INDIANAPOLIS – A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO SET YOUR PACE® Now one of the 15 largest marathons in the US, the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is the ideal fall marathon for everyone from the first time marathon runner to elite athletes. Starting and finishing at the Indiana State Capitol, the course highlights …
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INDIANAPOLIS – A BEAUTIFUL PLACE TO SET YOUR PACE®
Now one of the 15 largest marathons in the US, the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is the ideal fall marathon for everyone from the first time marathon runner to elite athletes. Starting and finishing at the Indiana State Capitol, the course highlights landmarks and historical neighborhoods throughout Indianapolis. Nationally recognized as flat and fast, event hosted Olympians, PR seekers, and thousands of Boston Marathon qualifiers.
Along with a half marathon, 5K, and kids fun run, race weekend is full of events for the entire family. The Indianapolis Monumental Health and Fitness Expo at the Indiana Convention Center kicks off the event with two days of talented expo speakers, vendors, and opportunities to show your monumental spirit.
Indy is within a day’s drive of over half of the country’s population and the LEED-certified airport is only 15 minutes from downtown. From parks to museums to ziplines, Indy has something for every member of your group to enjoy on race weekend. Known for hosting blockbuster events, Indy has a flourishing culinary and brewing scene, thriving cultural institutions, cool neighborhoods, and so much more!
It’s a big race energy with local charm. Family and friends can cheer you on across the heart of downtown, through some of Indy’s historic neighborhoods, and past famous monuments as you complete 3.1, 13.1 or 26.2 miles! Come and experience legendary Hoosier hospitality for yourself!
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Flatter Than TSwift
Great race, fairly cool course (though there's not a ton to see in Indy, but it hits the big sites), super-flat, very well-run, though more urinals would have been great. … MORE
Great race, fairly cool course (though there’s not a ton to see in Indy, but it hits the big sites), super-flat, very well-run, though more urinals would have been great. I love that they give a cool-looking winter hat, that’s one of my favorite race swags I’ve gotten.
Great town to visit
This was a well put on race. They know what they are doing. We stayed down town and there is plenty to do in walking distance. A lot was going … MORE
This was a well put on race. They know what they are doing. We stayed down town and there is plenty to do in walking distance. A lot was going on the weekend we were there. The weather was good, the course is flat and it’s a pretty big race compared to the races I have done lately. I think if I were to do it again, I would give them a race time and try to start in an earlier corral. I started in the last corral and while I was fine with that, I think my time would have been better if I had submitted a time and got in a better position. I don’t have any complaints about the race.
Great Course and Crowd support
This was state number 40 and I was most pleased with this race! To start, logistics are easy with plenty of motels near the race area. There is no need … MORE
This was state number 40 and I was most pleased with this race!
To start, logistics are easy with plenty of motels near the race area. There is no need to rent a car. I stayed at the Sheraton City Center which was within a short walking distance to the start/finish line, expo and many restaurants.
The expo was a good size and since it was after Halloween, many vendors were had candy at their booths! Bib pick up was well organized . The only down piece was the quality of the race tech shirt that was given out. It was so cheap that you could see right through it!
The course is mostly flat and had way more crowd support than I expected. I enjoyed running past the city landmarks and through neighborhoods where folks were giving out drinks and more candy! The one draw back was a number of roads that had pot holes and cracks. The course is almost entirely on asphalt which I like over concrete . Plenty of aid stations and 3 Gu stops, which is unusual. One aid stop ran out of cups and folks were drinking from the same water pitcher, not very sanitary!
The finish area was well organized and they gave you a knit cap as well as a bag to carry food items. I will note they gave you water in a can which tasted awful! The pizza was being restocked when I finished so I did not wait for it.
Results were quickly available and the medal was nice, gold color for marathoners and silver for the half.
There were plenty of places to see/visit in Indianapolis , even an NFL game the next day!
