But if I, if I don't stretch, I, I'm just can't, can't do it really

Ally Brettnacher: Hmm.

Hmm.

So

do, speaking of that, kind of as part of your routine, do you have a pre-race, like a race morning routine that you do the [01:01:00] same every year?

Mike Vollmer: Yeah, I do, I have a big list of things not to forget, which, you know, I tape, uh, you know, my feet, my toes, you know, certain type of, over the counter medications. I, you know, eat, eat, uh, the right, uh, same types of foods for several days before. I used to be a pretty big fan of carbohydrate loading diet,

Ally Brettnacher: Yep.

Mike Vollmer: which

works, and, you know, eat a lot of proteins seven days before and have a pretty good workout and then gradually increase your carbohydrates.

That, that works. But, I'm not sure that I would benefit from it just, uh, by not, going as fast as I used to. Uh, but yeah, I had the stretching, quite a bit, the, the day or a few weeks, a few days before rather. And, putting my lineman on and my flex. And so I have a whole list of things that I go through.

I

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Will you wear a special shirt this year that says like, it's my 50th or anything?

Mike Vollmer: I don't, I don't, uh, know that they're gonna give us, uh. I know, give us one. for [01:02:00] the many, they, they give the alumni club free entries every year,

which is nice. and, uh, I do know that the merchandise at the expo is going to have a lot of commemorative 50th year, uh, special things like some apparently beautiful bomber type jacket,

uh, for the mini.

So I mean, they, they should, they should do well on those things. But, you know, I'll wear something based on the, uh, weather conditions and, some textured and make sure I'm, uh,

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: uh,

Mike Vollmer: try to start out a little, a little cooler than I would be. But, you know, so I've got the, the calf tights and my knee braces and compression shorts and.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: you

Mike Vollmer: Kind of, uh, I used to say I'm about 40% spandex, you know,

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah.

Mike Vollmer: kinda like the million dollar man. I, I, I'm more like 49.95. But, uh, I need a lot of support that those support, uh, support garments, uh, can be helpful.

Ally Brettnacher: For [01:03:00] sure. Well, if you need me to put something special on whatever texture shirt you might be wearing, you let me know. I have a cricket and I iron stuff

on, like every year. Like I've done every mini, I don't know. It'd be pretty fun to be able to have people cheer you on. I'm sure they will.

Anyway.

Mike Vollmer: yeah, I don't know.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: It,

Mike Vollmer: It, uh, I'll be, I'll be, and I hate, I hate to say it, but I kind of be glad when it's over just to

get through

Ally Brettnacher: don't blame. you.

Mike Vollmer: I, after last year, that was pretty miserable. I'm a lot better, I'm a lot more prepared, this year than I was last year, so it'd still be slow. But, you know, I used to get done with this thing in, hour and a half, hour and 40 minutes.

You know, certainly under two hours for many years. And, uh, now for being out there four hours, you just, the risk for me, the risk of dehydration, goes up because even though I'm drinking a lot of things, it's just a long time to be moving. So,

Ally Brettnacher: Yep. Will you, do you listen to music when you run?

Mike Vollmer: I used to, uh, if it would, if I were somewhere, like when I used to train on the monon, if I didn't [01:04:00] have to worry a bunch about traffic or things like

that. And there's a nice, uh, trail up here in Zionsville that, several miles. It's pretty good. I still have an old, this.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, radio

Mike Vollmer: Yeah, it's nice. So I'll, I'll tune in, uh, you know, several different stations and change channels and, uh, you know, that has helped me, pace wise when I've tried, I don't think, I'm not sure now it would, uh, so much, but, so I'm kind of walking, jogging basically is what I'm

Ally Brettnacher: Mm,

Mike Vollmer: hoping to do and keep going.

And I think, uh, if my back holds out, I should be okay. just finish. That's, uh, that's the thing.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm. I just pray for, for good weather.

Good weather.

Mike Vollmer: that'll be a blessing too.

Ally Brettnacher: would be a blessing. At the 10 miler that they had for the miler series this last Saturday. It was just the most perfect weather. So I'm just praying we can get a repeat of that. 'cause the weather for caramel this weekend is not looking great.

but what can you do?

