INDIANAPOLIS — It was a big and rewarding day for around 17,000 runners who completed the Monumental Marathon Saturday, Nov. 9.
From downtown to Broad Ripple, the race continues to be one of the largest in the nation.
"Well, you go through all the best parts of Indianapolis, and you see people cheering all over the place," JoAnna Hackney said.
For 12 years, this race has been a sellout. This year, three runners broke course records.
"That's going to cause a lot of world-class athletes to come out here next year," said Gary Bhojwani, CEO of CNO Financial Group.
With the thousands of runners comes an even bigger support system, including Indianapolis native and Olympic gold medalist Cole Hocker.
"I was thinking about that during the race, how everybody steps up and supports each other, runners, spectators and volunteers," Hackney said.
While Hackney has made this race a tradition, she says one of her favorite parts is completing the race with first-time runners.
"It's really special because that's what it is — you only get your first time once, and I love to be a part of celebrating with them," Hackney said.