FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Two Course Records Set, Closest Marathon Finish in Race History Highlight
40th Anniversary Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon
Three Americans qualified for US Olympic Trials
(COLUMBUS, OH - Oct. 20, 2019) - Both the male and female Nationwide
Children's Hospital Columbus 1/2 Marathon course records were broken today,
along with a photo-finish in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus
Marathon.
"We knew the 40th anniversary was going to be special, but to have two
course records fall in the 1/2 marathon and the full marathon be decided by
two-one-hundreds of a second - well, that was special," said Nationwide
Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon Race Director Darris
Blackford. "I am also proud to say we have raised nearly $10 million for
Nationwide Children's Hospital in our eight years of the partnership. We
are thrilled to support the life-saving work of Nationwide Children's
Hospital."
Following were highlights of the day:
- $1.3 million and counting was raised for Nationwide Children's Hospital
during the 2019 event; for a total of nearly $10 million raised since the
partnership with the hospital started in 2012;
- Three Americans qualified for the U.S. Olympic Trials, including two
females in the marathon (beating the 2:45 qualifying time) and the
third-place male marathon finisher (besting the 2:19 qualifying time);
- A field of approximately 15,000 participated from 45 states and 13
countries;
- 24 Nationwide Children's Hospital Patient Champions and their families
were along 24 miles; one mile was the Angel Mile and was dedicated to the
angels of Nationwide Children's who have already run their race; and one
mile was the Encore Mile for the nearly 200 Patient Champions from previous
races.
TOP FINISHERS
*Course record
**Qualified for the US Olympic Trials
Marathon Male
- Sammy Rotich, Kenya 2:15:05
- Elijah Rugut, Kenya 2:15:05:02
- Jason Witt, Columbus, OH 2:18:22**
Marathon Female
- Fayne Gudato, New York, NY 2:34:29
- Viola Bor, Toledo, OH 2:35:50
- Maria Scavuzzo, Oxford, OH 2:37:52*
- Clara Santucci, Lawrence, PA 2:41:19*
1/2 Marathon Male
- James Ngandu, Kenya 1:02:14* (also was 2018 1/2 Marathon champ)
- Dominic Korir, Kenya 1:02:17
- E.K. Kurui, Grand Prairie, TX 1:03:20
1/2 Marathon Female
- Vicoty Chepngeno, Kenya 1:10:27*
- Sarah Horbol, Westlake, OH 1:17:42
- Sarah Biehl, Hilliard, OH 1:18:52
1/2 Marathon Wheelchair Male
- Joey Gibbs, Ocala, FL 1:01:57
1/2 Marathon Wheelchair Female
- Sarah Werner, Columbus, OH 1:34:06
Marathon - Wheelchair Male
- Steven Smith, Plover, WI 1:49:43
FUN FACTS ABOUT THE 40th ANNIVERSARY NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL COLUMBUS MARATHON
THE PEOPLE
- 24 Miracle Mile Patient Champions who have shared their stories to
inspire
- 3,000 volunteers making this marathon possible
- Approximately 15,000 athletes come from 45 states (we are only missing
representation from Alaska, Delaware, Nevada, New Mexico, and South Dakota)
- Nearly 100 bands and entertainers add extra cheer
- 25-member marathon team and 11-member marathon board of directors that
have put in approximately 10,000 hours of planning
- Approximately 60,000 people attend the Health & Fitness Expo on Friday,
Oct. 18 and Saturday, Oct. 19
- Approximately 100,000 spectators cheer on athletes on Race Day
- Participants in the 1/2 Marathon range in age from 12 years of age (we
have 9 registered) to 89 years of age; participants in the full range in
age from 16 years old to 77 years old.
- Participants in the full marathon hail from USA, Brazil, Canada, China,
Ecuador, Germany, Kenya, Peru, Thailand and the UK. Participants in the 1/2
marathon hail from the USA, Australia, India and the Netherlands.
- 116 elite athletes are entered in the full and the 1/2 marathon - 54
women and 62 men.
- Nearly 1,000 Children's Champions raise money for Nationwide Children's
Hospital through the event
- 42 participants are running the race on their birthday!
THE SUPPLIES
- 100,000-plus White Castle cups of water to quench thirst
- 100,000-plus cups of Lemon-Lime Gatorade when water just doesn't cut it
- 14,000 bananas, 8,000 apples, 22,500 bottles of water, 12,000 peanut
butter sandwich cracker 6-packs, 12,000 packets of string cheese, 18,000
Zone Perfect bars, 12,000 Haribo Halloween gummies, 13,000 cartons of
Smith's Chocolate Milk, 12,000 bagels, 12,000 goldfish crackers, 12,000
Frito-Lay chips
- 500-plus portable bathrooms for relief
- 20,000-plus Clif Shot energy gels to refuel (chocolate, vanilla,
raspberry and citrus flavored!)
- 96 portable generators to power the course
THE COURSE
- 1 Angel Mile to honor, remember and celebrate the angels of Nationwide
Children's who have already finished their race
- 1 Encore Mile, for the patients who lined the 2012 - 2018 Nationwide
Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon course
- 20,000 feet of fencing (nearly 4 miles) along various parts of the course
- 201,600-watt sound system to rev up runners at the Start Line
- 24 White Castle "Striding Slyders" and New Albany Walking Club pace team
members
- 27 permits throughout five different police jurisdictions to close down
26.2 miles of roads
- More than 8,000 lbs. of discarded clothes donated to Goodwill Columbus
THE CAUSE
- Nationwide Children's Hospital has more than 1.2 million patient visits
annually and stays true to its mission of providing care regardless of the
family's ability to pay.
- As a result of the partnership between the Columbus Marathon and
Nationwide Children's Hospital launched in 2012, more than $8.5 million has
been raised to support the life-saving work of Nationwide Children's
Hospital (we could hit $10 million this year!).
About The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon
The Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is now
in its 40th year. In its 14th year, the 1/2 Marathon is the largest in
Columbus. Nearly $10 million has been raised for Nationwide Children's
Hospital since it became the title beneficiary of the event in 2012. For
more information, visit www.columbusmarathon.com.
For more information on today's race and full race results, visit
www.columbusmarathon.com.
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