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Back Your Badge Marathon race photo

Back Your Badge Marathon

The city you want to run becomes your next trip.

USSeptember 202742.195km · 21.1km · 5km
Eric Wood · CC BY-SA 3.0
Race date Sep expected
September 2027
City · Distance
Plainfield · 42.195km · 21.1km · 5km
Entry fee
$65From the 2026 edition
2027Date September 2027 · expected · Soon
2026Date Sep 20, 2026 · Entry ~ Sep 20, 2026 · Entry fee $40 · Start 07:30
Official website ↗D-day as of Oct 8, 2026
Back Your Badge Marathon race photo
Eric Wood · CC BY-SA 3.0
About the raceHow to enterCourseRace PrepTravel
Why you dream of this race

THE DREAM

About Back Your Badge Marathon — what makes it special

ABOUT THE RACE

A day you'll remember,
long past the finish line.

This race honors public safety workers, including police, firefighters, and dispatchers.

It is sponsored by the City of Plainfield.

The road to your own record

Picture the course in advance
and find the pace that fits you.

When the city cheers

Streets lined with cheers, runners all around.
You'll be part of that scene.

The trip that follows the run

Take it slow with the finish still in you,
and meet the city all over again.

Back Your Badge Marathon runner reviews and race reports

Stories from those who ran it first.

From the joy of finishing to the tough moments — read what runners wrote themselves.

No runner reports yet. We'll add them here as they come in.

See it on video,
feel it through their stories.

Preview the course and read what runners who went before you wrote.

What to Expect at The Back Your Badge Marathon

Back Your Badge Marathon

View on YouTube

This may be from a past edition. Check the organizer for this year's course and operations.

The way in that fits you

YOUR ENTRY

How to enter Back Your Badge Marathon — registration routes

How to reach the start line —
start with what fits you.

Here are the ways to enter and what each requires.
Check the organizer's page for whether entries are open.

From the 2026 edition

Marathon

Entry cost $65

until Nov 30, 2025 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Half

Entry cost $55

until Nov 30, 2025 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

5K

Entry cost $30

until Nov 30, 2025 · subject to change — verify officially

Organizer's page

Registration platform RunSignup

Official race websiteEntry options
From the start line to the finish

RACE WEEK

Back Your Badge Marathon course map and elevation

The 42.195km I'll run

Know the course and time limit, and race day comes into focus.

From the 2026 edition
Runners start · local timeFrom 07:30
not the start line

We have not confirmed the start line coordinates yet.

START

Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center, Plainfield, IN

Start · Google Maps

The Marathon, Half Marathon, and 5k are held together.

The start time is 7:30 AM local time.

Participant benefits

Not yet confirmed in the official race guide

Where and when to collect your Back Your Badge Marathon race bib

To the start line,
step by step.

Pick up your bib, check your wave.
So on race morning, you can just run.

From the 2026 edition

Pick up your bib at the expo

Saturday expo and pickup is standard; race-morning pickup is available as a paid option ($5).
9/19 (Sat) 14:00~19:00 · Day of competition (Sun) 06:00~07:00 (Additional $5 per person)

Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center, Plainfield, IN

Google Maps
Stations & transport near the venue

Getting to the start

No dedicated transit station. Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center, 651 Vestal Rd, Plainfield, IN 46168.

Official Runsignup event pages confirm start/finish at the Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center;

marathon and half marathon start at 7:30 AM, 5K at 7:20 AM on Sunday 9/20 (2026).

Official site notes a hard road-closure detail: 'US 40 will close at 7am.

You may not be able to leave [the venue] immediately, especially if you run the 5K.' Marathon participants get VIP parking passes for the venue lot;

two additional non-shuttle overflow lots are Franklin Park (0.6 mi to start) and White Lick Trailhead (0.82 mi to start).

No public transit in the area.

Getting to the finish

Same venue — Richard A. Carlucci Recreation and Aquatic Center, 651 Vestal Rd, Plainfield, IN 46168.

Official site: start and finish are co-located at the recreation center.

More details

Yes —

official school-bus shuttle for 5K participants and non-VIP half-marathon runners from an overflow parking lot (451 S. Vestal Rd, Plainfield, IN) to the start/finish;

2 school buses run from 6:00 AM with the last departure at 7:00 AM, then resume 8:00 AM-12:00 PM (per Runsignup 'Parking/Shuttle' page).

Stations & transport near the venue

Back Your Badge Marathon is in Plainfield, IN, a suburb of Indianapolis;

IndyGo (Indianapolis's transit system) uses the reloadable MyKey card or its mobile app, single ride $1.75, but IndyGo routes do not extend out to Plainfield.

This is effectively a car-access venue - plan on driving or rideshare from Indianapolis.

Source · checked Aug 24, 2026
READY TO RUN

From race morning to after the finish.

Your start time, fuel and bag drop.
Know them ahead and the run feels easier.

The course is a paved road course with rolling hills that passes through the historic US Route 40 and the Plainfield park trail system.

It is a USATF-certified course.

The average temperature on race day is reported as 18°C, with an average high of 24°C and an average low of 12°C, which is mild for early autumn.

Times are local to Plainfield. Check the latest official information before the race.

A trip built around the race

STAY A LITTLE

MAKE IT A RUNTRIP

The race is one day,
the trip can be longer.

From a hotel that makes race morning easy,
to the meals and views you'll enjoy with the medal on.

Indianapolis｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at Indianapolis International Airport

$123

View on Klook

Hotels near the Back Your Badge Marathon start line in Plainfield

Hotels that make race morning easy

View all →

Distances are straight-line from the start.
Check real travel times and booking terms with each hotel.

Swipe sideways to see more hotels.

Time for you, before and after the finish

View all →

Rest a little, wander a little.
Pick what suits you and whoever you're with.

Indianapolis｜Private Airport Pickup/Drop-off Service at Indianapolis International Airport

$123

View on Klook
Eating well is part of the tripA meal before the race, a dinner to celebrate the finish.View on mapSeeing Plainfield with the medal onThe city you ran — this time, a little slower.View on map

Hotel distances are straight-line from the start. Distances and ratings for food and sights come from the place provider, and experiences are travel products in Plainfield.

Total cost and budget for Back Your Badge Marathon

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS

Trip prep too,
light and in one place.

ChecklistLocal eSIM · YesimFlight delay or cancellation compensation · AirHelpPace calculator

Once saved, you can open this page without an internet connection

Runner stories and questions about Back Your Badge Marathon

RUN TOGETHER

With runners who dream of
the same start line.

Be the first runner
Leave this room's first post

Plainfield runners' room

Frequently asked questions about Back Your Badge Marathon

FAQ
When does Back Your Badge Marathon 2027 take place?

Not officially announced yet.

It's expected in September 2027;

the 2026 race was held on Sun, September 20, 2026.

How much is the Back Your Badge Marathon 2027 entry fee?

Not announced yet. The 2026 race entry fee was about $40.

What distances does Back Your Badge Marathon 2027 offer?

Marathon · Half · 5K. (From the 2026 edition)

What time does Back Your Badge Marathon 2027 start?

The race starts at 07:30. (From the 2026 edition)

Where does Back Your Badge Marathon 2027 start?

Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center, Plainfield, IN.

(From the 2026 edition)

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