I ate at the Old Spaghetti Factory for carb loading . Also ate at St Elmo’s, Yard House and Shapiro’s Deli . All excellent! Great ice cream at the Chocolate Cafe!
I highly recommend this fun race and would do it again!
Nice and flat
A mostly flat course with a few rolling hills. Very well produced. Lots of volunteers working the aid stations along the route. Plenty of water, electrolytes, and some stations had … MORE
A mostly flat course with a few rolling hills. Very well produced. Lots of volunteers working the aid stations along the route. Plenty of water, electrolytes, and some stations had Gu gels. Plenty of people along the route cheering, and what looked like some serious marathon house parties/bbq’s. A very well stocked finishers area with water, chocolate milk, fruit, nutrition bars. A free beer and pizza as you exited, and the option to buy more. The only negative was a surprisingly small expo. I expected a lot more vendors for a marathon of this size. But overall, I do reccomend this race!
Great place to PR!
Pros: Super flat and lovely fall scenery! The support downtown and in some of the neighborhoods is very strong and you get to see all of Indianapolis. I love the … MORE
Pros:
Super flat and lovely fall scenery! The support downtown and in some of the neighborhoods is very strong and you get to see all of Indianapolis. I love the medal and the logistics were extremely streamlined/easy. I had a very easy first marathon and felt like there was plenty of water and sports drinks along the way, even if the mile 18 station ran out of cups!
Cons:
ROUGH roads in some parts and the long stretch from miles 19-23 with no spectators or cheering were really mentally tough. You run along some extremely busy roads where only one lane is blocked off and there were many intersections where cars should have been stopped/turned around and were instead able to pull through in the middle of throngs of people. I was very confused by the road closure system and felt like the traffic control was sketchy once you were out of downtown. Also for Brooks being a sponsor, and this being one of the biggest races in the country, the tech shirts were cheap quality and a bit of a bummer.
OVERALL: I would give this an 8/10! I am biased because it will always be my first marathon and I had a great experience all things considered, but if you have raced a lot around the country some of the nitpicks may bother you. I would love to come back to this race and enjoy the perfect weather and Hoosier hospitality again!
Could be improved
Pretty nice organization with a scenic, flat tour of Indianapolis. Lots of beginners which meant a lot of walkers around just when your brain need to see people running to … MORE
Pretty nice organization with a scenic, flat tour of Indianapolis. Lots of beginners which meant a lot of walkers around just when your brain need to see people running to keep running. Could be improved on some points though, I understand this race grew a lot in size these past 15 years and it just increases logistics:
* Bib customization: some of us did not have customization despite registering way before the deadline
* Gear check bag: by far the smallest bag I’ve ever seen in a race that size. Far from ideal for everyone going straight to the airport after the race
* Corral enforcement: Lots of E-corral runners sneaking in earlier corrals
* Porta-potty strategy: lots of queue on-course forcing us to slalom around queued runners. maybe have more than 4 at a time?
* Aid stations: the first couple of them were just after a turn, creating chaos. At least one station ran out of cups only 2h in.
* Shirt and Medal are really “vanilla”
Flat and Fast -This is the place for PRs
There was a lot to love about this race. First off, Cole Hocker, Olympic Gold Medalist was at the expo and gave a great interview and took photos afterwards. He … MORE
There was a lot to love about this race. First off, Cole Hocker, Olympic Gold Medalist was at the expo and gave a great interview and took photos afterwards. He even was at the finish line as well. The expo itself was alright.
The course itself isn’t the most exciting, but it is perfect for a PR. It is almost pancake flat other than a small incline around mile 16-17, you can run fast here. The start line and finish line are near almost every hotel you can reserve downtown which makes it great to get down to the race quickly. Plus the downtown area is a really fun place to hang out after the race.
Bag drop is right near the start and you can even hang out in the Convention Center prior to the race and stay warm. The finish line is well situated and after you finish, you get a nice Monumental Marathon hat. The finisher medals were of good quality too and were not too big or gaudy like many races tend to give out now. There was also some nice gear to buy after the race, but they were out of most sizes that fit most runners.
