Contact: Sydney Meyers
Senior Manager, Marketing & Consumer Experience
Beyond Monumental
sydney@beyondmonumental.org
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Chasing History: Sub-4 Minute Mile Attempt & Masters American Records On the Line This Saturday
The Indianapolis 5K & Monumental Mile returns to the heart of downtown this Saturday, June 21, bringing fast times, community spirit, and elite competition back to historic University Park. The 2025 race will feature a multitude of distances with more than 1,200 attendees for this 12th annual tradition.
Things to Watch at the 2025 Indianapolis 5K & Monumental Mile:
Family Fun to Start the Day
Race Morning Kicks off with events the whole family (and furry friends) can enjoy.
- Doggie Dash: Now in its fourth year, the fan-favorite Doggie Dash benefits Friends of Indy Animals and sends pups and their people racing down Meridian Street.
- Community Mile: A non-competitive, family-friendly celebration of health and wellness. Strollers and wagons are welcome!
Elite Athletes & Sub-4-Minute Chase
The elite field will chase a $2,000 prize purse — with an added $500 time bonus for breaking the 4:00 (men) or 4:30 (women) barriers. The Men’s Elite race, in particular, is shaping up for record-breaking potential.
- Men’s Elite Field Highlights include: Christian Noble, an Indiana native and New Balance Boston athlete with a personal best of 3:53, leads the charge. Challenging the title will be Ryan Adam Fernandez, a 6-time NCAA All-American and 2-time Mexican National Champion; Ben Nagel, the 2021 Monumental Mile Champion and former Virginia Tech standout, and Jed Helker, 2-time All-Big 12 Conference athlete from the University of Cincinnati. Rounding out the field are notable athletes: Tony Tonkovich, Ohio University school record holder, Dylan Allen, former University of Kentucky athlete, and Andrew Whitinger, former IU Indy athlete.
- Women’s Elite Field Highlights include a strong field led by returning champions: Hannah Stoffel, the 2024 Monumental Mile winner, and Shelby Nolan, the 2023 Monumental Mile champion. Competing for their first event title are Mikayla Reed, former University of Missouri athlete and 2024 NCAA DI First Round qualifier; Audrey Comastri, former USI standout and school record holder; and Taryn Garlington, 2-time NAIA National Championship qualifier and back-to-back Indy Half Marathon at Fort Ben winner.
USATF Masters 1 Mile Championship
Beyond Monumental and Indiana Sports Corp will host the USATF Masters 1 Mile Championship in conjunction with the 2025 event, awarding overall and team titles with a $5,000 prize purse.
- The 2023 Championships were hosted in Indy where the masters athletes set six new age group American records (AR), including the first-ever women’s 85-89 mile AR.
- Athletes to watch:
– Jennifer Harvey returns to Indianapolis after setting the Women’s 55-59 1 Mile AR in 2023, she will have some steep competition from Fiona Bayly, the Women’s 55-59 8K and 15K AR holder, and Lisa Veneziano, the Women’s 55-59 12K AR holder. Michelle Rohl, the 2025 World Masters Indoor 1500m 55-59 Champion, will also line up to compete for the Women’s 55-59 title.
- Across the entire field, standouts include:
– Cynthia Lucking, the 2024 USATF National Cross Country and World Masters Cross Country 70-74 Champion;
– Lesley Hinz, the 2025 World Masters Indoor 800m 65-69 champion
– Joyce Hodges-Hite, former Women’s 85-89 1 Mile AR holder
– Daniel King, the Men’s 65-69 1500m & Mile AR holder and the 2024 World Masters Outdoor 1500m & 8K Cross Country 65-69 Champion
Corporate Wellness & Community Recognition
Awards will also be presented for the Monumental Corporate Cup, an wellness initiative that celebrates Central Indiana companies promoting employee health, well-being, and community involvement through fitness and volunteerism.
- Small Business Champion Award Recipient – Athletic Annex
- Medium Business Champion Award Recipient – Brooks
- Large Business Champion Awards Recipient – CNO Financial Group
– Receiving the award on behalf of CNO Financial Group: Elizabeth Kinder, Director, Community Relations
Traffic Advisory:
Multiple closures and lane restrictions will be in place on Saturday, June 21 for the Indianapolis 5K & Monumental Mile:
The northbound lanes of Meridian St. between New York St. & St. Joseph St. will be restricted from 5:30 a.m. New York Street will be closed from Meridian Street to Pennsylvania Street from 5:30 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. Three lanes on Pennsylvania St. between St. Joseph St & Washington St. will be restricted beginning 6:30 a.m. through 11:00 a.m.
The streets surrounding the American Legion Mall, including St Clair, North, Michigan, Vermont, New York, and Ohio will be impacted and have rolling road closures from 7:20 a.m. through 11:00 a.m. Traffic will be allowed to cross between races. The east half of Monument Circle will be closed for the 5K race from 7:30 a.m. until it is safe to reopen for participants (approx. 8:15 a.m.). Please note that northbound Illinois St. and Delaware St., as well as southbound Pennsylvania St. and Capitol Ave. will not be affected.
Schedule
| Time | Wave |
| 7:30 a.m. | 5K |
| 8:45 a.m. | Doggie Dash |
| 9:05 a.m. | Community Mile |
| 9:15 a.m. | Youth & High School (Ages 18 & Under) |
| 9:30 a.m. | Open (Ages 19-39) |
| 9:40 a.m. | Non-Championship Masters (Ages 40+) |
| 9:50 a.m. | USATF Masters 1 Mile Championship Men 40+ |
| 10:05 a.m. | USATF Masters 1 Mile Championship Women 40+ |
| 10:30 a.m. | Elite Women |
| 10:36 a.m. | Elite Men |
| 11:00 a.m. | Awards Ceremony |
7:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. – The Post-Race Party will take place in the southwest quadrant of University Park, featuring music, food, and drink, and a perfect view of the Finish Line!
The Indianapolis 5K & Monumental Mile has a race for everyone and attracts participants of all ages and abilities. The 2025 event has a full slate of races throughout the morning including a 5K, a Doggie Dash, and Non-Competitive Community race, Youth, Masters, Open and Elite divisions of the mile. For the second year, all finishers will get to take home a Finisher’s Medal and participants over 21+ can redeem a free adult beverage in the Post-Race Party.
CNO Financial Group, a long-standing Monumental partner and title sponsor of the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, will be available on-site for interview or quote upon request. Our partners support Beyond Monumental’s mission of actively supporting youth health and well-being by providing access to exceptional events and programs centered around the sport of running.
On-site registration will be available on race day, subject to availability, beginning at 6:00 a.m. on the south side of University Park along E New York Street. For more information, please visit monumentalmile.com.
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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.