| 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | |
| H (°F) | 68 | 71 | 62 | 76 | 45 |
| L (°F) | 46 | 42 | 43 | 54 | 24 |
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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Great race for a 50 stater. Airport is easy to navigate. Super friendly Uber drivers. So many hotels to choose from. Loop course with start and finish in downtown. Fall … MORE
Great race for a 50 stater. Airport is easy to navigate. Super friendly Uber drivers. So many hotels to choose from. Loop course with start and finish in downtown. Fall foliage and charming Halloween decor in the neighborhoods. Great expo. Brooks apparel on sale. Fantastic finisher area! Beer and pizza!
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I do love running in cold since I am from Los Angeles and this was a beautiful day for a race -40 for most of the race. It was flat … MORE
I do love running in cold since I am from Los Angeles and this was a beautiful day for a race -40 for most of the race. It was flat and it was a great chance to see and explore the city. I love seeing the Halloween decorations as I tan and the bands that were out. I do the swag – shirt had a great design and made me feel like a star. The cap and warming shirt were perfect when I finished. Special treat pizza and beer although has a white claw to celebrate another fun run. It was a race I would come back to as they had the little details covered . Details – last night I got an email where I could download the poster of the city that had the names of everyone who had ran. That was cool! Great communications and a wonderful way to see the city
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This race lives up to the reviews for sure. In every way it’s a top-tier big-city race in a beautiful city. What I didn’t expect was just HOW beautiful Indianapolis … MORE
This race lives up to the reviews for sure. In every way it’s a top-tier big-city race in a beautiful city. What I didn’t expect was just HOW beautiful Indianapolis is!
It’s a great flat course with plenty of volunteers and police (there were a few unmanned side streets where I saw cars turn across the running lane), but generally everyone was great.
Participants, organizers, lots of citizens out cheering and plenty of Halloween Candy, in addition to the GU, medical and other support.
The course is flat and fast and very beautiful. Unfortunately it was a cool damp day with a cold wind blowing at times, but thankfully it didn’t rain.
Parking was a bit pricy and I stayed at an airport about 15 minutes away as the downtime hotels are very pricy, although very convenient to the location, which begins and ends outside the Capitol building.
The medal, race shirt and toque they gave us were excellent! Among my best. The merchandise on the other hand was somewhat uninspiring and with the ridiculous prices of the clothing I didn’t end up buying anything further.
However the race expo was very good. Right downtown at the beautiful Convention Centrr. I got a good deal on a couple of pairs of shoes I’ve been wanting to try out. So it was easy to decide between a $130 running jacket or 2 nice pairs of shoes (Saucony and Brooks) for only $10 more after discounts and some negotiating.
I strongly recommend this race to all 50-staters as the Indiana race and to all runners in general. I can see how the elite guys would like this. I enjoyed running with the others back in the “E” corral!
#bemonumental
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This is my 3rd race, and it's a very fun event, the city is all cheering for you, and the course, for the 5k is great! plenty to look and … MORE
This is my 3rd race, and it’s a very fun event, the city is all cheering for you, and the course, for the 5k is great! plenty to look and and the people are great!
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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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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….
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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.
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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.
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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)!
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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
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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.
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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!
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Drove from St. Louis. Stayed downtown at a Homewood Suites downtown which was easy walking distance to Expo and Start/Finish Line. There was an Old Spaghetti Factory across the street. … MORE
Drove from St. Louis. Stayed downtown at a Homewood Suites downtown which was easy walking distance to Expo and Start/Finish Line. There was an Old Spaghetti Factory across the street. I ate there for lunch and walked around the corner for Pizza for dinner. Race day featured overcast skies and 30 degrees at the gun. These made for ideal conditions. I don’t remember one hill on the race. Decent medal. I wasn’t a fan of the shirt. That is the only complaint if that even counts.
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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!
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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.)
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.
Lovely course through charming town
Great race for a 50 stater. Airport is easy to navigate. Super friendly Uber drivers. So many hotels to choose from. Loop course with start and finish in downtown. Fall … MORE
Great race for a 50 stater. Airport is easy to navigate. Super friendly Uber drivers. So many hotels to choose from. Loop course with start and finish in downtown. Fall foliage and charming Halloween decor in the neighborhoods. Great expo. Brooks apparel on sale. Fantastic finisher area! Beer and pizza!
Running for the love of running
I do love running in cold since I am from Los Angeles and this was a beautiful day for a race -40 for most of the race. It was flat … MORE
I do love running in cold since I am from Los Angeles and this was a beautiful day for a race -40 for most of the race. It was flat and it was a great chance to see and explore the city. I love seeing the Halloween decorations as I tan and the bands that were out. I do the swag – shirt had a great design and made me feel like a star. The cap and warming shirt were perfect when I finished. Special treat pizza and beer although has a white claw to celebrate another fun run. It was a race I would come back to as they had the little details covered . Details – last night I got an email where I could download the poster of the city that had the names of everyone who had ran. That was cool! Great communications and a wonderful way to see the city
Top Tier Beautiful Big City Race!
This race lives up to the reviews for sure. In every way it’s a top-tier big-city race in a beautiful city. What I didn’t expect was just HOW beautiful Indianapolis … MORE
This race lives up to the reviews for sure. In every way it’s a top-tier big-city race in a beautiful city. What I didn’t expect was just HOW beautiful Indianapolis is!
It’s a great flat course with plenty of volunteers and police (there were a few unmanned side streets where I saw cars turn across the running lane), but generally everyone was great.
Participants, organizers, lots of citizens out cheering and plenty of Halloween Candy, in addition to the GU, medical and other support.
The course is flat and fast and very beautiful. Unfortunately it was a cool damp day with a cold wind blowing at times, but thankfully it didn’t rain.
Parking was a bit pricy and I stayed at an airport about 15 minutes away as the downtime hotels are very pricy, although very convenient to the location, which begins and ends outside the Capitol building.
The medal, race shirt and toque they gave us were excellent! Among my best. The merchandise on the other hand was somewhat uninspiring and with the ridiculous prices of the clothing I didn’t end up buying anything further.
However the race expo was very good. Right downtown at the beautiful Convention Centrr. I got a good deal on a couple of pairs of shoes I’ve been wanting to try out. So it was easy to decide between a $130 running jacket or 2 nice pairs of shoes (Saucony and Brooks) for only $10 more after discounts and some negotiating.
I strongly recommend this race to all 50-staters as the Indiana race and to all runners in general. I can see how the elite guys would like this. I enjoyed running with the others back in the “E” corral!
#bemonumental
Great race, EXCITMENT in the AIR !
This is my 3rd race, and it's a very fun event, the city is all cheering for you, and the course, for the 5k is great! plenty to look and … MORE
This is my 3rd race, and it’s a very fun event, the city is all cheering for you, and the course, for the 5k is great! plenty to look and and the people are great!
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!
Flat race! Perfect for a PR or BQ!
Drove from St. Louis. Stayed downtown at a Homewood Suites downtown which was easy walking distance to Expo and Start/Finish Line. There was an Old Spaghetti Factory across the street. … MORE
Drove from St. Louis. Stayed downtown at a Homewood Suites downtown which was easy walking distance to Expo and Start/Finish Line. There was an Old Spaghetti Factory across the street. I ate there for lunch and walked around the corner for Pizza for dinner. Race day featured overcast skies and 30 degrees at the gun. These made for ideal conditions. I don’t remember one hill on the race. Decent medal. I wasn’t a fan of the shirt. That is the only complaint if that even counts.
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.)