How to enjoy the Monumental Marathon, running or not
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Illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios
Time to lace up those trainers, Indy.
Pacing the news: Saturday is the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K.
Why it matters: Aside from snarling downtown traffic, the Monumental is one of the 15 largest marathons in the country, bringing in more than $11 million in economic impact for the city.
- Expect road closures and lots of happy, yet suffering, people in running bibs.
By the numbers: This is the race's 18th year and 13th consecutive sellout.
- With its fast, flat course, the Monumental will attract more than 17,500 athletes this year, representing all 50 states and more than 20 countries.
If you go: The Monumental Health and Fitness Expo starts Thursday in the Indiana Convention Center, featuring running gear from dozens of vendors.
- It's open 4-7pm Thursday and 11am-8pm Friday.
- The half and full marathons start at 8am, near Victory Field.
- The 5K starts at 8:40am.
Pro tips: If you're not running, here are our suggestions for still enjoying the marathon course. And don't forget to cheer on those runners!
☕️ Coffee
Coat Check, 401 E. Michigan St., mile 3: Probably our favorite coffee menu in town and the breakfast sandwiches are solid, too.
- Plus, this is right near a point in the course where just a couple of blocks separate miles 3 and almost 5, making it easy to catch runners twice without having to travel much.
Command Coffee, 2910 N. College Ave., between miles 7 and 8: Aside from the coffee, Command is a great spot to spectate if you've got friends in both the half and full marathons, because this is right where the courses split.
Blue Mind Coffee, 646 E. 38th St., between miles 9 and 10 of the marathon: An Axios Indy team favorite.
🥪 Food
Hoagies & Hops, 4155 Boulevard Place, between miles 17 and 18: Arika loves the vegan Italian "sausage" from this authentic Philly sandwich spot.
Patachou at the Stutz, 1060 N. Capitol Ave., a few blocks from miles 12 and 25 (half and full marathon, respectively): There are technically three Patachou locations near the course, but the Washington Street location (right near the start and finish) is guaranteed to be beyond packed, and the Illinois Street one is near the middle of the marathon course.
- If you want to wait near the finish, this is the spot.
👀 Watch
Riverside Park, mile 20: It can be hard to get around the course with all the street closures, but race organizers have directions to get you to this crucial spot — when marathoners can definitely use a boost! — from I-65.