THE NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL COLUMBUS MARATHON & 1/2 MARATHON

Become a Children's Champion!

Did you know that registering as a Marathon participant doesn't make you a Children's Champion? You need to take the next step by registering to be a fundraiser.  The dollars raised by our Children's Champions are what fund our amazing mission.

Since 2012, the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon has raised $13 million and counting for life-saving research and care.

It's Simple:

• Fundraise to help find cures, save lives and create best outcomes for kids here and around the world.
• Earn perks and swag along the way as you reach new fundraising milestones.
• No minimum fundraising requirement. Every dollar makes a difference!
• Choose the impact you want to make. You can designate the funds you raise to support any program at the hospital.

Children need hope, and hope needs a champion. When you raise money for Nationwide Children's, you are helping kids everywhere. Make every step more meaningful by committing to fundraise as a Children's Champion.

JOIN OUR COMMUNITY

For fundraising tips, inspirational stories, notifications of Match Days, and more, join our Children's Champions Facebook Group now!

THE REASON WE RUN

Since 2012, Nationwide Children's Hospital has been honored to be the title beneficiary of the Columbus Marathon.  2025 marks the thirteenth year of our partnership.  So far, more than $13 million has been raised for life-saving research and care.

WATCH OUR WHY

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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 Remembrance Mile: Formerly known as 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: Our Children’s Champions community raised over $470,000 in 2024. This group of extraordinary people run with their hearts and their WHY and are 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.

WHAT IS A CHILDREN'S CHAMPION?  An individual who chooses to fundraise for Nationwide Children's Hospital, usually participating in the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon.

WHAT IS A MARATHON MILE CHAMPION?  An individual who has been treated at Nationwide Children's and is selected to represent all patients at the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon. Each year, there are 24 individual Marathon Mile Champions assigned to a mile along the course, one Remembrance Mile to honor those who are no longer with us, and one Encore Mile celebrating all the patients who have lined the course since 2012.

WHAT IS THE FUNDRAISING MINIMUM?  As a Children's Champion, there is no minimum fundraising requirement because every gift matters. We do offer Fundraising Perks based on the amount raised by each individual to motivate you along the way. The $5 registration fee will go towards your fundraising goal to get your fundraising started!

HOW CAN MY SUPPORTERS MAKE A DONATION?  Send them the link to your personal or team fundraising page. They can also search for your name or team name. If they prefer to write a check, it can be made out to Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation. Be sure to include the Children's Champions name in the memo or on a separate note so we know to which fundraiser to give credit to. 

Checks may be mailed to:
Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation
Attn: Marathon Children's Champions
PO Box 16810
Columbus, OH 43216-6810

SOMEONE GAVE ME A CHECK, WHERE DO I SEND IT?  All checks should be made payable to Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation and mailed to:

Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation
Attn: Marathon Children's Champions
PO Box 16810
Columbus, OH 43216-6810

Be sure to include the Children's Champions name in the memo or on a separate note if a form is not available.

ONE OF MY GENEROUS DONORS WOULD LIKE TO ASK THEIR EMPLOYER FOR A MATCHING GIFT - WHAT DO I DO?  Many companies have matching gift programs for their employees. If your donor is not familiar with their employer's Matching Gift policy, they should check with their Human Resources Department. Nationwide Children's may have an established relationship with their employer to receive Matching Gifts. To assist them with submitting the Matching Gift request they may need the following information:

Nationwide Children's Hospital is recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3 organization.
Name: Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation
EIN: 31-1036370

As a participant, you may enter Matching Gifts as "Offline Gifts" on your personal fundraising page. Please enter “Matching Gift ORG NAME” as the recognition name when entering your Matching Gift as an Offline Gift.

ARE DONATIONS MADE ON MY BEHALF TAX DEDUCTIBLE?  Yes, all donations in which goods or services are not received are 100% tax deductible. Registration fees for the event are not tax deductible.

The Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation serves to further the mission of Nationwide Children's Hospital while meeting donor philanthropic goals. Nationwide Children's Hospital is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization (EIN: 31-1036370)

WILL NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION ACKNOWLEDGE MY CONTRIBUTORS?  The Foundation will send a gift receipt and acknowledgement letter to anyone who makes a donation on behalf of a Children’s Champion participant.

HOW CAN I CHECK MY PERSONAL FUNDRAISING TOTAL OR THAT OF MY TEAM?  You track your fundraising efforts via the Participant Center. This tool allows you to log on and review your pledges any time of the day. When a donation is made online, it is processed automatically and added toward your fundraising goal. Donations made by check or money order will be processed and counted toward your total within 10 business days after it is received by Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation.

WHAT CAN NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S PROVIDE TO HELP ME WITH MY FUNDRAISING AND/OR EVENT?

