The latest community-engagement effort at the University of Indianapolis is not run of the mill. On the contrary, it’s run of the mile.

Athletics and campus staff staged “Indy’s Fastest Mile” during halftime of this past Saturday’s home football game against Wayne State (Michigan) to incorporate fitness, fans and fun.

Runners of all shapes, sizes and speeds started from inside the Greyhounds’ Key Stadium and wound around the Indianapolis campus on a one-mile course that brought them back to the stadium, where runners finished with a flourish through the team’s inflatable football helmet and down the track before the stadium’s main grandstand.

“We thought this would be a great way to incorporate students and alumni to come to campus to participate in a fun and healthy event,” said Matt Donovan, associate athletics director for development. “It promotes fitness, and we have such a great campus – why not stage the event within the footprint of the university and then bring them onto the track at halftime? It’s perfect for us.”

The $15 entry fee ($10 for students) came with a game ticket, a “Fastest Mile” event shirt, discount on merchandise, souvenir participant bib, a bobble head – and most importantly, said Athletics Director Sue Willey, “the opportunity to run through the helmet and finish on the track in front of the main grandstand!”

The “Fastest Mile” idea came from alumni on the school’s booster club who had seen halftime runs staged at high school football games. The event attracts football fans and others who want to challenge themselves and experience a course that begins and ends in a stadium in front of a big crowd (like the marathon at the Olympic Games on a much smaller scale – and distance).

Since most runners can complete a mile in about five to seven minutes (even casual joggers can meet the 10-minute mark), football halftimes provide the ideal window to stage the event without getting in the way of game logistics or the participating teams.

“And an ancillary benefit is that it’s another way to introduce people to the university,” Donovan said.

Using home football games to engage the community is nothing new for Indianapolis officials. The school already stages a popular “Tailgate Town” for families before each game and then incorporates special events such as hot air balloon rides, fireworks and the fun run as added attractions.

“What we’re trying to sell is that if you want good family entertainment on a Saturday night in the fall, come to our campus,” Donovan said. “We offer a unique, safe and family friendly environment for just six bucks.”