'It keeps me strong' | Mini-Marathon is next step in battle over cancer for Avon runner

An Avon woman will be among the thousands of runners on the course for the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon in downtown Indianapolis, marking an important milestone in her health journey.

Saturday's race will be Jenny Spangler's 59th half-marathon after she started running 13 years ago to get physically and mentally stronger.

"It's more about just celebrating my health, my fitness," she said. "When you train yourself to run 13 miles or 26 miles, you have a lot of time to think."

She said running helps clear her mind.

"It's an outlet. It keeps me strong. I have not doubt that it's helped me in my recent journey," she said.

Last September, Spangler went to the doctor after noticing a lump on her neck. She was diagnosed with Stage 3 non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

"We take life for granted a lot of times, and I can say I've done that myself. But when you get a cancer diagnosis, it changes everything," Spangler said.

After going through six rounds of chemotherapy, Spangler's running friends welcomed her home earlier this year — cancer-free.

"I got the all-clear to run again, so the Indy Mini will be my first race back since battling cancer," she said.

It's a comeback story in the making — one step at a time.

"I was able to manage that chemotherapy because I was in such good shape from running," she said.

Spangler said she isn't worried about her pace this year, because this isn't a race to the end, it's a celebration.

"When I toe that line on Saturday, May 2, it's about celebrating my life, celebrating my fitness, celebrating the fact that I can run," she said.

You can watch the 50th running of the IU Health 500 Festival Mini-Marathon Saturday on WTHR and WTHR+. Live coverage of the race begins at 6 a.m. on May 2.