• Consultation on fundraisers and events
• Approved use of our hospital name and logo, when appropriate
• Fundraising Toolkit
• Your own personalized fundraising page
• Resources for fundraiser organizers to educate their donors on the impact of their gift
• Letter of authorization to validate the authenticity of the fundraiser
• Tax ID or Employee Identification Number (EIN) for donation purposes
• Celebratory check presentations, when feasible

WHAT ARE ITEMS NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S CANNOT PROVIDE?

• Our sales tax exemption number
• Raffle license
• Insurance or liability coverage
• Mailing list of donors and/or vendors
• Nationwide Children’s stationery
• Funding or reimbursement of your expenses
• Celebrities, professional athletes, or team mascots for your fundraiser
• Publicity (newspaper, radio, television, etc.)
• Guaranteed attendance of physicians or hospital staff
• Guaranteed volunteer support at your fundraiser
• Guaranteed interactions with patients at the hospital or attendance at events
• Solicitation of businesses or vendors for support

HOW DO I NOMINATE A MILE CHAMPION?  Mile Champion stories are collected throughout the year to participate in a wide variety of events. Marathon Mile Champion submissions are collected July - September for the next calendar year Marathon. You may share your patient story here.

WHAT IS THE DEADLINE TO TURN IN DONATIONS?  The deadline to turn in donations to receive Fundraising Perks is October 18.  Of course, we welcome any and all additional donations through the end of the 2025.

WHERE DO I PICK UP MY FUNDRAISING PERKS?  Children's Champions are eligible to earn Fundraising Perks based on the amount raised. Fundraising Perks can be picked up at the Race Expo held during the two days prior to the race. 

Earn awesome perks as a Children’s Champion fundraiser while helping change kid’s lives. There is no minimum fundraising requirement, but we want to show our appreciation for your efforts as you achieve your fundraising goals. Below is the list of incentives, levels and deadlines. Don't forget you can fundraise as a Children's Champion and receive perks regardless of race participation.

All Children’s Champions are eligible to earn benefits at various fundraising levels.*

*All incentives are cumulative and earned on an individual basis.

DIGITAL TOOLKIT

The Children's Champions digital toolkit is designed to make your participation and fundraising as simple as possible.

We encourage you to creative with your fundraising efforts! We hope you will find this guide a helpful resource to get your momentum going.

Digital Toolkit

Utilize the digital toolkit below to inspire friends, family and supporters to help you reach your goal by using these social media templates and graphics. To download, click image and right-click to 'Save picture as' or 'Download image'. And, be sure to tag Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Columbus Marathon. Don’t forget to use the hashtags: #CbusMarathon, #NationwideKids, #MileChampion, #ChildrensChampion, and #NCHFoundation.

Instagram Story Graphics

Mark your progress and share your inspiration with these Instagram story templates. Make sure your account is public and tag @NationwideKids, @NCHFoundation and @CbusMaration. If your account is public, you might get regrammed!

Instagram/Facebook Posts

Download, customize and share your story and inspire others to join the challenge.

Cover Images

Share your pride with one of these Facebook Cover images. Don’t forget to encourage others to get involved, too!

Meet Our 2025 Mile Champions

24 patients treated at Nationwide Children’s Hospital are selected to line each mile of the race, share their story and inspire others. Each Marathon Mile Champion picks a theme for their mile and is celebrated for their strength and bravery. There is also one Remembrance Mile to honor those who are no longer with us and one Encore Mile where we recognize every patient who has lined the course in the past. Together, they represent the more than 1.4 million patient visits to our hospital every year.

New this year! We are selecting our Mile Champions in two phases.  Meet the first round of Mile Champions below.

Click below for the 2025 Marathon Mile Champions map. Please note: The map indicates where a Mile starts on the course and is not the exact location of the Mile Champion Cheer Tents.

