INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 9, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 16,000 participants took on downtown Indianapolis this morning in the 17^th annual CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K. The monumental day showcased a multitude of records, including three course records and an overall event record as the largest marathon ever.

The Women's Champion in the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon shattered the former course record by nearly four minutes. Lindsey Bradley pulled away to win in 2:31:46, beating the record set in last year's race of 2:35:17. Bradley finished more than four minutes ahead of second place, and nearly 10 minutes ahead of third.

The Men's and Women's Half Marathon Champions rewrote the history books with two new course records. Chandler Gibbens cruised down the finish line to cross the line in 1:02:25—just one second ahead of the record set in 2021. Emma Grace Hurley commanded the women's race from the beginning and won in 1:08:25, two minutes faster than the 2021 then-record time of 1:10:43. The top three finishers in the women's field finished under the former course record.

Additionally, the marathon set an overall event record with the largest field of finishers ever. More than 5,000 marathoners earned their finisher medal in the heart of Indianapolis today.

Results:
CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Men's Champion: Austin Nolan of Evansville, Ind., finished first overall in a time of 2:16:30. Mitch Ammons of Austin, Texas, crossed the line second with a 2:16:40, and Michael Morris of Austin, Texas, finished third, coming in at 2:17:06.

Women's Champion: Lindsey Bradley of Heath, Texas, broke the finish tape and set a new course record with a winning time of 2:31:46. Amanda Beach of Littleton, Colo., and Maggie Bowman of St. Louis Park, Minn., finished second and third in a time of 2:35:59 and 2:41:22, respectively.

CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon
Men's Champion: Chandler Gibbens of Chicago raced to the line with a new course record of 1:02:25. Jack Mastandrea of Greenville, S.C., finished in second place with a time of 1:03:49, and Alejandro Martinez Ambrosio of Flagstaff, Ariz., finished in third at 1:04:01.

Women's Champion: Emma Grace Hurley of Indianapolis led the women's race and finished first in a new course record of 1:08:25. Second-place finisher Julia Paternain of Flagstaff, Ariz., ran a time of 1:10:15, and third-place finisher Sara Hall of Flagstaff, Ariz., crossed the line in a time of 1:10:26.

CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental 5K
Men's Champion: Brendan Thomas, North Easton, Mass., in 14:11.
Women's Champion: Britney Romero, Chicago, in 16:33.

Other Highlights:

• The 2024 event is the 12^th consecutive sellout of the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.
• More than 16,000 participants joined the 2024 event from all 50 states and more than 30 countries including Bermuda, France, Singapore and China.
• Beyond Monumental's Run for a Cause program saw more than 240 participants run with a charity, such as Team World Vision, American Society of Suicide Prevention, Tourette Association of America and others, all of which served to raise funds and awareness as they train for the race.

"Witnessing the culmination of preparation and training for our thousands of participants today was spectacular," said Jed Cornforth, Executive Director, Beyond Monumental. "We couldn't have asked for a better day to celebrate everyone's monumental achievements and we can't thank our volunteers, community partners, sponsors, and the city of Indianapolis enough for helping to make the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon possible each year."

"Today the CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon displayed the best of Indianapolis, thanks to the efforts from race organizers and participants and the incredible support of the volunteers," said Gary C. Bhojwani, Chief Executive Officer, CNO Financial Group. "CNO's sponsorship highlights our commitment to health, well-being and the central Indiana community. And we're honored to partner with Beyond Monumental with our shared purpose for the ninth consecutive year. We look forward to being back next year for our tenth year as title sponsor in 2025. We thank Mayor Joe Hogsett, the city of Indianapolis and Beyond Monumental for making this an incredible annual event."

CNO Financial Group, the event's title sponsor, proudly supports their hometown marathon and celebrates Beyond Monumental's shared commitment to health, wellness and the central Indiana community. The sponsorship continues to provide significant growth opportunities for Indy's premier running event.

Full results, when available, can be found here.

Plans are already underway for next year's event, scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 8, 2025. Participants can secure their spot for 2025 for the first-time ever, this weekend at monumentalmarathon.com. Registration closes Sunday, Nov. 10 and will reopen for the tradition of special Monumental Resolution pricing on Jan. 1, 2025.

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.

About CNO Financial Group
CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) secures the future of middle-income America. CNO provides life and health insurance, annuities, financial services, and workforce benefits solutions through our family of brands, including Bankers Life, Colonial Penn, Optavise and Washington National. Our customers work hard to save for the future, and we help protect their health, income, and retirement needs with 3.2 million policies and $38 billion in total assets. Our 3,500 associates, 4,800 exclusive agents and more than 5,000 independent partner agents guide individuals, families, and businesses through a lifetime of financial decisions. For more information, visit CNOinc.com.

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SOURCE CNO Financial Group