The were some things that were not great about the race too. First off, the marathon shirts were of really low quality. Almost like something you would get at a local 5K, not at a marathon. The course while very flat had the most broken up pavement and potholes of any course I have ever run and this was my 29th marathon. There were a lot of early turns in the course as well. After about mile 7 though, there are a lot of straightaways.
The course does not provide Gatorade but instead gives out Nuun Hydration. That is definitely not as good in my book, but the Nuun they provided was so watered down, I thought it was water many times. Also, half of the stations didn’t even have Nuun to provide. I have never seen a marathon have ever other water stop have an electrolyte drink. They did have a stop with bananas which was nice and gu was being passed out at another couple areas.
All in all, this is a great race. I go to races for a PR and I was able to get one here by 10 seconds. Many people I know have their PR here and that is why I came. If they can improve the race shirts, pave the roads and get better hydration, this would be a 5 star experience. But if all you care about is a PR, come to Indy!
Amazing spectator support!
This is a large and very well organized race. The expo was great and race day info very clear. I was most impressed but fun and energetic crowd support throughout … MORE
This is a large and very well organized race. The expo was great and race day info very clear. I was most impressed but fun and energetic crowd support throughout the course. Finish celebration area was also fun and high energy plus we got beanies at the finish. The medal is pretty plain but nice enough.
Great flat race w awesome spectators
Great race for first timers! Wonderful spectators the whole race with snacks and drinks and support! Nice flat course to get a PR! beanie hats for finishers were fun! MORE
Great race for first timers! Wonderful spectators the whole race with snacks and drinks and support! Nice flat course to get a PR! beanie hats for finishers were fun!
Truly monumental
Close to 12,000 runners completed the half and full marathons. I definitely enjoyed this race, especially looking at the monuments, memorials and general architecture of the area. The course was … MORE
Close to 12,000 runners completed the half and full marathons. I definitely enjoyed this race, especially looking at the monuments, memorials and general architecture of the area. The course was very flat, with plenty of running room. Finishers received a medal appropriate for their distance and a beanie, which the color corresponded to the shirt (green for the 5k, red for the half, navy blue for the full).
There were many things that this race did right. The expo was good size. There are plenty of hotels within walking distance of the start/finish. Porta potties were scattered around the start area/corrals, so there weren’t huge lines in a single location. Water stops were plentiful, though not all of them had electrolytes. Gels were offered just past 8 miles, with them being handed out AHEAD of the water stop, so you weren’t trying to eat the gel and grab water at the same time. Kudos for this. The course was fantastic, going past several war/military monuments/memorials. The full marathon rejoined the half marathon course just past mile 10 of the half. Another big kudos here…the half and full each had a designated lane, so that the faster full marathon runners did not have to dodge around the half marathon runners.
Post race offerings included a variety of snacks, hot pizza and cold beer. A cool feature was an electronic sign that would display your finisher’s time so you could a photo.
I would count this as one of my favorite half marathons to date.
Easy course. Got muh PR.
East course. Lots of spectators. Perfect weather. Swag could be a bit better. Same with the expo. Hotels are close. Would do this one again. MORE
East course. Lots of spectators. Perfect weather. Swag could be a bit better. Same with the expo. Hotels are close. Would do this one again.
Fun, Flat Race Through Indy
Being an Indy native, this race does make me proud to be local. My only complaint is they should stagger the marathon and half marathon starts so the start isn't … MORE
Being an Indy native, this race does make me proud to be local. My only complaint is they should stagger the marathon and half marathon starts so the start isn’t so congested and chaotic!
