The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon is pleased to announce its “Patient Champions” who will represent 24 of the 26 miles on this year’s course. The other two miles along the Marathon route will be deemed the “Encore Mile” and “Angel Mile,” and many miles will be sponsored by a corporate or community organization.
After reviewing more than 170 submissions of personal stories through social networking sites and the hospital’s website, Patient Champions, who are current or former patients of Nationwide Children’s, were selected by a committee of hospital staff based on various criteria, including diversity of diagnosis, age and enthusiasm to cheer on race participants at their mile. A full list of Patient Champions can be found below.
The Encore Mile will feature Patient Champions who were honored along the 2012, 2013 and 2014 race routes. The Angel Mile is dedicated to the angels of Nationwide Children’s who have already run their race. The Angel Mile will be lined with white feather banners and represented by families celebrating the lives of their children while cheering on participants.
Marathon and ½ Marathon participants are encouraged to serve as “Children’s Champions” and raise donations on behalf of Nationwide Children’s. In the past three years, between participants’ fundraising efforts, corporate and community sponsorships and matches by the Marathon board, more than $3 million has been raised for Nationwide Children’s. To register to become a Children’s Champion visit NationwideChildrens.org/marathon.
Partners that have committed to sponsoring a Miracle Mile along the 2015 Marathon route include: Platinum Sponsors LBrands and Nationwide; Gold Sponsor Cardinal Health; and Silver Sponsors Alliance Data, Big Lots, Campus Parc, Clif Bar, EAS Sports Nutrition, Fifth Third Bank, JPMorgan Chase, Kohl’s Department Stores, Kroger, Panera, PNC, Rocky Brands with Lucky Shoes, Stynchula Family Foundation with CarMax, The Superior Group and Zest Juice.
Corporate or community organizations interested in becoming a partner in this year’s event may contact Haley Dominique with Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-5421.
To read more about the Patient Champions’ stories and to support Nationwide Children’s, visit NationwideChildrens.org/marathon-miracle-mile-patients.
The 36th Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 18, 2015 and will have a capacity of 7,000 full marathoners and 12,000 participants in the ½ Marathon, which marks its 10th anniversary this year. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon is the 16th largest marathon in the United States and one of the top marathons to qualify runners for the Boston Marathon. For more information, visit www.columbusmarathon.com.
The 2015 Patient Champions:
• Jacob Addington, 5, Infantile Cerebral Palsy, Plymouth, OH 45654
• Charlotte Baker, 3, Wilms’ Tumor, Glenford, OH 43739
• Jenna Barnett, 24, Ewings Sarcoma, Columbus, OH 43202
• Brenna Burrell, 11, Prematurity, Columbus, OH 43235
• Olivia Cameron, 6, Osteogenesis Imperfecta, Dublin, OH 43017
• Billy Chapman, 13, Legg-Clave-Perthes Disease, Columbus, OH 43228
• Roman Cumpston, 7, Unilateral Hearing Loss, Columbus, OH 43228
• Stormy Cushing, 23, Traumatic Brain Injury, Caledonia, OH 43314
• Jermaine Davis, 13, Severe Hemophilia, Lancaster, OH 43130
• James DeSantis, 7, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Columbus, OH 43221
• Caroline Gilani, 7, Wilms’ Tumor, New Albany, OH 43054
• Ailee Gilliland, 4, Facial Burns, Hilliard, OH 43026
• Emily Gordon, 11, Cystic Fibrosis, Groveport, OH 43125
• Sebastian Longstreth, 3, Down Syndrome and Chronic Respiratory Failure, Zanesville, OH 43701
• Makaila Manley, 8, Spina Bifida, Grove City, OH 43123
• Casper Montgomery, 18, High Triglycerides, Dublin, OH 43017
• Owen Mottie, 5, Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, Chillicothe, OH 45601
• Gwen Mouat, 9, Metabolic Disorder, New Albany, OH 43054
• Gunner Myers, 2, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Wellston, OH 45692
• Deirdre Ogilvie, 4, Congenital Heart Defect, Lancaster, OH 43130
• Madeleine Scott, 6, Chronic Allergic Inflammation , Delaware, OH 43015
• Kolby Sherick, 4, Langer Giedion Syndrome, Marysville, OH 43040
• Asher Taylor, 1, Cleft Lip & Palate, Grove City, OH 43123
• Marissa Womack, 19, Autism, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068