Mike Vollmer: Yeah, I used to do, I used to do the, the, the [01:05:00] series, the three, six, and 10 for a number of years, and that's a great tuneup. But if I, you know, like, uh, I ran, uh, seven miles a week ago, or no, last Thursday, and then another five on Sunday. And I had not recovered from the seven miles, just in three days. So it just takes, you know, it takes me a lot longer to recover.

We used to do that. I used to do it five, six days a week think nothing of it. But, uh,

Ally Brettnacher: mm-hmm.

So with 50 years, how will you celebrate this? Like, will you do anything special?

Mike Vollmer: probably come home and take a nap.

Ally Brettnacher: A big nap.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. Oh, I'm, I'm sure I'll have a, um.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: um,

Mike Vollmer: a nice, probably nice quiet meal with, uh, my wonderful wife. She's a, she's an excellent cook and, may have something, uh, that I don't eat too much of, like, red meat or something, but, uh, which is, uh, I just don't do much of that anymore, but just, just kind of relax and have a, uh, [01:06:00] something to a beverage or something and some more ibuprofen and, uh, stretch.

Stretch. That would be a,

have to be a celebration. But

Ally Brettnacher: Now will your wife, will she make the trek downtown for the

Mike Vollmer: no, I, I told her, uh, don't

follow comment.

It's just a, a kind of a hassle. She will follow me on, uh, you know, on the website and, uh, and I, I used to, to, uh, kid, uh. Uh, tell people that, when I would do the mini, as I got older, my wife would, get our life insurance agent on speed dial just in case something happened, you know? And, uh, and don't call a caterer for the party until, she sees the body. But, uh, no, she's, uh, she's been great. And, um, uh, she'll be a big help, I'm sure.

Ally Brettnacher: Do any of your kids run.

Mike Vollmer: no. my, uh, I have two children. Uh, my daughter, Amy lives in Speedway. She's married, does not have kids. And, my, uh, son, [01:07:00] Jeff, uh, has already gone back to heaven.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay.

Mike Vollmer: Uh, he was 21 when he passed away. But he used to, he, he was a good golfer and, and he would go running with me sometimes. one thing I always regretted about my running with my daughter, was I almost bought when they first came out, one of those baby joggers.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Mm-hmm

Mike Vollmer: It was $175. And I thought, boy, that's kind of a lot. And I, things were kind of tight back then in the early eighties, and, so I didn't get it, but I always regretted not buying one of those to take her on runs.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm.

Yeah. What can you do now? Does she, will she come out and speedway and cheer?

Mike Vollmer: she has, she'll usually be on Main Street, uh, kind of cheering me out. I'll give her an approximate time when I'm gonna be there, but, yeah.

Ally Brettnacher: That's really nice. That area of speedway is, has really changed a lot over the years and that little downtown stretch now, the crowds there are really wonderful.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah, it's been good.

Ally Brettnacher: good. Yeah,

it's been really good. [01:08:00] Oh, okay. Well, will you finish this year and, and be done with 50? Because I, I saw somewhere that you had said that it was your goal to get to 50, and then, so now when that's done, will you

will you

hang up your hat, so to speak?

Mike Vollmer: um, I, I don't really know. I'm gonna see how I feel doing this and, uh, we, we, um, moved in the last year and that kind of hurt my training and my injury last year. If I can get on a, um. a decent year round training system, training schedule, and not have too many problems with, my back This year, I, I, uh, encouraged to kind of go on.

I, I'm not, not encouraged about a four hour race really much anymore, but, year to year. But, I'm maybe open to it, but perhaps not.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. That's interesting. I figured, I, I just wasn't sure what to expect, how you'd answer that question since I don't know you. I, I love that you're not saying no.

Mike Vollmer: Well, and, and, uh, you know, I also don't want to, you know, I want to help [01:09:00] maintain the integrity of the race. I don't want to be out there, stu, stumbling along and having somebody come by and pick me up or, or not make it. And, you know, kind of.

of.

Well,

I run, I've done the last two years, this will be my third year running with Ainsley's Angels. So I push, so if you need another mode of transportation at some point, Mike, you just call Ainsley's Angels. We'll get you one of those beautiful racing chariots.

