Race Website
Additional race information can be found at https://www.8hourdream.com/.
Description
Welcome to the 8-Hour Dream Endurance Race — Indiana’s Largest Endurance Running Event!
The Dream is a fixed-duration endurance race with one simple goal: go as far as you can in eight hours. Run, walk, or stroll — every mile counts. Held on Butler University’s iconic campus, The Dream has become the largest endurance running event in Central Indiana and continues to break participation records year after year. In fact, the event has sold out FIVE years in a row, driven by an incredibly high percentage of returning runners.
Spending a full day outside historic Hinkle Fieldhouse feels like a "running tailgate" — part competition, part celebration — all while testing your physical and mental limits. It’s an experience you won’t forget.
The Course
Throughout the day, participants can choose between:
- The Long Course (5K)
- The Short Course (1.91 miles)
Runners may switch between courses at any time to manage strategy, seek shade, or dial in a target distance. Both courses feature the now-famous Bulldog’s Revenge Hill, a defining challenge of The Dream.
Ways to Participate: There are three ways to be part of the action:
- SOLO – Take on all eight hours yourself
- TEAM – Share the challenge with teammates
- Cat Nap 5K – A single-loop 5K starting at the same time as The Dream, perfect for family and friends who want to join the opening lap with SOLO runners
Team Categories & Divisions include:
- Female, Male and Coed
- Teams may consist of 3–4 or 5–6 members.
Coed Team Requirements:
3–4 Person Teams:
- 3 runners → minimum 1 female
- 4 runners → minimum 2 females
5–6 Person Teams:
- 5 runners → minimum 2 females
- 6 runners → minimum 3 females
Specialty Team Divisions
RC Cup is Back: The coveted cup goes to a local running club logging the most miles. Four different running clubs have captured The Cup over the last seven years. Will we have a new club take home the trophy in 2026
- Run Clubs must be certified nonprofit running clubs with non-profit status
- Require 6-person coed teams (3 males, 3 females)
- Running clubs can only enter one team in the RC Cup, but may also enter additional teams in the OPEN division
Post-Race Celebration: What truly sets The Dream apart is more than the miles: The post-race party includes a FREE cookout, live music, beer garden and the Podium Ceremonies. After a long day, free food, drink and smiles is the only way to close the book on The Dream.
Whether you’re chasing miles, cheering teammates, or soaking in the atmosphere, The Dream delivers eight unforgettable hours.
Place
Hinkle Fieldhouse has reigned as one of the nation's great sports arenas for more than eight decades. The classic facility was constructed in 1928 and it has stood up to the test of time, maintaining the splendor, character, and atmosphere that made it one of the nation's most famous basketball arenas for nearly a century.
Multi-Year Club Teams
Tent Village Map
Attached is LAST YEARS Tent Village map for SOLO's and TEAMS to give you an snapshot of what to expect this year. As you can see, spacing is tight but we make it work and everyone works well together. You are not permitted to expand your area outside of your 10 x 10 boundary. A few notes and reminders:
- You don't have to tent in your assigned spot. Open sections outside of the Tent Village include along the front of Hinkle Fieldhouse, under trees, etc. Areas outside of the Tent Village are not assigned so first one there gets the spot.
- Once the event starts at 10 AM, you are welcome to move your tent to an open tent location. If open, it may mean the runners didn't show, decided not to set up camp, decided to share space with others, etc. Again, this can only be done after 10 AM
- We have some SOLO's sharing with TEAMs. If you see a SOLO bib tenting on the TEAM side, this is probably the reason why.
- All dogs must be on a leash at all times
- Fires or open flames are prohibited
- Be respectful of your neighbors.
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
TEAM Running Order form
Please print the attached, complete and submit during packet pickup or prior to the start of the event (10 AM). RC Cup and FC Cup teams, the runners listed on your running order should align with the six bib numbers on your team (i.e the bib numbers should be distributed in the order listed on your form).
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
Race Contact Info
If you have any questions about this race, click the button below.
Directions
West side of Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus - 510 W 49th St, Indianapolis, IN 46208
Hinkle Fieldhouse has reigned as one of the nation's great sports arenas for more than eight decades. The classic facility was constructed in 1928 and it has stood up to the test of time, maintaining the splendor, character, and atmosphere that made it one of the nation's most famous basketball arenas for nearly a century.
