Record-Setting Day At 10th Annual CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 4, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 10^th annual CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon, held this morning in downtown Indianapolis, celebrated another great success with the highest number of participants to date, early race sellouts, and record-setting finishes.

Results:
CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Men's Champion: Japhet Kipkoech of Louisville, KY, in 2:18:34, defending his 2016 title. Placing second was Bryant Jensen of Farr West, UT in 2:18:46.
"My race was good today," said Kipkoech. "I didn't get the PR I thought I was going to do, but it feels great to repeat the win."
Women's Champion:Laura Portis of Kalamazoo, MI, in 2:41:35, qualifying for her third Olympic trials. Placing second was Joan Massah of Coon Rapids, MN, winner of last month's Des Moines marathon, in 2:44:08.
"I'm feeling pretty good right now," said Portis. "It was a really fast course, really great conditions, a well-managed race; everything was working. Really excited to be here and qualify for my third trials."

CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Half Marathon
Men's Champion: Edwin Kibichiy of Louisville, KY, NCAA Division I Steeplechase Champion in his half marathon debut, tying the course record time of 1:03:15. Kiya Dandena of Flagstaff, AZ was second in 1:04:10.
"Every mile after the 10k was a discovery for me," said Kibichiy. "The best part of the course is the crowd, and towards the finish there was a huge crowd and I accelerated. That's what I love."
Women's Champion:Victoria Coates of Hamilton, Ontario CA, in 1:13:43. Sarah Pease of Bloomington, IN, was second in 1:14:18.
"The course was awesome, amazing crowd support and beautiful weather," said Coates. "The race went a little too fast probably, but I was feeling good, last couple of kilometers were a bit rough, but overall it went really well."

CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental 5K:
Men's Champion:Kyle Harris of Indianapolis, IN in 15:43.
Women's Champion:Kelsey Seiler of Chicago, IL in 17:30.

Other notables:

• The CNO Financial Indianapolis Monumental Marathon had its sixth consecutive sellout and set a new event record with 4,675 marathon finishers (a 12% increase from 2016), making it the 12th largest U.S. marathon to date in 2017.
• Including the marathon, half marathon, and 5K, the number of finishers eclipsed 15,000.
• Participant representation from 50 states and 14 countries.
• More than 1,100 students graduated from the Monumental Kids Movement. The youth running program now includes 60 schools in Center Township, 13 schools in MSD Lawrence Township, and an additional three schools in MSD Wayne Township
• The fourth annual Apex Monumental Challenge, presented by Apex Benefits, saw more than 35 companies take part in this participation-based employee health and wellness competition.

"We're thrilled to celebrate our 10^th anniversary in downtown Indianapolis," said Jed Cornforth, Executive Director, Beyond Monumental. "With the help of our civic leaders, title sponsor CNO Financial Group, presenting sponsors Franciscan Health and Chipotle Mexican Grill, and thousands of volunteers, we were able to truly come together and celebrate health and wellness in our great city."

"What a remarkable day for everyone involved in this marathon," said Ed Bonach, CEO of CNO Financial Group. "It was exciting to see the thousands of runners, volunteers and fans that came out today to celebrate the 10^th anniversary and promote health, fitness and fun. I'm inspired by all the hard work and dedication to training for the race, and the high-caliber commitment from the marathon team and our sponsors for organizing this nationally-recognized marathon that highlights such a tremendous city. CNO's title sponsorship firmly complements our commitment to health, wellness and the central Indiana community, and we look forward to another successful race in 2018."

Complete results and event photographs can be found at www.monumentalmarathon.com/2017results.

This is the second year of CNO Financial Group's title sponsorship. For the 10th consecutive year, Franciscan Health served as the presenting sponsor of the marathon and half marathon. Chipotle Mexican Grill was the presenting sponsor of the 5K.

Plans are already underway for next year's event, set for Saturday, November 3, 2018. Registration for 2018 will open on January 1, 2018 with special Monumental Resolution pricing.

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 (both runners and walkers.) 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 nine 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 10^th annual running is scheduled for Nov. 4, 2017. 
www.beyondmonumental.org

About CNO Financial Group
CNO Financial Group, Inc. (NYSE: CNO) is a holding company. Our insurance subsidiaries – principally Bankers Life and Casualty Company, Colonial Penn Life Insurance Company and Washington National Insurance Company – primarily serve middle-income pre-retiree and retired Americans by helping them protect against financial adversity and provide for a more secure retirement. For more information, visit CNO online at CNOinc.com.

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SOURCE CNO Financial Group, Inc.