Wow.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Well, I, I mean, I always thought, uh, I always, envisioned the mini as a,

a,

a challenge, regardless of somebody's, ability, because they're pushing themselves and they can, uh, take pride in, in their accomplishment. I just, you know, I, and I probably, if I, if I got to the point where I didn't feel like I was really accomplishing something that might, make me feel a little different.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Now, I imagine somebody listening to this is gonna run their first mini ever. So what advice would you give [01:10:00] to somebody who is going to experience this iconic race for the very first time?

Mike Vollmer: Well, I would, I would say, uh, you know, it's kind of late for training, but I mean, you need to do some training. I would say don't train too close to race day if you're not an experienced runner, because you'll still be tired from your recent training. stay, start, start out slow, run with, somebody or some people you have run with before.

So you who's about the same pace and who can encourage you and who you can encourage as you, uh, you know, have a joint goal task of completing the race. Tom Hathaway, the, the. A great coach used to give a speech during the training programs, and it was, he was a, a wonderful motivational speaker, and he would, say, preparation is the key in considering all of the different things that can happen to you in a race before the race as very important.

And the title of his, [01:11:00] motivational talk would be, prepare for the worst day in your life.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm.

Mike Vollmer: Whether it's rain, weather, somebody steps on the back of your shoe and you have to stop and redo it because if you consider and plan for every possibility, then if it is the worst day of your life, you can still overcome it.

it.

Mm.

So you know these people at the start who are high fiving everybody and zipping through the crowd and. Yelling and screaming, Hey John, how you doing? You know, you'll see them up ahead of the, at eight or 10 miles on the side of the road, huffing and puffing, you know?

Um, and just be, be focused on the event.

'cause it's a, it's a long way, but, the farther along you get, start counting down the numbers backwards. Five miles to go, four miles to go three. And that makes it, uh, I think go a little better.

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

That's good

advice.

Mike Vollmer: And be courteous on the course. You know, you get to a water station, you grab a cup, [01:12:00] water don't stop.

Don't just stop. You know, a lot of, a lot of first timers and, and, may do that. but the bigger the field, the more chance of problems tripping or falling or running into somebody at a water stop

becomes.

riverside_flams_- mike vollmer _ apr 14, 2026 001_finish_lines & mile: Right.

Ally Brettnacher: Yes. Yeah. That can be really tough.

Mm-hmm.

That's good advice. Absolutely. And pinch the cup. I always tell people, pinch that

cup.

'cause it's so hard to drink out of a cup while you're trying to keep

Mike Vollmer: Right.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Yeah. Alright, Mike, I'm gonna ask you the end of the podcast questions now if you're ready.

Mike Vollmer: Sure.

Ally Brettnacher: Okay. the first one is, what is your favorite running mantra? Like something you would say to yourself during a race or a run, and what's your favorite running song if you were to be listening to a song?

Mike Vollmer: Uh,

I'll, I'll go over a, a song and, uh, pop song in my head or of no particular type, but I learned a, um,

uh, a saying from a.

Uh, elderly race walker in training programs years [01:13:00] ago. Uh, Kathleen Duffy, she was a race walker and she wasn't a, particularly award-winning race walker.

She was a wonderful person, and the way she got through events, she had a little song that went like this, pick up my feet, Lord. I'll put 'em down. Pick up my feet, Lord, I'll put 'em down. Pick up my feet, Lord, I'll put 'em down.

Hallelujah.

I'm Homeward bound. And she would be walking with a group and they would come into the finish line and they'd all be singing.

Ally Brettnacher: That is like, it got me a little tear in my eye.

Mike Vollmer: And she was a, she was a, a wonderful church member, you know, that's what she said. But, in terms of a, a, what I would, uh. Like to hear, uh, would be probably, Tina Turner's Proud Mary

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, such a good

Mike Vollmer: because, especially as it picks up in the course of the song and, and those type of things [01:14:00] naturally would increase my pace when I was doing, a little more, um, intense training, I should

Ally Brettnacher: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. And then the second question we kind of already know the answer to, I guess so, but it's, what is your next finish line and or milestone?

Mike Vollmer: Uh, it would be, it would be to finish and, uh, going to get on a schedule of staying somewhat fit year round because, I used to see in, uh, when I was in, uh, hospital administration, and I'd go around the different units and, and. See all these, families, coming out of, ICU and CCU and just having lost usually, the father of the family.

