Indianapolis Monumental Marathon

I came to this race based on the fast times people in my running group had run at this course and I was not disappointed. I ended up getting a 10 second PR so mission accomplished there. The race itself has a lot going for itself. First off, the packet pickup was very easy. It was at the Convention Center which is right across from where the race would start. A really cool part of the expo was the fact that Olympic Gold Medalist in the 1500 meter Cole Hocker was there. I got a picture with him after his talk and I got a picture with him at the finish line the next day too with my race medal. The race hotels are almost all right by the start/finish line too which is very convenient. Race morning was alright. They needed some more bathrooms at the start, but the Convention Center was open to stay warm right up until race time which was great. I dropped my bag and walked a short distance to the start line. The race start was just ok. They definitely need to break up the runners in to more corrals. For example, Corral A was runners under 3:10 I think. That was way too many people. I ran a 2:49 which means people 20 minutes slower are in the same area. Also, the streets were too narrow for that many people running out that fast. I almost got knocked over twice in the first mile, and there were lots of turns early in the race with a crowded area to run in. That desperately needs to be fixed. The course itself was alright. It had better crowd support than Toledo and Carmel, but definitely not better than Columbus (at least for the first half there). There were way too many turns the first 6-8 miles, but after that, there were a lot of straight roads. The biggest issue was the amount of potholes and cracks everywhere. I felt like there was never a time I could look up because I might twist my ankle. The roads were one of the worst I have run in and this was my 29th marathon. My only other comment about the course was there is kind of a dead spot of fans where you really need them from mile 20-24. The finish was back downtown again and it was nice but nothing great. The finish line area was a little more congested and crowded than other races I have attended. The race medal was a quality medal and they give you a winter hat at the finish as well which is cool. There was also some nice gear available at the finish line but most of the runner sizes were not available. Overall this race gets a big thumbs up. At the end of the day, the most important thing is having a flat and fast course and this definitely has that. It is also part of the Abbott World Marathon Age Group qualifiers. Sadly I missed getting my time by 92 seconds. Overall, a quality race.

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 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, 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!

Great race-need more bathrooms available before start of race. Beginning and end of race very congested! Spectators need to not be in or around corrals because runners cannot get in corrals. Also, at the end of race runners cannot get out of the chute because spectators are blocking trying to get in. Need more organization.