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May 3, 2024

Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Runner Comments

Back to Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Information & Reviews

Course 4.6

Organization 4.5

Spectators 3.8

Number of comments: 214 [displaying comments 61 to 71]

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A. B. from Indianapolis, Indiana (11/8/2013) "Make This Your Fall Race!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Indianapolis Monumental Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The Monumental Marathon continues to improve and grow, based in large part on runner feedback from previous years and that race organizers have worked tirelessly to increase community support and awareness. Monumental was as well organized and supported race as I've run, and is become a serious contender in the line-up of fall races! The Pros: Great communication pre and post race. Very convenient in so many aspects - plenty of parking, accessibility to expo, easy to stay warm in a hotel w/ plenty of bathrooms before the race, etc. Plenty of aid stations, excellent selection of post-race food (chocolate milk, chili, etc.), beautiful spinner medal, top-end tech shirt and added bonus finisher beanie make this race an excellent value. Extremely flat and fast course, with the only minor uphills coming around mile 16-17 at Butler and a great downhill at 19. Traditionally the weather has been very cooperative, and this year was no different. You won't find a more PR or BQ friendly course! Previous comments about spectator support and course security have been improved - the course was more secure and there were significantly more, enthusiastic spectators this year. Could Be Better: Course congestion continues to be a problem and I actually found it worse this year than years past. I started with the 3:30 group in the 4th seeded corral, and the course congestion continued even after the half marathoners split on Fall Creek. It's frustrating to pass walkers the first mile or two, but since it is an honor system there's really no control over it. PLEASE consider a monitored corral system and / or a separate start for the half and full marathons next year. Overall, IMM is highly recommended - you won't regret making this your fall marathon!
M. N. from Chicago, IL (11/7/2013) "Make Monumental Your Indiana Marathon!" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 1 FANTASTIC Marathon - The expo was conveniently located downtown a block away from the start line and stayed open until 9:00pm the night before. The course was extremely flat and very scenic with a lot of great variety. The organization was terrific and the SWAG was unbeatable, particularly the shirt, medal and the hat when I crossed the finish line. I ran Chicago 3 weeks prior and I prefer Monumental to Chicago for organization, SWAG and overall experience. I HIGHLY recommend this marathon, especially to somebody needing to 'check off' Indiana as a state.
M. C. from Manassas, VA (11/7/2013) "Flat, fast, and well-organized" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 Pretty good race, overall. The starting corral set-up needs work (it was pretty much a mass gaggle). The course was flat and well-marked. What they lacked in spectator quantity, they made up for with enthusiasm. Most water/Gatorade stops of any of my marathons, thus far.
M. D. from Indianapolis, IN (11/6/2013) "Set a PR by 19 minutes!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 A great race that is growing every year! Very flat and cool, perfect for PR setting. There are a decent number of people along the course to cheer you on... not a ton but enough. For the ones that are there they sure are excited!
Jason Moran from St. Paul, MN (11/6/2013) "Good marathon - some tweeks warranted" (about: 2013) 11-50 previous marathons \| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 I ran this race with a friend of mine. The weather was perfect and the course was pretty good. There were some small, short sections of the road that had some major pot holes in it. The water stops were a little too small and should be made longer in my view for a race of this size. The pasta dinner was well set up, except they ran out of food for a period of time. More food came in a period of time however. The shirt is great and the medal is nice. I would recommend this race and I hope a few tweeks are made to improve it, then I would give it all 5 stars.
P. S. from Chicago (11/5/2013) "A perfect autumn marathon" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 2 Indianapolis Monumental Marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 I highly recommend this race for everyone. Experienced runners looking to qualify for Boston, first-timers just hoping to finish, and everyone in between will enjoy this race. The course is flat and pleasant, the volunteers and spectators very friendly, the city great and easy to navigate, and the start and finish readily accessible and stress free. The race started at 8- I left my hotel at 7:35 and was standing in my corral at the starting line by 7:45. There are some spots on the course that are less-than-scenic or sparsely populated with spectators, but that is to be expected in a smaller marathon.
L. K. from Mason, Ohio (11/4/2013) "A marathon on the rise. Great alternative to NYC" (about: 2013) 3 previous marathons \| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This year was my first with the IMM and first time visiting Indy. I enjoyed every minute from the time I got into town until I departed. The weather was perfect and the course highlights many of the major parts of the city. Downtown is clean and has many good restaurants. The course is pretty flat and fast. Ideal race to hit your PR. Many folks PR'd and BQ'd. Not all streets are completely closed for the race, but I never had an issue with cars. The police did a commendable job directing traffic and keeping the runners safe. The expo was a little cramped for space, but I did get there on Friday evening so that's my fault. Hydration stations were plentiful. 4 stations had blocks & gels. In the latter stages of the marathon I noticed a lot more volunteers on bikes ready to assist runners with cramps/dehydration/etc. The crowds were great although sparse in some areas. All the fall foliage around town was beautiful. The medals were way cool and you get a finishers beanie at the finish line. This may be IMM's 6th year, but they run it like they've been doing it for 20. Highly recommend.
S. Z. from Des Moines, Iowa (11/3/2013) "Great flat, nice course!" (about: 2013) 4-5 previous marathons \| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was an excellent marathon! Well-organized, great volunteers, flat, scenic course, good spectator support. Start and finish were easy to get to, and parking was not a problem. Big enough to be interesting and fun, but not so big that you get lost in the crowd. The only complaint I have is that some of the roads we ran on were somewhat torn up, making rolling an ankle a tiny worry. Other than that, absolutely no complaints.
J. E. from MO (11/3/2013) "Great Race!" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great race, very well organized with good swag (awesome shirt plus hat for finishers and nice medal). Great volunteers and lots of spectators. Gatorade and water, lots of stations and gel was available. Course is super flat and a good one to get a PR. Race had tents for runners to stay warm in (thx Steak n Shake for being major sponsor with free chili).
A. C. from Indianapolis, in (11/3/2013) "getting better, with some minor issues" (about: 2013) 6-10 previous marathons \| 3 Indianapolis Monumental Marathons COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 As mentioned in other reviews the course is flat and fast and does go through some of the nicer parts of town. The food and water during the race were ample, as were on course bathrooms. There were a few areas where we were running in thick traffic, but generally for shorter stretches. Overall, well done and the fan support was better than in the past. A few areas for improvement- -water stops sneak up on you, which would lead to chaos as runners would quickly dart to the side. This could be rectified by moving water stops out of blind corners or by placing flags 100 yards before them. Chicago does this effectively, if you're looking for an example. - having port o potties on opposite sides of the street at the start led to a tangle of lines. Easy fix-spread them out - road surface was really bad in a few spots, not just the construction zone at mile 20. I imagine you don't have much sway over Indot, but there were a few really dangerous sections.

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