And, uh, they said, you know, they'd be saying, well, he was never sick a day in his life, but he was a type A personality. He smoked, sedentary, uh, job and just didn't take care of himself. And so I, I, you know, that had an impression upon me in my twenties that, you know, and the more I looked into it, if you stay active your whole life, your [01:15:00] lifespan is going to, is, is not gonna go like this.

You're gonna have a much longer period of weakening rather than, just, all of a sudden. so I, I, one of my, uh, uh, big interests and wishes for the country is to, for people to be more fit. Because as much, as by some estimates, 40 to 60% of all healthcare costs come from what can be called voluntary diseases or voluntary lifestyle, types.

And there's really no, no reason for it. It's, it's, uh, you know, it would be better for the economy, better for people's individual economy, and the country as a whole. But, you know how people are these days and, uh, some are committed to it and many are not. So.

Ally Brettnacher: right. Yep. Well, I'm trying to get my kids to learn that early on, right? And they see their mom and their dad both constantly active, and so I hope that I instill [01:16:00] that in them. So at least perhaps future generations will have more of that

Mike Vollmer: That's very,

very, very valuable because you'll, you'll all be around, much longer and much healthier if you do that.

Ally Brettnacher: Yes. Yes. God willing. So, well, anything we didn't touch on that you expected me to ask you or that you wanted to make sure that you shared?

Mike Vollmer: uh, no, not, not really. I've, you know, enjoyed the years and the 500 festival they do a wonderful job of organizing and, you know, it's a high priority for them to make it a, the best event in the

country. And I think by many, uh, testimonies, it, uh, it certainly is. So, uh, hope it continues for a long time.

And, uh, I hope there'll be a number of people who do more than, uh, more than 50 minutes, you know, whether it's me or some other people.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. Or I know, right. I was thinking about that. Like how old, you know, how long I would be running to get to that point and Sure. Hope I can. So we shall, we shall see.

Mike Vollmer: Pleasure speaking with you today.

Ally Brettnacher: Yeah. It was so nice to meet you. Will you start the race you think again? Like [01:17:00] 25 years? Will they have you start

and move

Mike Vollmer: I

Ally Brettnacher: No. Oh, that'd be so nice. They should. 'cause then I would get to see you.

Mike Vollmer: well, I don't know it. I'm, uh, I don't take a very good picture when I'm, when I'm running, I look, uh, look like I'm, uh, kinda in pain, which I pretty much am. But, uh, yeah, I'll be, I'll be there and, uh,

and, uh,

Ally Brettnacher: you will. Oh, awesome. Well thank you for doing this. I really appreciate it. And thank you to everybody who has listened. And happy running.

Mike Vollmer: Yeah. As, uh, an old doctor at St. Francis used to say, walk slow, drink lots of water, and pay the nurse on the way out.

the way out.

Ally Brettnacher: Oh, perfect.

Hey, if you're new around here, thanks to the 500 Festival, you can go to my website, athlete bouquets.com and sign up for weekly email newsletters for finish lines and milestones. I highlight my own running Journey products I love, and of course, this podcast as well. Would love to have you if you already subscribe.

Would love a rating, review a share of this episode so that more people can find this podcast, thank you [01:18:00] again.

Mike, for coming on the podcast. I was so impressed that at almost 76 years old Mike logged into Riverside.

No problem. To record, And of course now I've thought of so many more questions I wanted to ask him. Mike will be at the Indie Mini Expo on Thursday for most of the expo. So, , he'll be around if you are lucky enough to say hello and meet him there.

And again, there will be a live podcast event I'm hosting with Lindsay Hein. It's at the Bottleworks Hotel. Tickets are in the show notes. Stay tuned for a social media giveaway coming soon as well. And I can't believe we're just over two weeks away from the 50th running of the Indie Mini as I record this.

really excited for this race and we'll be cheering for all of you there.

And, oh, I almost forgot.

Best of luck to everybody headed to Boston to run the Boston Marathon on Marathon Monday,

I will be following along and cheering from afar and.

Ally Brettnacher: Thank you again to Cure for supporting this podcast, and I will talk to you next week. Bye.


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