Contacts: Sydney Meyers Michael Romor
Marketing & Consumer Experience Manager External Communications Manager
Beyond Monumental CNO Financial Group
sydney@beyondmonumental.org michael.romor@CNOinc.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
12th Consecutive Sellout: The CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon Takes Over Downtown Indianapolis This Weekend
Indianapolis Native and Olympic Gold Medalist Cole Hocker to serve as Honorary Starter
INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 6, 2024 – The sold-out CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Half Marathon, & 5K is back for the 17th running on Sat., Nov. 9, 2024. Over 16,000 participants will line up in the heart of downtown Indianapolis to take on the 26.2, 13.1, or 3.1 mile courses around the city. Cole Hocker, Indianapolis Native and 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist will serve as one of this year’s Honorary Starters.
The 2024 Race Weekend kicks off with the Monumental Health & Fitness Expo on Thursday, Nov. 7, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm and Friday, Nov. 8, 11:00 am – 8:00 pm at the Indiana Convention Center, Hall A. The Expo is open to the public and is also an opportunity for participants to pick up their race materials and check out the 2024 official race merch from Brooks Running, sponsor activations and 50+ health & wellness vendors.
The Monumental Speaker Series will be a can’t miss event on Friday, Nov. 8 and will feature running industry celebrities and health & wellness experts. Afternoon sessions include an Elite Athlete Panel with multi-time U.S. Champs Sara Hall and Erika Kemp, as well as a Fireside Chat with 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist Cole Hocker. The full schedule with topics and speakers can be found here.
For the ninth consecutive year, CNO Financial Group, a Carmel, Ind.-based provider of life and health insurance, annuities, financial services and workforce benefits solutions that secure the future of middle-income America, is the title sponsor of the event.
Media parking is available throughout the Monumental Health & Fitness Expo and on Race Day. For credentials, parking details, and access to the hospitality and media room, please contact Sydney Meyers (sydney@beyondmonumental.org, 317-460-7169).
Race Weekend & Course Maps can be found here:
Notable Elite Athletes Scheduled to Compete
Full Marathon:
Men:
- Haftu Knight: Austin, TX – Multi-time All-Big 12 Cross Country & 2022 Big 12 Outdoor 10K Champion
- Charlie Lawrence: Boulder, CO – 50 Mile World Record Holder, 2024 San Francisco Marathon Champion, 2024 100K World Championship Team Member and 2-time U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon Finisher
- Tyler Wirth: Newport, KY – NCAA DI Cross Country National Qualifier, 3:57-Miler
Women:
- Lindsey Bradley: Austin, TX – 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon Finisher, 10th at the 2023 U.S. Half Marathon Championships
- Teclah Chebet: Kenya – Linz Marathon Course Record Holder (2:27:18)
- Sarah Ann Sibert: Brooklyn, NY – Carmel HS Alum, 2015 IHSAA XC Team Champion and 2x High School All-American
- Shannon Smith: Flagstaff, AZ – 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon Finisher
Half Marathon:
Men:
- Jesse Davis: Omaha, NE – 3-time U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon Qualifier, Ran the Olympic Standard at the 2023 Monumental Marathon and was the 2015 Men’s Monumental Marathon Champion.
- Curtis Eckstein: Batesville, IN – NCAA DI Cross Country All-American, Purdue University’s Record Holder (Indoor 3K)
- Chandler Gibbens: Chicago, IL – 2024 NCAA All-American, 11th Place at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials – 10K
- Brandon Olden: Richmond, KY – Assistant Coach at Eastern Kentucky University, Siena College Athlete of the Year 2021-2022 and multi-time school record holder (Mile, 3000, 1500, 5K)
Women:
- Sara Hall: Flagstaff, AZ – former American Record Holder in the Half Marathon (1:07:15), 12-time U.S. National Champion
- Dot McMahan: Oakland Township, MI – 2019 Women’s Monumental Marathon Champion, represented Team USA twice at the World Half-Marathon Championships
- Emma Grace Hurley: Indianapolis, IN – top-3 place at the 2024 USATF 5K Championships and 2nd place finish at the 2023 USATF 15K Championships
- Allie Kieffer: Austin, TX – Finished 5th place at the 2017 New York City Marathon, Multi-time top-6 finisher at U.S. National Championships
- Grace Moore: Wayne, PA – 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Marathon Finisher
Notable Race Weekend Stories
- The 12th consecutive sellout features over 16,000 participants from all 50 states and more than 30 countries including Bermuda, France, Singapore, China, and more. Race organizers are anticipating the most finishers in event history in the full marathon distance.
