The Reason We Run

Since 2012, Nationwide Children’s Hospital has been honored to be the title beneficiary of the Columbus Marathon. 2024 marks the twelfth year of our partnership. So far, more than $13 million has been raised for life-saving research and care.

What Makes Our Race the Most Meaningful Marathon in the Country?

Our Hospital: Nationwide Children’s is committed to providing every child the highest quality health care, regardless of the family's ability to pay. With more than 1.6 million patient visits each year, we have been able to provide more than $358 million in charity care and community benefit services annually.

Our Mile Champions: 24 patients treated at Nationwide Children's are selected to line each mile of the race. Each Mile Champion chooses a theme for their mile and is celebrated for their strength and bravery. Race Day is certainly a memory they will never forget.

You control the impact you make: Through our fundraising program, you can choose where your donations go. Whether you want to help find cures for pediatric cancer, support our patients' emotional needs through art therapy, or give to the area of greatest need... You control how you support Nationwide Children's.

The Angel Mile: Mile 11 is dedicated to remembering and honoring those special children who are no longer here with us. Learn more about the Angel Mile here.

The Encore Mile: Mile 10 celebrates each and every child who has lined the course since 2012.

Our Community: 15,000 runners, 3,000 volunteers and 100,000 spectators join together every October to find cures and create best outcomes for kids everywhere.

Our Children's Champions Fundraisers: During a global pandemic when the coronavirus did not stop children from requiring cancer treatments, social distancing did not eliminate babies being born prematurely, and working remotely didn’t mean that children did not need care for congenital heart defects, the Children’s Champions community raised over $530,000 in 2022. So while our day-to-day lives have been very different over these past couple of years, this community was committed to our mission to care For Every Child, For Every Reason.

We do this for our kids because there is nothing more important. Every child should have the right to a bright and healthy future. We do this because children need hope, and hope needs a champion.