This course is pretty flat so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the huge turnout despite we were still recovering from the pandemic. Despite being a wet day, the … MORE
This course is pretty flat so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the huge turnout despite we were still recovering from the pandemic. Despite being a wet day, the volunteers came out and were enthusiastic and cheerful. The expo and race bib pickup were pretty standard. Parking in downtown was relatively easy. It rained quite heavily in the morning before the race, and we had drizzle on and off throughout the race. Otherwise, I’m sure it would have been an even greater experience.
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One of largest marathons in the midwest
This course is pretty flat so I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the huge turnout despite we were still recovering from the pandemic. Despite being a wet day, the … MORE
This course is pretty flat so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by the huge turnout despite we were still recovering from the pandemic. Despite being a wet day, the volunteers came out and were enthusiastic and cheerful. The expo and race bib pickup were pretty standard. Parking in downtown was relatively easy. It rained quite heavily in the morning before the race, and we had drizzle on and off throughout the race. Otherwise, I’m sure it would have been an even greater experience.
Fantastic Race - Must do!
Great logistical arrangements. Fabulous course with good support all through. Race swag and the convention was very well organized. Weather can be a big 'issue'. Wind was unbelievably tough for … MORE
Great logistical arrangements. Fabulous course with good support all through. Race swag and the convention was very well organized.
Weather can be a big ‘issue’. Wind was unbelievably tough for my race but I heard it is usually cold on race day….
Nice Race. Nice City. Bad Weather
I chose this race for Indiana since it is one of the biggest races and I was able to make it a double with Louisville. I took Friday off and … MORE
I chose this race for Indiana since it is one of the biggest races and I was able to make it a double with Louisville. I took Friday off and flew in Thursday evening. I stayed at the Hilton in downtown Indianapolis right by the race start. The expo, race start, hotels plus lots of things to do are all downtown and within walking distance. If I were not also going to Louisville I would not have rented a car and this is definitely a race you don’t need one. This year they did offer the option to buy race day packet pick-up but I knew I would be there for the expo so I didn’t opt for that. The expo was at the convention center and was good size. I thought it was a bit small for how big the race is but it is bigger than the average expo. Packet pick-up included race shirt, bib and race guide. I wasn’t the biggest fan of the shirt. It is red and tech but I’m not a huge fan of the design. The expo had typical stuff and lots of booths for other races. It’s fun to see all the medals but most were too far for me to travel to. The race is Saturday morning at 8am. It did not look like great weather so I stayed in my hotel until close to the start. You are assigned a corral by expected pace. The waves went off fairly efficiently with everyone past the start line in 10 to 15 minutes. It was maybe too efficient as this is a huge race and the course was quite congested and the water stops had trouble keeping up and the porta-potty lines on the course were long. May have been better to have had the waves wait more inbetween and assigned starting time but I understand you would then have to either keep the roads closed longer or have stricter time cutoffs. The course is really nice with a lot of it quite scenic through downtown Indianapolis. You see most of the best sites and there are also sections through neighborhoods. Course support was medium. I’m assuming in better weather there are more spectators. It was fun that a lot of the spectators were in costumes. Course was well marked and easy to follow especially where half and full split. Roads were either fully closed or half closed. Another great thing this race did is have a separate coned off area for half and full marathoners when the races converged so the fast marathoners were not intermixing with the slow half marathoners. There were a sufficient number of aid stations and the volunteers were trying their hardest but a few were slow and they were trying to catch up so I did lost a little time at the aid stations. The course is super flat but I was having difficulty with the weather as it was both intermittently cold and rainy and hot and humid. I also find running in wet shoes makes me need to use the restroom and as I said the porta potty lines were quite long. I was on pace to finish a bit under 3 hours which was my goal but when I saw the long lines I made a joke that it looked like I would have to choose between my goal of 3 hours or not peeing my pants. Even with the long bathroom line I was on target for my goal until the last 3 miles were there was a very strong headwind. Given I had a half the next day it wasn’t worth the energy to fight the winds so I walked a lot of the final miles. I finally made it to the finish line and laughed when I saw I finished less than a minute over 3 hours (but I didn’t pee my pants). At the finish line you get the medal which is nice and has images of some of the more iconic buildings of Indianapolis. There was also beer which I didn’t drink, typical snacks and a slice of pizza including cheese. I didn’t stay long since I had to check out of my hotel at noon. Overall I thought this was a really good, almost a great race. It was a wonderful course and nice atmosphere but there were multiple minor things that could be done better. It was very close to a 5 sneaker race maybe in better weather it would be. I do think this is a good, convenient choice for Indiana especially if you like big races. Indianapolis is also a fun, nice sized city for a short race-cation.
