The 6th annual running of the Monumental Mile took place Thursday evening on Monument Circle. Recreational runners and elites alike challenged themselves on the unique course that runs south on Meridian Street to the Soldiers & Sailors Monument.
The final two (of 10) races of the evening brought excitement to Meridian Street as champions were crowned in the Men’s and Women’s Elite Race Divisions. JJ Weber from Mainville, Ohio narrowly beat Cathedral High School standout Cole Hocker with a time of 4:07.9 to Hocker’s 4:08.4. Catherine Mwanzau won the women’s race in a time of 4:42.0, ahead of 3x Mid-American Conference Champion Sydney Meyers of Zionsville, Indiana, who ran 4:50.4.
Both runner-ups (Hocker, Meyers) were crowned the USA Track & Field Indiana One Mile Road Champions. Master’s division winners of the USATF Championship were Mike Cole (4:46) and Lucie Mays-Sulewski (5:31), who both defended their titles from last year.
The biggest winner of the evening was local public education. Beyond Monumental made donations totaling $160,000. Organizations receiving donations were: IPS Education Foundation ($130,000), Teachers’ Treasures ($15,000), and Lawrence Township School Foundation ($10,000), and Pike Township Educational Foundation ($5,000).
In addition, the Apex Monumental Challenge, a corporate health and wellness program started by the Beyond Monumental and Apex Benefits Group, saw the 2018 winners crowned. Winning companies included Indianapolis City Market (very small employer category), The International Center (small employer category), Delta Faucet (medium employer category) and CNO Financial Group (large employer category).
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Division winners:
Youth Male – Ben Nagel, 4:35
Youth Female – Madeline Douglas, 5:46
Open Male – Bobby Thompson, 4:31
Open Female – Caren Hernandez, 5:19 (New Course Record)
Masters Male – Jasen Ritter, 4:33 (New Course Record)
Masters Female – Lucie Mays-Suleski, 5:31 (Course Record Holder, 2016 & 2018 Champion)
Elite Male – JJ Weber, 4:07
Elite Female – Catherine Mwanzau, 4:42
USATF Indiana Male One Mile Road Champion – Cole Hocker, 4:08
USATF Indiana Female One Mile Road Champion – Sydney Meyers, 4:50
Full results, when available, can be found here.
Beyond Monumental’s event main event, the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, will have its eleventh running this year on Saturday, November 9th. Registration is open online.
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About Beyond Monumental
Beyond Monumental 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 more than $1,000,000 in 10 years. The CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon is a top 20 marathon in the US and is nationally recognized by Runners’ World as one of “Ten Great Marathons for First Timers”. The 12th annual running is scheduled for Nov. 9, 2019. www.beyondmonumental.org
