If there was ever a weekend that captured the many ways our teammates experience RUNColumbus, this was it.
From a four-mile Friday night race to a marathon, a 50K, rugged trail miles, a walking-only event, and races across several states, teammates spent the weekend challenging themselves in just about every way imaginable.
And there was a lot to celebrate along the way.
Friday Night at the Oktoberfest Meiler Vier
The weekend started Friday evening at the Oktoberfest Meiler Vier.
Brian raced to a 2nd Overall finish, while Patti brought home an age-group win—a strong start to a very full RUNColumbus weekend.
Sunbury Goes the Distance
Saturday morning brought the inaugural Sunbury Marathon, and RUNColumbus was represented across the entire event: Marathon, 20-Miler, Half Marathon, 10K, and 1 Mile.
Kim took on the full 26.2-mile marathon, while Clare finished 2nd Overall in the 20-Miler. Richard earned an age-group victory in the Half Marathon, and Billur, Polly, and Barb each won their age groups in the 10K.
From one mile to the marathon, teammates chose their challenge and put months of training to work.
Hitting the Trails at Hocking Hills
At the same time, another group was taking on a completely different challenge at the Hocking Hills Trail Run.
RUNColumbus had athletes in every distance—5K, 5-Miler, 10-Miler, 20-Miler, and 50K.
George went long with the 50K. Fern finished 2nd Overall in the 10-Miler, Sarah and Maria won their age groups, and Pat earned an age-group win in the 20-Miler.
For some teammates, it was also their first-ever trail race. New terrain. New challenges. A pretty memorable place to start.
Walking Together in New Albany
The weekend wrapped up Sunday at the Healthy New Albany Walking Classic, where teammates participated in the 5K and 10K.
The walking-only event added yet another dimension to an already diverse race weekend—and another way for teammates to experience race day together.
RUNColumbus Beyond Ohio
Our local Series events weren’t the only places where teammates showed up.
RUNColumbus athletes were also racing in Virginia, Alabama, Michigan, Minnesota, and at the Amish Country Run in Ohio.
The team stretched well beyond Central Ohio this weekend, carrying the same spirit of challenge and community to starting lines across the country.
Firsts, PRs, and New Challenges
Across all of those races came stories that don’t always appear in a results table.
First trail races. First attempts at new distances. Personal records. Goal races. Teammates stepping outside their comfort zones.
Those moments matter just as much as the podiums.
Celebrating It Together
Yes, we celebrate the overall finishes and age-group wins.
But we also celebrate the courage to try something new. The training behind a finish line. The teammate is taking on a distance they’ve never attempted before. And the people around them are sharing the experience.
That might be the best part of a weekend like this.
Let’s RUNColumbus TOGETHER.