Happy this was my first half marathon
Easy packet pick up at the convention center. Expo was a good size. Not ginormous like Chicago but enough stuff to buy to do damage to your wallet. Great course … MORE
Easy packet pick up at the convention center. Expo was a good size. Not ginormous like Chicago but enough stuff to buy to do damage to your wallet. Great course with no out and backs. So cool going through the neighborhoods. It was lovely with all the support of the spectators. There water and Gatorade and Gu. Not lacking for anything. Top notch runner support. Received a knit hat at the race finish. It was actually a great thing to have a my body temp started dropping after the run. Pizza and beer at the end of the race. Medal engraving for additional cost. It was such a fun time. Positive experience which got me hooked on running in more events. I would recommend this to a first timer given the flat course and overall great vibe of the entire event.
Big exciting race! Don’t trust the pacer
This was a classic big city marathon. We decided to run it because it was a flat course in a new city, and we were excited! The race expo was … MORE
This was a classic big city marathon. We decided to run it because it was a flat course in a new city, and we were excited! The race expo was huge, and we enjoyed the post race food, medal/swag, and being so close to our hotel. While the day turned out okay in the end (PB!), I started off with the 3:55 pace group, who was going at an 8:30/mile pace through mile 10. I decided to abandon that group because that pace was not what I trained for, but I was bummed because I was excited to have a pace group (since it’s a big marathon) to help ensure I reached my sub-4 hours goal. Turns out, when I caught back up with the 3:55 group later in the marathon, that pacer ran off to do his own race, leaving the other pacer to try and get the group back on track. It’s unfortunate that the pacer abandoned his post and messed up the pacing for the first half, and I would expect better out of such a big marathon. Other than that though, if you’re looking for a big city marathon, this is a good option!
Nice flat course, a little boring
The Monumental Marathon offers a flat & fast course. For me, the highlight of the race was going around monument circle. Swag and aid stations were good. This race was … MORE
The Monumental Marathon offers a flat & fast course. For me, the highlight of the race was going around monument circle. Swag and aid stations were good. This race was a little boring, it went into the neighborhoods for a good portion of the run, with not many spectators.
Indianapolis Marathon
The weather was perfect and the course is super flat. Crowd support is ok it can get quite in some spots. I do like how early the race starts, it … MORE
The weather was perfect and the course is super flat. Crowd support is ok it can get quite in some spots. I do like how early the race starts, it was still dark when we started. They do have a lot cameras on this course, make sure you are camera ready.
Fun for architecture and history fans
Community support is great for this race with lots of spectator groupings along the course. I experienced a foot injury around mile 8 which led to a pretty rough time … MORE
Community support is great for this race with lots of spectator groupings along the course.
I experienced a foot injury around mile 8 which led to a pretty rough time but it would have been worse with a more difficult course.
I’d highly recommend this to anyone looking for a fast and flat course centered around a downtown area. Run the race on Sat and go to an NFL game on Sun!
A flat tour of downtown Indianapolis
Well organized, flat race with great crowd. Be mindful of potholes. The crowd is fun throughout the race. For anyone working to qualify at Boston this race can get you … MORE
Well organized, flat race with great crowd. Be mindful of potholes. The crowd is fun throughout the race. For anyone working to qualify at Boston this race can get you there.
Great City, Good Race
Indianapolis is a terrific city to visit. We were able to catch a Colts game while we were in town, among other things. It was nice being able to run … MORE
Indianapolis is a terrific city to visit. We were able to catch a Colts game while we were in town, among other things. It was nice being able to run around Lucas Oil Stadium and the downtown area. It was a fairly large race with all 3 distances beginning immediately after the other. It was cold and windy, so be prepared. The finish line area was super crowded. The medal was nice, but the shirt could use some design improvements.
These Folks know how to run
This is a great race - good course, great production, great swag. The only thing they can't control is the weather. It's a well done race on a flat course, … MORE
This is a great race – good course, great production, great swag. The only thing they can’t control is the weather. It’s a well done race on a flat course, so if you’re looking for a chance to PR or BQ, put this on your list.