COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is pleased to announce the 2024 “Mile Champions” who will represent 24 of the 26 miles on the course during the October event. The other two miles will include the Encore Mile, which honors former Marathon Mile Champions, and the Angel Mile, which celebrates the lives of past patients who are no longer with us.
A committee of hospital staff selected the Marathon Mile Champions after a thoughtful review of inspiring patient applications submitted by individual families or nominated by Nationwide Children's staff members. The Mile Champions, current or former patients of Nationwide Children’s, were chosen based on criteria including diversity of diagnosis, age and enthusiasm to cheer on race participants at their mile. A full list of the Mile Champions appears below.
To help fund the lifesaving research and care taking place at Nationwide Children’s, full marathon and 1/2 marathon participants are encouraged to fundraise as “Children’s Champions.” Since 2012, the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon has raised over $11 million for lifesaving care and research.
Thank you to the Mile Sponsors for their generous support of our Mile Champions.
- Platinum Sponsors: The Columbus Dispatch and Nationwide Insurance.
- Gold Sponsors: AEP Ohio and Greif.
- Silver Sponsors: Abercrombie + Fitch, Bread Financial, Coca-Cola Consolidated, LeaderPromos, Performance Columbus, Schneider Downs and White Castle.
Corporate or community organizations interested in becoming a partner in 2024 may contact Cindy Laux with the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-5413 or Cynthia.Laux@NationwideChildrens.org. Click here to read more about the Marathon Mile Champions and to support Nationwide Children’s.
The 44th Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon is on Sunday, October 20, starting at 7:30 a.m. at North Bank Park. It is one of the top 20 marathons in the United States. For more information, visit ColumbusMarathon.com.
2024 Mile Champions:
- Alex, 13, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Powell, OH
- Ali, 12, Craniopharyngioma, Milford Center, OH
- A’Ni-Braxton, 6, Autism Spectrum Disorder Level 2, Columbus, OH
- Aria, 9, Second and Third-Degree Burns, New Albany, OH
- Bella, 21, Joubert Syndrome, ulcerative colitis, Columbus, OH
- Breelyn, 7, Bilateral Sensorineural Hearing Loss, Etna, OH
- Callie, 10, Crohn's Disease, Etna, OH
- Carter, 11, Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (ACC), FG Syndrome, Atrial Septal Defect (ASD), Utica, OH
- Claire, 9, Osteosarcoma, Marion, OH
- Cody, 17, Spina Bifida, West Lafayette, OH
- Dominic, 10, Sickle Cell Disease, Westerville, OH
- Ellie, 6, Congenital heart defects, cleft palate, microcephaly, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, apraxia of speech, Dublin, OH
- Emersen, 17, Endocarditis, Columbus, OH
- Ethan, 14, Supraventricular tachycardia (SVT), Grove City, OH
- Isabella, 9, Urinary Incontinence, Constipation, and Urinary Tract Infections, Marysville, OH
- Isaiah, 12, Hydrocephalus, Galloway, OH
- Joe, 6, Congenital Cytomegalovirus Infection (CMV), Upper Arlington, OH
- Kash, 9, Micro Preemie, Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD), Bucyrus, OH
- LillyBeth, 13, Dias-Logan Syndrome, Pickerington, OH
- Lily, 6, VACTERL association, Gahanna, OH
- Macy, 12, Kidney Transplant, Princeton, WV
- Michael, 13, Burkitt Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, Johnstown, OH
- Reilly, 11, Metabolic Bone Disorder, Lexington, KY
- Stella, 6, Spinal Muscular Atrophy Type 2, Sunbury, OH
Note: Age on race day is reflected
To learn more about the Mile Champion program and to nominate your child for the 2025 marathon, please contact MileChampion@nationwidechildrens.org.