First Time, not Last Time
The Monumental Series of Races (Full, half, relay) is a well-organized tour of downtown Indianapolis, with quality swag and a great volunteer effort. The expo is large and well organized, … MORE
The Monumental Series of Races (Full, half, relay) is a well-organized tour of downtown Indianapolis, with quality swag and a great volunteer effort. The expo is large and well organized, good shirts, and a large Brooks presence makes it a race on my ‘repeat’ list.
Great race until Mother Nature jumped in
This is my go-to race each year - this is actually my raceaversary with the 5k being my very first race in 2012. This year was the half-distance for me … MORE
This is my go-to race each year – this is actually my raceaversary with the 5k being my very first race in 2012. This year was the half-distance for me and I’m so glad I wasn’t battling rain and headwinds (gusts of around 40mph!) during a full. I didn’t do as well as I had hoped but truthfully, I didn’t feel like pushing myself against the wind. The course is nice – goes through neighborhoods and downtown/urban areas – crowd support throughout and even in the rain and wind. Expo is nice and very organized – the medal series was neat too (past 4 years medals spell out I-N-D-Y). Finish line celebrations were a bit smaller than usual but it was definitely the wind that sent a lot of runners back to their homes or hotels earlier than usual – still lots of vendors (food/drink/merchandise) as previous years. One thing I missed … getting a chocolate chip cookie at the end. I can’t remember the bakery that always provided it, but either they ran out or they weren’t there this time. Definitely planning on returning next year (cookie or not)!
Pancake flat, basic course
This was a tough one for sure, not because the course was flat, but the rain and head winds we're extremely tough. I enjoyed mile 1-7, but then the course … MORE
This was a tough one for sure, not because the course was flat, but the rain and head winds we’re extremely tough. I enjoyed mile 1-7, but then the course got extremely boring and not too scenic. My time was higher due to the weather conditions, would have done better if there wasnt rain! Regardless, pretty simple course.
The expo was pretty good! Not too big (Boston) or too small (Delaware). Finish line could have had a better atmosphere, but that was most likely due to the rain
Great communication, big marathon
This race has tremendous organization and great communication. You will receive multiple emails with details of the race and a detailed printed guide. There were 15000 runners and we all … MORE
This race has tremendous organization and great communication. You will receive multiple emails with details of the race and a detailed printed guide. There were 15000 runners and we all were through the start in 20 minutes.
The course is very flat. It goes through downtown and scenic neighborhoods. Support was good though some stations ran out of electrolytes for us slower folks.
Overall, a great race and lots of fun.
Fun, Flat, Fast Course
This was my 2nd full marathon, the other being the 2022 Flying Pig, in addition to doing the Columbus half a few weeks ago, so my frame of reference is … MORE
This was my 2nd full marathon, the other being the 2022 Flying Pig, in addition to doing the Columbus half a few weeks ago, so my frame of reference is fairly limited.
We drove over Friday afternoon from Cincy and hit the expo at around 4:00 PM. I thought it would be a larger event given the size of the race. Packet pickup was fast and easy. To be honest, the shirt was a bit of a disappointment. I like the looks of it, but it was some generic brand and 100% polyester… there’s no way it will breathe or wick so there’s no chance I’ll ever wear it running. Fortunately, they did have some nice looking Brooks gear in the merch area.
Race morning was pretty simple and straightforward. We walked from our hotel, around a half mile away, entered the convention center and proceeded through and out the other side. From there, getting to the start was just a matter of following the crowd. The sidewalks along the corrals were pretty crowded and slow moving. I arrived back at the D corral about 10 minutes before the start and they were so full that there were lines waiting for start to move up and let more people in, which seemed odd but worked fine.
Once the race started, I really spent most of my time trying to focus on the positives because of the rough weather – rain with winds of 15-20MPH. I’ll start with stating the obvious – this course is FLAT. The biggest “hills” were what I would consider flat, recovery sections of most runs in Cincy, which was exactly what I was hoping for! 😆 The downtown sections at the start were nice – running by Lucas Oil Stadium and winding back to Monument Circle. I liked that the split for the half marathon was around mile 7, instead of later, so it thinned out some after that. Other notably enjoyable parts of the course that I remember were through Butler’s campus, the street of big houses where the Governor’s residence was, along the White River and running through the park (not sure the name) shortly after Butler.
The biggest downsides were the relative lack of crowd support, limited on-course entertainment and running alongside traffic for very long stretches of the course. I would also add the brutal headwinds over the last 6 or so miles but there’s not much that anyone could do about that! I’m guessing the limited crowds and on-course entertainment were probably due to the bad weather so I’d give that a pass. The amount of traffic and cars wanting to cross the course at various points was surprising and disappointing.
I really enjoyed the finish stretch and after party. The crowd support along the fences there was pretty good and a lot of people hung around in the after party area to enjoy the DJ playing music, pizza and Sun King beers. Another aspect about this race that I enjoyed was that it was on a Saturday rather than a Sunday. We spent Saturday night in town as well so that we could visit some local breweries and the city in general.
