Runner Collapses, Dies After Indy Half-Marathon
INDIANAPOLIS — A 29-year-old runner died after collapsing near the finish line of the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon last Saturday.
The Marion County Coroner’s Office identified him as Patrick Holden of Indianapolis. He collapsed shortly after completing the 13.1-mile course and later died at IU Health Methodist Hospital. The coroner is still working to determine how he died, but an obituary shared by his family says it was sudden cardiac arrest.
Holden’s name didn’t appear on the official list of finishers. The 500 Festival released a brief statement expressing sympathy: “This loss is felt across our organization and the entire running community.”
The Mini-Marathon, a downtown tradition since 1977, drew thousands of runners and spectators this year. During the race, paramedics responded to two dozen calls for help, mostly injuries and exhaustion. Temperatures were in the upper 50s and low 60s, but runners say the lap around the Indianapolis Motor Speedway felt hot and airless.
Holden grew up in Brownsburg and was the salutatorian of his high school class. He went on to earn a doctorate in pharmacy and an MBA from Butler University. At Eli Lilly and Co., he worked to close care gaps for cancer patients, work inspired by his mother’s battle with breast cancer.
Friends and coworkers remembered him as driven, humble, and kind. He was also deeply involved with his college fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, later serving as a chapter advisor.
Holden is survived by his wife, parents, three siblings, a grandmother, and two nephews.
A memorial visitation will be held Friday from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at Connection Pointe Church in Brownsburg.