Guy and Bradley break Monumental Marathon 2026 course records

Johnnie Guy and Lindsey Bradley won the Monumental Marathon 2026 on Saturday 7 November in Indianapolis, both setting course records. Guy won in 2:11:47 and Bradley in 2:29:47, one second ahead of Isabel Hebner.

The 19th edition produced four course records across the marathon, half marathon and 5 km. In addition, 28 athletes achieved qualifying times for the 2028 US Olympic Trials and more than 8,000 runners finished the marathon.

Guy wins by almost 90 seconds

Guy, 32, from Leopold, Indiana, took 42 seconds off the previous men’s record, set by Joseph Whelan in 2025 with 2:12:29. The winner finished almost 90 seconds ahead of Cameron Dickson, of Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts, who was second in 2:13:16. Kobe Blanco, of Spring Arbor, Michigan, completed the podium in 2:14:12.

The result was an improvement for Guy on the previous year, when he had finished seventh in 2:16:43. In May, he had set his half marathon personal best of 1:03:05, also in Indianapolis.

The 26.2-mile marathon course is flat and fast, running through the city centre as well as historic neighbourhoods and cultural districts.

Bradley wins duel with Hebner by one second

The women’s race had a much closer finish. Hebner, of Austin, Texas, crossed the line in 2:29:48, just behind Bradley, while Melissa Berry, of Flagstaff, Arizona, was third in 2:31:40. The finishing times showed a one-second gap between the first two, although both recorded the same chip time: 2:29:43.

For Bradley, 29, who lives in Heath, Texas, it was her second title in Indianapolis. She had previously won in 2024 in 2:31:49, a time that was also a course record at the time. She had achieved a qualifying time for the 2024 Olympic Marathon Trials.

28 Olympic Trials qualifying times

Organisers counted 28 qualifying times for the US Olympic Marathon Trials, more than double the 13 achieved at the 2025 race. They included 14 men under 2:16:00 and another 14 women under 2:37:00.

The Trials are scheduled for 25 March 2028 in St. Louis. USATF uses chip time to verify qualifying performances. The qualifying period began on 1 September 2025 and ends 60 days before the Trials.

Smith and Reed win the half marathon

Owen Smith, of Bozeman, Montana, won the men’s half marathon in 1:01:42, improving on the record of 1:02:25 set in 2024. A total of seven men went under that mark. Matt Richtman, also of Bozeman, was second in 1:01:48 and Noah Fisher, of Greenville, South Carolina, third in 1:02:04.

Indianapolis runner Mikayla Reed won the women’s race in 1:08:51, 25 seconds off the course record. Marisa Howard, of Boise, Idaho, finished second in 1:09:27 and Jessica Gockley-Day, of Richfield, Minnesota, third in 1:09:51.

Schmitt sets fourth record in the 5 km

Rebecca Schmitt, of Edgewood, New Mexico, won the women’s 5 km in 15:56, improving on the previous course record of 16:03. Her performance completed the four records of the day, alongside the two marathon records and Smith’s half marathon record.

In the men’s race over the same distance, Lance Sobaski won in 14:28. The winner is from Brighton, Iowa.

Extended marathon results

Behind the podium finishers, these were the men’s marathon positions through to 19th place:

• 4th Braden Nicholson, of Boulder, Colorado
• 5th Tanner Chada, of Hudsonville, Michigan
• 6th Robert Pedersen, of Santa Rosa, California
• 7th Hudson Hurst, of Franklin, Tennessee
• 8th Eric Vazquez-Olivas, of Lawrence, Kansas
• 9th Curtis Eckstein, of Batesville, Indiana
• 10th Zane Chalker, of Hagerstown, Maryland
• 11th Ian McVey, of Ada, Ohio
• 12th Dylan Parker, of Ann Arbor, Michigan
• 13th Matt Rand, of Portland, Maine
• 14th Tom Brady, of Highland Park, Illinois
• 15th Zachary Ripley, of Rockford, Michigan
• 16th Simon Heys, of Wilmington, Ohio
• 17th Micah Meindertsma, of Grand Rapids, Michigan
• 18th Zach Kreft, of Sunbury, Ohio: 2:17:11
• 19th Noah Steffen, of Grand Rapids, Michigan

In the women’s results, the following runners occupied the positions shown behind the top three:

• 4th Erin Del Giudice, of Charlotte, North Carolina
• 5th Maeve Pierson, of Washington D.C.
• 6th Bridget Belyeu, of Newnan, Georgia: 2:35:12
• 7th Cheyenne Moore, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin
• 8th Caitlin Klopfer, of Chicago, Illinois: 2:35:56
• 9th Becca Richtman, of West Lafayette, Indiana: 2:35:57
• 12th Olivia Ballew, of Boulder, Colorado
• 13th Claire Krummenacher, of Chicago, Illinois
• 14th Ashton Swinford, of Hudson, Ohio
• 15th Zoe Baker, of Chicago, Illinois: 2:37:12
• 16th Stephanie Sherman, of Indianapolis
• 17th Diane Neubauer, of Ambler, Pennsylvania
• 18th Marya Hauer, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin
• 19th Irene Bonanomi, of Boulder, Colorado
• 20th Becca Kawaoka, of Auburn, Washington: 2:38:24

Record participation and charity fundraising

The event organised by Beyond Monumental attracted 18,000 registered participants from all 50 US states and more than 35 countries. It sold out earlier than in any previous edition and for the 14th consecutive year. CNO Financial Group marked its 11th year as title sponsor.

The marathon recorded its highest participation for the third consecutive year. Its course passes the historic Heslar Naval Armory shortly after mile 20. The building, constructed in 1938 and designed to resemble a ship, was a training centre for Navy reservists and now houses Herron-Riverside High School.

The event also had a charitable side. The Run for a Cause programme brought together nearly 300 athletes who raised money for charities. Among them, 26 supported Team Monumental Kids, which raised more than $35,000 for the health and wellbeing of young people in Indianapolis.