Marathon Week 2026 | October 15–18
What a week. What a weekend. What a running community!
It started Thursday with Community & Carbs for Champions at Piada Bexley, where running clubs and friends from across Central Ohio came together for a whole lot more than a shakeout run.
We ran. We walked. We ate. We danced. We gave back to Nationwide Children’s Hospital. Different clubs. Different paces. Different stories. One incredible community.
A huge thank-you to our co-hosts, community partners, volunteers, and everyone who helped bring the evening to life. What a way to kick off Marathon Weekend!
AND THEN CAME RACE WEEKEND!
The energy carried into Friday and Saturday at the Marathon Expo, where our RUNColumbus ambassadors welcomed runners, reconnected with teammates, and introduced new friends to the series.
Saturday’s Jesse Owens 5K brought plenty of smiles, strong finishes, and a preview of what was coming.
Then Sunday morning arrived.
The music. The fireworks. The starting-line excitement. Thousands of runners and walkers ready to take on the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.
And Columbus delivered!
Across Team RUNColumbus, we celebrated Boston qualifiers, personal records, first marathons and half marathons, incredible comebacks, and goals months in the making. Every finish line represented a story worth celebrating.
But some of the weekend’s best moments had nothing to do with a finish time.
Long after many runners had finished, RUNColumbus teammates were still there, cheering on those bringing up the back of the pack—even after the official course closure. Their encouragement, high-fives, and genuine joy caught the attention of the race announcers.
No one organized it. No one asked them to stay. They simply showed up for others.
That’s Team RUNColumbus. It looks a little different at every race, but the heart behind it never changes.
THANK YOU, COLUMBUS!
To the entire Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon team, volunteers, first responders, pacers, neighborhood cheer squads, spectators, and everyone working behind the scenes—thank you for creating an experience that means so much to this community.
To our RUNColumbus teammates who raced, paced, volunteered, cheered, or represented us at the Expo—you made us proud.
And to everyone who crossed a finish line, whether it was your first, fastest, toughest, or simply one you refused to give up on: We hope you soaked it all in. You earned that victory lap!
Until next year, Columbus Marathon.
We’ll see you at the next starting line.
Let’s RUNColumbus TOGETHER! 💙🧡