Back to Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Information & Reviews
J. T. from Waukegan, IL
(11/8/2011)
"Great medium-size race!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Exceptional weather. A great course, with several small hills at 15-19mi. Best if you have similar hills on your training route. Plenty of fan support. Agree with other comments: some of the foods ran out, but I had my share. Loved the warm chili & mini-sandwiches aside from the standard fare. Only thing missing was beer, but I remedied that soon after-wards. My wife who ran the half said there was a human-jam at the finish because the area cannot accommodate all the runners finishing at 2:15. Organizers should enlarge the finish area for the half. | |
M. D. from Wisconsin
(11/7/2011)
"Well organized & Friendly" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 The course was very scenic and flat. Majority of streets were nicely paved but there were several potholes in areas. The volunteers were great and I couldn't believe all of the great food and freebies at the finish. I got a nice winter hat and was even offered 5 Hour Energy drinks. My only complaint was that there was no formal pictures taken at the finish, which I am used to. It would have been nice to have one taken after the run, with my glasses off, etc. Overall this was an excellent race and I would recommend it to others. | |
D. S. from Dayton OH
(11/7/2011)
"Room for improvement" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 3 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 The IMM was OK but not great. There's definite room for improvement and given the enthusiasm of the Marathon Planning cadre, I'm sure it will get there. THE GOOD: The pasta dinner was delicious and the tech shirt and finisher hat were very nice. The Marathon staff was very accessible and helpful. The volunteers on the course were absolutely outstanding. I liked the course layout as it seemed to fly by and the weather was dang near perfect. THE BAD: Advertisements for chocolate milk lined the finisher area but there wasn't any to be had. I finished in under 4 hours. I heard other people complaining that the mini-sandwiches were gone as well. The potholes and plates on the roads were dangerous. I ended up standing over and picking up a young lady who tripped on a plate in the earlier stages when the crowds were still thick. She easily could have been run over. THE UGLY: I watched several cars shoot out of side streets in the residential areas north of the river forcing their way through the runners. One almost hit a couple of us and another caused the runner in front of me to have to dodge around. This scared the crud out of me. I marked the course down to 3 stars purely for the traffic risk and the road conditions. The organization lost a star for running out of post-race refreshments. The spectators were enthusiastic but sparse and the people in cars who missed the multitude of signs out there stating that a marathon was going to be using that road on that date were, in many cases, rude. This race had the potential to be a lot better and I hope it rises to the occasion. | |
Julie Ralston from Streator, IL
(11/7/2011)
"Indy has my vote!" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This race was the perfect size. Just a few thousand runners in the full, and a fun course! I would have loved to have a few more spectators in the 18-21 mile part of the course, but they provided great ammenities for the elite runners. I'd run this race again in the future! | |
B. O. from Indianapolis, IN
(11/7/2011)
"Great race" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 3 One of the big plusses of this race is that the course is one of the most consistently attractive of any I have run. No adding on miles by going through industrial wastelands...this race takes you through historic neighborhoods, mile 17 takes you through the Butler University Campus and at mile 19 you're running through the Lilly Estate on the grounds of the Indianapolis Museum of Art. During a long, wooded stretch where there's virtually no crowd support, they post signs every 1/8 mile or so with trivia questions about Indiana. A nice touch that makes the miles go faster. Volunteers are very enthusiastic (especially the crazy kids from Cardinal Ritter by the 30th street armory). Crowds are thin but encouraging. Some minor criticisms: 1) Grumpy, aggressive drivers, especially in the segment on Fall Creek Parkway. I don't know how best to deal with them, but they're dangerous. 2) My partner, who ran the half, had glowing comments about the variety of food at the end. I finished the full in just under 4:30, and all that was left were apples and bagels. I would've killed for a banana. Still, this is an excellent race, and I've already got it on my calendar for next year. | |
Todd Tucker from Valparaiso, Indiana
(11/7/2011)
"Wonderful race" (about: 2011)
