On Saturday, the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon took place at the Indianapolis State House.
This was the 17th annual marathon, with over 16,000 participants from around the nation.
The marathon is 26.2 miles, and the half marathon is 13.1 miles. The course runs through Indianapolis and unique neighborhoods, such as Maple-Fall Creek, the city’s oldest neighborhood.
The marathon starts at 8 a.m. and is typically done by noon.
There are many reasons for students to participate in this event, though most student runners participate in cross country or track.
“I am doing the half marathon because I to run and need to stay in shape for track,” junior Talia Ingemi said.
Ingemi did track and cross country at NC and did the marathon with some of the runners on the cross-country team. She has been consistently training for the marathon with her friend Elle Bryant.
“We’ve just been running every day, typically for cross country,” Ingemi said.
Before the race, runners usually have a routine they follow in preparation.
“I’ll wake up a couple of hours prior, eat and stretch and then run,” Ingemi said. “That’s my plan.”
A solid meal and hydration are crucial before the race. During the race, runners eat carbohydrates or bananas to boost their energy.
“This is my third time doing the half marathon, and I think what inspires me the most is that I get to prove what I work for and show that if I can do hard things, then anyone can,” Bryant said. “My sisters look up to me, and it inspires me to
keep doing what I do so that I can show them they can do many things they put their minds to.”
Runners typically prefer to run with friends to make the long distance seem more manageable.
“Majority of it is a mental race; once I hit the nine-mile marker, I hit a mental block, but my friend Charlotte helped me push through,” sophomore Ruby Brown said.
Running with friends also makes the race more fun than running alone.
“Running with friends made the experience so fun; it helped me to keep going even when I was feeling the pain,” Brown said.
Bryant ran with her teammates for the first portion of the race but made the challenging decision to split from the group to reach her personal record.
“It was mentally hard for me because I knew I still had over half the race left, and I was going to do it all by myself,” Bryant said.
As the cross country season recently ended, the marathon is typically a good way for runners to stay in shape.
Runners describe the feeling of finishing a race to be highly satisfying and fulfilling.
“The feeling of finishing a race is the most accomplishing and rewarding feeling because you know you did something that a tiny group of people can say they have accomplished in their life,” Bryant said. “I will be participating next year.”
Races like the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon push seasoned runners to test their limits in a zero-pressure environment.
“Usually for cross country, we run about 22 miles each week and knowing that I can run 13.1 in one day is pretty inspiring,” sophomore Lucy Phillips said.
Even though these runners are out of season, they continue to impress their peers and stay consistent with their goals.