Overall, I’d highly recommend this race. I’ll almost certainly be back in the future to at least do the half!
Nice race, nice town
Enjoyed a quick visit to Indianapolis for this race. Very chilly morning for me at 28 degrees but I wore a beanie and gloves which I shed during the race. … MORE
Enjoyed a quick visit to Indianapolis for this race. Very chilly morning for me at 28 degrees but I wore a beanie and gloves which I shed during the race. Good race production but probably the ugliest race shirt I’ve ever seen. Not sure what they were thinking. Medal is great but had a prominent “D” which i think spells INDY if you ran the last 2 and the next one. Strange decision!
My best Marathon time in the USA so far
For years, Indy was hailed as "my favorite race in the USA so far." Shamrock in Virginia Beach is a very close 2nd... my only complaint about Indy Monumental this … MORE
For years, Indy was hailed as “my favorite race in the USA so far.” Shamrock in Virginia Beach is a very close 2nd… my only complaint about Indy Monumental this year was that they were not checking bibs into the corrals. (Maybe they were in the beginning but when I got there, they were not. I had a B but I walked into A because I thought that you entered the corral at the back and moved forward to the front of your corral – not fight back to find a place in your corral: no one is moving back to the back of the corral.) I *did* move back to B because that was where I belonged but then, I was disappointed that my target pacer (3:25) was not in my corral. (I asked at the expo- they said that he or she would be in corral B). I passed people with Ds and Es within the first 2 miles. … why assign corrals if you’re going to let people go where they want anyway?
This is still a great race! I love it! I’ll always recommend it to other runners but for as large as this race is and as “fast” as this field is- I wish that they would check bibs as people enter the corrals and if you’ll sub 3:45, ask for proof of time. (I can’t remember if they do that.)
• • • BOTTOM LINE • • •
If you’re on the fence about whether or not to do this one — just sign up. You won’t regret it. It’s frickin fast and flat. The weather is always nice as long as you can keep your hands and face warm. (I got rid of my gloves too early and it played mental games with me until I finally wised up and picked up a pair off the ground.)
Nice race
A good race through the city. Will be much better once all the construction is done - It's Indiana, so that is a stretch. This year weather was uncommonly warm, … MORE
A good race through the city. Will be much better once all the construction is done – It’s Indiana, so that is a stretch. This year weather was uncommonly warm, so it was pleasant all day.
Nice return to racing!
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown, it is connected via skywalk to the convention center so packet pickup and getting to the start line is convenient. I arrived in … MORE
I stayed at the Hyatt Regency downtown, it is connected via skywalk to the convention center so packet pickup and getting to the start line is convenient. I arrived in the evening on the 2nd (last) day of packet pickup. Packet pickup itself was fine, nice volunteers. The only race attire left was in large sizes (I am an XS).
Race morning was about 34 degrees but not windy. The sun came out and it turned out to be perfect for running.
I was in corral B, there was a 5 minute gap between start of corral A and B. The corral was crowded. All the pacers are grouped near each other. I was aiming for a 3:50, so I started near the 3:50 pacer but quickly lost the pacer in the crowded start. The half marathon and full marathon starts at the same time. The half split off at about mile 7.5 and the course is less congested after that.
Aid stations were plentiful but seemed to “sneak” up on me, maybe taller signage would help. Or I was just in a marathon fog. 🙂 Crowd support is decent and there is a lot to see on the course. Due to the crowd and amount of turns it was a bit difficult for me to run the tangents.
Apparently I looked pretty rough at the end because a kind volunteer took me by the hand and walked me to get my space blanket and a drink. The volunteer that gave me my medal tied my space blanket for me. I felt pampered. 😉
The race shirt is a short sleeve tech tee, not the best. We did also get a knitted hat at the finish. There was pizza at the finish but I did not partake, just had a chocolate milk. Overall, this is a nice race; fairly flat course, scenic enough for a marathon, cold temps for running, friendly volunteers and spectators.
Great weather and volunteers
Chilly start but things warmed up as the day went on. The aid stations were manned by enthusiastic volunteers. A few stretches weren't terribly scenic but the course was pretty … MORE
Chilly start but things warmed up as the day went on. The aid stations were manned by enthusiastic volunteers. A few stretches weren’t terribly scenic but the course was pretty flat and had decent crowd support.
Gorgeous Course with Friendly people
This is a really nice, flat course, with just the right amount of people to never feel alone, but not crowded ever, either. The neighbors all come out to cheer … MORE
This is a really nice, flat course, with just the right amount of people to never feel alone, but not crowded ever, either. The neighbors all come out to cheer in droves! They have great support, signs and enthusiasm. The race expo and finish party are very well done. Everything you want and nothing excess.