- The Monumental Speaker Series will take place Friday, Nov. 8 from 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. Participants will hear tips for race weekend and stories from professional runners and health & wellness experts.
- Athletes will line up to chase the event records, Boston Marathon qualifiers, PRs, and a variety of other personal goals next Saturday.
- The Elite Men’s & Women’s Fields will be chasing our current event records: 1:02:26 Men, 1:10:43 Women in the Half and 2:15:41 Men, 2:35:36 Women in the Full.
- A father-daughter duo will be attempting to break the Guiness World Record for “fastest half marathon run by parent and child (mixed)”. Michael and Rebecca Mallon of Iowa will be shooting to beat the current record of 2:44:01.
- The 2024 Elite Field features 3 returning winners including:
- Ian Carter, 2021 Men’s Monumental Marathon
- Dot McMahan, 2019 Women’s Monumental Marathon
- Jesse Davis, 2015 Men’s Monumental Marathon
- Beyond Monumental and the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon partner with local organizations and nonprofits to help raise awareness and funds for their mission through the Run for a Cause Over 240 participants have aligned with a charity like Team World Vision, Tourette Association of America, American Society of Suicide Prevention, and more to raise funds and awareness as they train for the race.
Race Morning Schedule of Events
7:30 AM – Opening Ceremony Begins. Featured speakers and honorary starters include:
- Carlton Ray, Founder, Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
- Vop Osili, President, Indianapolis City-County Council
- Cole Hocker, Indianapolis Native & Olympic Gold Medalist
- John Gause, CEO, Apex Benefits
- Rocco Tarasi, Chief Marketing Officer, CNO Financial Group
- Brad Leatherbarrow, Event Marketing, Brooks Running
- John Baldea, Race Medical Director & IU Health Physician
- Gary C. Bhojwani, CEO, CNO Financial Group
8:00 AM – Official Start of CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon and Half Marathon
8:30 AM – Opening Ceremony for CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental 5K
8:35 AM – Official start of CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental 5K
8:50 AM / 8:52 AM – Anticipated Male/Female 5K Winner
9:03 AM / 9:10 AM – Anticipated Male/Female Half Marathon Winner
10:15 AM / 10:35 AM – Anticipated Male/Female Marathon Winner
Marathoners have 7 hours to complete the race. Closed roads will open as soon as possible.
Interview Opportunities will be available with Beyond Monumental, CNO Financial Group, and IU Health representatives, based on the times, dates and locations listed below:
MONUMENTAL HEALTH & FITNESS EXPO – HALL A: NOVEMBER 7 & 8
Nov. 7, 2024 (4:00 pm – 7:00 pm) | Nov. 8, 2024 (11:00 am – 8:00 pm)
- Jed Cornforth, Executive Director, Beyond Monumental (available upon request)
- Elizabeth Kinder, Director, Community Relations, CNO Financial Group (available upon request)
- IU Health Representatives (available upon request)
RACE DAY, NOVEMBER 9 – STARTING LINE/FINISH LINE:
- Jed Cornforth, Executive Director, Beyond Monumental
- Gary C. Bhojwani, Chief Executive Officer, CNO Financial Group
- 8:00 am – 10:00 am
- John Baldea, Race Medical Director & IU Health Physician
Please contact Sydney Meyers (sydney@beyondmonumental.org, 317-460-7169) for interview arrangements.
For live updates and information on race day, follow @IndyMonumental.
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About Beyond Monumental
Beyond Monumental, the 501(c)3 non-profit responsible for the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, provides the Indianapolis community with a complement of activities built around their premiere event that promotes healthy living & fitness for all ages. Beyond Monumental gives back to the Indianapolis community by supporting youth programming that reinforces healthy lifestyles for young people, with an emphasis on working with urban students and Indianapolis Public Schools, donating over $1.6 million since inception. The CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is a top 15 marathon in the US and is nationally recognized by Runners’ World as one of “Ten Great Marathons for First Timers”. The 18th annual running is scheduled for Nov. 8, 2025. For more information, please visit beyondmonumental.org.
About CNO Financial Group
CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) secures the future of middle-income America. CNO provides life and health insurance, annuities, financial services, and workforce benefits solutions through our family of brands, including Bankers Life, Colonial Penn, Optavise and Washington National. Our customers work hard to save for the future, and we help protect their health, income, and retirement needs with 3.2 million policies and $38 billion in total assets. Our 3,500 associates, 4,800 exclusive agents and more than 5,000 independent partner agents guide individuals, families, and businesses through a lifetime of financial decisions. For more information, visit CNOinc.com.