Rock the Monument is a 4 Mile race that took place on Friday, June 13, 2025 in Urbana.
The race started at 7pm, with packet pickup opening at 5:30pm at the Upper Shelter House on race day. Participants received a drawstring goodie bag with race shirt, water bottle, and snacks inside.
The race started and finished in Melvin Miller Park, with a small section of the course running through the streets of Urbana.
I ran the majority of the race completely alone. The race included a slight uphill after the first mile. At the 3 mile point I turned the wrong way, thinking I was headed back towards the finish line. Luckily the guy behind me said something and I turned around and got back on course.
I finished in 35:23 as the 2nd overall female and 1st in the super age group of women age 36-50.
I do not run very many 4 milers. In fact, this was only my second one. I chose this race purely to attempt a PR. I felt fairly confident I could improve upon my previous time. This ended up being a PR by 1 minute and 9 Seconds.
Overall this was a fun race, with great music and awards. I met a man that drove from Pittsburgh for this event. Unfortunately, he had to leave before the awards and missed getting his 2nd place age group medal.
I would definitely consider running this race again next year. I think there is still room for another 4 mile PR, especially if I stick to the course next time.
Run Cari 