Flat, fast course through heart of IN
Good course for a PR. As advertised, it was flat and fast. I had a 3 sec PR. Nothing major, but I'll take it. Packet pickup was quick and easy. … MORE
Good course for a PR. As advertised, it was flat and fast. I had a 3 sec PR. Nothing major, but I’ll take it.
Packet pickup was quick and easy. It took place at the convention center. It was a decent sized expo as expected from a race of this size.
I stayed at a hotel that was less than a mile from the start. I was able to walk to the start and therefore don’t know how parking was.
I was in the A corral. It was very crowded and hard to move. It felt rather claustrophobic. It was a little congested for the first half mile, but luckily I was able to break free soon after that without getting tripped.
The course was flat overall with just a few feet of elevation gain overall. The start of the race was 30 degrees with minimal wind.
Crowd support was good in some areas and a little sparse in others. The cold probably kept some away, but kudos to those that braved it. I was concerned about the split from the full marathoners as I have had issues before, but they couldn’t have made it any easier. The had several signs as well as a giant inflatable that made it obvious. The less thinking during a race, the better.
Some of the roads need some work and you had to watch where you were going. The course did have a few twists and turns, but they were marked well. The last couple miles were pretty straight.
Overall, it was an enjoyable and well done race. You get to see some of the attractions downtown. Some of the buildings did crazy things to the GPS on my watch at times.
The shirt was a nice material. Some thought it was ugly, but I’m indifferent. The medal was nice and the end had all of the usual goodies.
Smooth race, rough roads
I woke up at my home in east Illinois and drove to Indy the morning of. Very bad idea. I forgot the time change, so instead of an hour to … MORE
I woke up at my home in east Illinois and drove to Indy the morning of. Very bad idea. I forgot the time change, so instead of an hour to spare, I had 3-5 minutes before the race started. Thank goodness for the parking right next door to the race! There is a parking garage at 220 North Senate Avenue that is 3 stories and free all day, and there were still multiple spots minutes before race time. Park here if you’re from out of town!!!
We hit all the Indy landmarks either at the start of the race (Colts Stadium, Monument Square) or the end (State Capitol). In between, we mostly ran through nice neighborhoods and along roads with moderate traffic. It was indeed very flat, like other reviews say. 2 or 3 hills around the 10-15 mile stretch, but that’s it. Since there are 4000+ marathoners, be prepared to weave constantly for the first 7-8 miles. I missed my PR by 40 seconds and that might be why.
The coolest part of the race was miles 17-18, where we ran through a gate and into a sculpture park that turned into a business park. Everyone was saying “Boiler Up!” which annoyed me because I’m a University of Illinois grad student. I said “Go Illini” back to one of them, and he burst out laughing. What’s so funny?!?
Crowd support here was decent, but I think it was better in Fox Cities, WI and Portland, ME. We ran past Butler University on mile 17, and feeling lonely, I yelled “Go Bulldogs” at some guys wearing Butler shirts. THAT got them cheering for me like I was one of them 🙂
Hoosier trivia from miles 19-21 was cool. Signs with fun facts about famous Indianans definitely took my mind off the pain for a few miles.
Overall a solid race, and it dwarfs every other marathon in Indiana in size, location, and importance, so put this one on your 50 state bucket list. This was marathon #6 for me, and it was great, but nothing really special. My one complaint is the roads. Pretty much every road in Indianapolis is cracked and spitting out pieces of asphalt and ugly. I wish they would fix the roads, but that’s Indy’s problem, not this marathon’s. We ran past the Governor’s mansion around mile 15, and I yelled, “Mr. Governor, please fix the roads!” I hope he heard me.
Good not great
The staging area was great, and the course was flat. Too many runners for the size of the course. It took almost to the halfway point to thin out. The … MORE
The staging area was great, and the course was flat. Too many runners for the size of the course. It took almost to the halfway point to thin out. The half and full should be separate times.
Flat with great weather
I was able to execute my race strategy perfectly. The weather kept me perfectly cool and controlled. I found a pace group and broke off from mile 16 to set … MORE
I was able to execute my race strategy perfectly. The weather kept me perfectly cool and controlled. I found a pace group and broke off from mile 16 to set my PB.
Great Race
I really enjoyed this race. The expo had great vendors and was easy to get to. The course was pretty and had great crowd support. There were signs placed around … MORE
I really enjoyed this race. The expo had great vendors and was easy to get to. The course was pretty and had great crowd support. There were signs placed around mile 20 that included trivia about Indiana that kept your mind occupied during a mentally tough portion. I enjoyed this entertainment! Would definitely run this race again!
Downtown start and finish
I liked that it started and finished downtown in a beautiful setting. The course was relatively flat and the temperature was perfect running weather. MORE
I liked that it started and finished downtown in a beautiful setting. The course was relatively flat and the temperature was perfect running weather.