Plainfield's Back Your Badge Marathon laces up for its fourth run through downtown streets on Sunday, September 20, honoring the town's police officers, firefighters and 911 dispatchers with a full weekend of racing. What began in 2023 with just 59 full-marathon finishers has grown to 102 finishers in 2024 and 107 last year, making it one of Plainfield's fastest-growing sports traditions heading into this fall's race.
According to the Town of Plainfield, this year's race is shaping up to be the biggest and best Back Your Badge weekend yet, bringing together runners, families, volunteers and supporters to celebrate public safety service. That growth trajectory checks out: full-marathon finishers climbed from 59 in the race's debut year to 102 in 2024 and 107 in 2025, according to MarathonGuide.
A Firehouse Sprint at Mile 15 on a Boston-Qualifying Course
The marathon's 26.2-mile course carries an official USA Track & Field certification and doubles as a Boston Marathon qualifier, according to RunSignUp. Around mile 15, runners head straight through the open bay doors of an active Plainfield fire station, weaving past parked engines and other apparatus before passing local police and dispatch buildings later on the route, the same report notes.
Runners Choose a Side: Police, Fire or Dispatch
Every entrant in the 5K, half-marathon and full marathon picks a public safety team to represent for the day, according to the Town of Plainfield. Runners wear color-coded bibs matching their chosen agency, and their combined mileage across all three races counts toward a traveling trophy awarded to the winning department.
Charity Proceeds Fund a Full-Ride Paramedic Scholarship
Race proceeds also underwrite the Back Your Badge Paramedic Scholarship, a partnership with the Hendricks College Network that can cover full tuition for emergency medical trainees, per Visit Hendricks County. The scholarship's recipient is publicly named and honored on race day.
The fundraising adds up quickly: the 2024 race alone generated more than $15,000 in charitable proceeds, distributed across local police, fire, 911 dispatch and youth assistance programs, according to MarathonGuide.
Marathon Weekend Kicks Off Plainfield's Quaker Days
The race weekend lines up with Plainfield's Quaker Days festival, running September 17 through 20, which opens with a free Kids Fun Run on Main Street that kicks off the 47th Annual Quaker Day Parade, according to the Plainfield Chamber of Commerce.
Race weekend operations are headquartered at the Richard A. Carlucci Recreation & Aquatic Center, according to Visit Hendricks County, where registered runners pick up their race packets Saturday and receive a complimentary pasta dinner from Cunningham Restaurant Group.
Course Records and Perks for Returning Runners
The event's competitive benchmarks were set during the 2024 race, when Chris Free posted a men's course record of 2:47:18 and Savannah Clark set the women's record at 3:20:36, the outlet's coverage shows.
Runners who finish the race in all three years — 2024, 2025 and 2026 — will receive a custom acrylic display case built to hold all three finisher medals, per the same coverage.
