Our Mission & Vision
The RUNColumbus Race Series exists to be Central Ohio’s premier race series, where every athlete is inspired, celebrated, and empowered in a dynamic team environment that fuels personal achievement and collective success. We elevate local races, champion those supporting nonprofits, and create a lasting impact by uniting and growing the running community across the region.
Our Values
Empowerment of the Individual
We believe in the power of each athlete to achieve their personal best. We provide an environment where every runner, regardless of experience or ability, is encouraged to grow, push their limits, and reach their goals.
Strength in Team & Community
We foster a supportive, inclusive atmosphere where athletes lift each other up. Through mutual encouragement and celebration, we build a sense of belonging and unity that transcends competition.
Healthy Competition
We embrace competition as a force that motivates athletes to reach new heights. Whether competing alongside teammates or against their best, we inspire individuals to push their limits and achieve their personal goals.
Building the Broader Running Community
We are dedicated to strengthening the running community at large. By supporting local races, clubs, and groups, we contribute to the sport’s collective growth and work to ensure that every runner, event, and organization thrive.
Polly Shoemaker, Co-Founder
Hi, I’m Polly. I was born and raised in Columbus (Go Bucks!). My husband and I are blessed with five adult children, a son-in-law, a grandson, and four granddogs.
My running journey began in earnest in my early 40s when our family lived in South Carolina. After completing two marathons, including the Boston Marathon, I wanted a new challenge that wasn’t so demanding on my body. That’s when I was introduced to a competitive, point-based race series.
Being part of the series introduced me to new races in our community and runners who quickly became teammates. We toed the line to compete with ourselves, each other, and, of course, the field. Together, we chased PRs (personal records) and series points as we awaited the weekly release of the race series standings.
Our family returned home to Central Ohio in 2014 to find that a local race series was nonexistent. The idea of a race series in my hometown loomed in my mind. but it wasn’t until the pandemic of 2020 that I began taking steps to start the RUNColumbus Race Series.
The first step I took was to pitch the idea to Phil Birnie. I had worked with Phil on another project and knew of his love of running. Phil responded with a resounding ‘yes,’ as they say, the rest is history.
Phil Birnie, Co-Founder
Hi, I’m Phil. My wife and I have three active children and a Boston Terrier named Mirabelle.
I started running at Worthingway Middle School because my parents thought it would be a good idea for me. I was not a great runner – or at least, not very competitive. Like any good sibling rivalry, it wasn’t until my sister started running that I found a new gear. She was a great and competitive runner through college. As I watched her, I started getting more interested. Now, we frequently run road and trail races together.
I am part owner of Escape Hatch, an award-winning agency that crafts custom websites. I focus on back-end development, extending open-source web applications from simple tools to complex eCommerce integrations.
When Polly approached me about partnering with her to build the (live) Leaderboard that would be the centerpiece of the RUNColumbus Race Series, the concept brought together three things I love—running, creative ideas, and, of course, back-end web development.
Like all amateur runners, we juggle training, family, and jobs while pursuing our vision of bringing a competitive race series to Central Ohio.