4-5 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 5 Great from start to finish...well organized, a great route, and efficient, competent staff. Perfect weather and an interesting course led me to my PR. Steak n Shake and Jimmy Johns at the finish line - what's not to like? I stayed at the Westin which was steps away from the starting line. | |
S. S. from Ohio
(11/7/2011)
"Fun and fast" (about: 2011)
6-10 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 4 FANS: 4 This is a smaller race, but still has a large race feel to it, thanks to great organization. The course itself it quite scenic and offers a variety of downtown attractions/monuments, as well as residential and park-like settings. The half marathoners split from the full course at mile 7. Heading back into town, the course re-joins with the half marathon course but they have a separate lane for the half marathoners which was helpful to avoid course crowding. There is a seeded start based on your predicted finish time. I did not feel crowded at the start and it was easy to set my pace. The spectators were not numerous, but there were a reasonable amount in the downtown area and in the residential areas. The ones that were out were great, and there were school bands as well as individual musicians playing along the course, which I thought was a nice touch. The volunteers were very numerous which made the aid stations flow smoothly. My only suggestion is to offer gatorade at all the aid stations. Around mile 23 or so, I badly needed some gatorade and they only had water. I had to go about another 1.5 mi to get some gatorade. Also, be aware that there are aid stations every 1.5-2 mi (19 stations) and gatorade is only offered at a total of 9 stations. If you prefer to drink more frequently, bring your own hydration. For the full marathon this course had a total of 4 stations that offered Cliff Shot Bloks as well as gels, which was great. Post-race food was substantial, and Jimmy John's was handing out free (small) sandwiches. The massage tent and gear check tent were well-organized as well. The t-shirts are nice, and marathon finishers get a toque as well as medal. I would definitely recommend this race to anyone looking for a PR or a BQ. The course is not pancake flat - there are definitely some hills - but I found this to help break up the monotony that the flat terrain can sometimes lull me into. | |
J. B. from Auburn, AL
(11/7/2011)
"Very fast course - great organization" (about: 2011)
1 previous marathon
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 5 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my first time at IMM and I have enjoyed it. The organization and communication from the race directors is amazing. I loved the perk of having my race progress texted to my sister who was watching for me. The weather was perfect. I search out races that will have colder weather. The spectators were thin, but very enthusiastic. Many thanks to the police officers who manned the traffic. Being a Saturday race in a large city, the traffic was heavy. Much appreciation for their help. I stayed downtown and it was perfect. Didn't use my car all weekend. Thanks for a great time! | |
M. R. from South Bay, CA
(11/6/2011)
"Great Race, Great Job!!!" (about: 2011)
11-50 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 4 This was my 38th state marathon. Positive: Hydration at almost every mile, shot/block were given often after mile 13, orange/banana were given in cup, Flat course, Very nice route, Embassy suite was a block away from start/finish and let me check out at 2pm. Negatives: I really didnt see much food at finish area...I only got water and bagel. hmmm. overall I really enjoyed the race..made me think I would like to visit Indianapolis again in near future. | |
H. F. from Indiana
(11/6/2011)
"Organized, friendly marathon with a great course" (about: 2011)
3 previous marathons
| 1 Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
COURSE: 4 ORGANIZATION: 5 FANS: 3 This was my third marathon and definitely my favorite! The marathon was a great size and was well organized and everyone (volunteers, spectators, other racers) were all very friendly. The course itself was a perfect combination of downtown, quaint pretty neighborhoods, and park areas. Plentiful water and gatorade stops. Clif gels and blocks available at at least 3 stops. Volunteers were incredibly friendly and encouraging. After running Chicago in October, it was nice to participate in a smaller, less crowded race. There were not as many spectators, but the ones out there were very heartfelt, even in the chilly weather. The only complaint that I have is that the running surface for miles 22 - 24 were very slanted and at that point in the race, it was tough and a lot harder on my muscles and joints. Still, I was able to PR by 35 minutes which was a huge accomplishment! I would definitely participate in this marathon again and recommend it to anyone. |
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