 2025 Map Coming Soon

MEET JOSHUA Hometown: Pickerington, OH Age: 13 Diagnosis: Clear Cell Sarcoma		At 6 years old, Joshua and his parents went to Urgent Care when it appeared he had food poisoning. An ultrasound at Nationwide Children's Close To Home Center in Lewis Center revealed Joshua had clear cell sarcoma of the kidney. Sent straight to Nationwide Children’s main hospital, Joshua was immediately admitted, and a care team was assembled to walk him and his parents through his diagnosis and treatment options. Over the next year, Joshua would go through radiation and chemotherapy treatments as well as surgery to remove his left kidney. “The care team did a good job translating the data and lab results, listening to our concerns, and working with us on alternatives,” recalls Joshua’s mom, Colleen. Today, Joshua is doing great and in remission. He’s currently in 8th grade and when he’s not learning gaming code, he’s working on the sequel to his book “Dash” which was published in 2024 in partnership with Make a Wish.
MEET BRIELLE Hometown: Chesterville, OH Age: 13 Diagnosis: Wilms Tumor Survivor/Kidney Recipient
MEET CHARLOTTE Hometown: Newark, OH Age: 7 Diagnosis: C3GN Glomerulonephritis		When Charlotte was 6 years old, her parents brought her to their local urgent care for what they assumed was a urinary tract infection. Further testing led Charlotte to the Nephrology department at Nationwide Children's Hospital where she underwent a kidney biopsy.  The biopsy confirmed Charlotte had C3 glomerulonephritis, a rare type of C3 glomerulopathy, a disease that affects how well the kidneys work. Of her time in the hospital, “I don't know if there was any other part that she didn't actually love,” recalls Charlotte’s mom, Ashley. “Most individuals would prefer not to be in the hospital. Not Charlotte. She was cheerful. She enjoyed the playroom, the gift shop and the room service menu. She had a great set of nurses and techs that were there whenever she needed something, and their quality of care was impeccable.” Today, Charlotte is doing great. She’s a bundle of energy with a smile that spreads to everyone she meets.
MEET WAYLON Hometown: Ashley, OH Age: 7 Diagnosis: Acute TCell Lymphoblastic Leukemia
MEET CHASE Hometown: Caldwell, OH Age: 8 Diagnosis: Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome
MEET LANDON Hometown: Jackson Center, OH Age: 14 Diagnosis: Type 1 Diabetes, Spastic Diplegia, Klippel-Feil Syndrome
MEET VIVIAN Hometown: Lewis Center, OH Age: 10 Diagnosis: Jordan's Syndrome
MEET MAYA Hometown: Guelph, Ontario Age: 11 Diagnosis: Gastopatesis		Maya has gastroparesis, a disorder affecting the stomach nerves and muscles, making the digestive system too slow. Her doctors in her home country, Canada, thought Maya would be a good candidate for IB-Stim, a treatment from a small electrical device that helps reduce abdominal discomfort. Knowing it could improve her quality of life, Maya’s parents looked into traveling for this treatment and reached out to Nationwide Children's Hospital.   Maya and her family made the seven-hour drive from their hometown in Canada to Ohio four times in July 2024 for placement of the device. With the help of Global Patient Services, they were able to stay at the Ronald McDonald House and make the most of their time in Columbus by visiting several museums and exploring the city. “It is always scary when your child needs care at a hospital, and we had the added complication of needing care in another country,” Sarah shares. “But we chose well with Nationwide Children’s and truly felt the passion of the staff, working together to make the experience as positive as possible.”
MEET GUNNER Hometown: Grove City, OH Age: 6 Diagnosis: Acute TCell Lymphoblastic Leukemia
MEET MICHAEL Hometown: Mena, AR Age: 6 Diagnosis: Imperforate Anus
MEET CHARLOTTE Hometown: Malinta, OH Age: 6 Diagnosis: Trisomy 18
MEET GRAY Hometown: Galion, OH Age: 8 Diagnosis: Stenosis of the Spinal Canal and Scoliosis
MEET MACKENZIE Hometown: Pomeroy, OH Age: 13 Diagnosis: Ovarian Cancer
MEET CHARLIE Hometown: Lewis Center, OH Age: 11 Diagnosis: Permanent Junctional Reciprocating Tachycardia (PJRT)		At 4 years old, Charlie was diagnosed with Permanent Junctional Reciprocating Tachycardia (PJRT), a rare form of abnormally fast heartbeats, only seen in children. Charlie underwent a minimally invasive procedure at Nationwide Children's known as cardiac ablation to stop the electrical impulses that caused her irregular heartbeats.  “Nationwide Children's Hospital means so much to our family,” Charlie’s mother, Tia, says. “Charlie's situation was a surprise to us and out of nowhere. We are so thankful for each staff member who we crossed paths with during our five-day stay and could not have asked for a better experience in such a scary time in our lives.” Charlie is now a spunky, sassy 12-year-old who loves softball, shopping, and spending time with friends. Everyone who meets Charlie leaves with a lasting impression.
MEET SOPHIA Hometown: Clendenin, WV Age: 17 Diagnosis: Feet Burns and Skin Grafts

BECOME A SPONSOR

Since 2012, Nationwide Children's Hospital and the Columbus Marathon have partnered together to help make miracles happen. Through this incredible event, more than $13 million has been raised to support life-saving research and care for kids here and around the world. This amazing feat would not be possible without the help of our dedicated sponsors and peer-to-peer fundraisers know as our Children's Champions.

Celebrate your love for our hospital, community and the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & 1/2 Marathon while making each step more meaningful through sponsorship and fundraising activities.

Our sponsorship levels range from $1,000 to $100,000, each level offering a variety of marketing benefits. Please click on the 2025 Sponsorship Packet button to review your options.

NATIONWIDE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOUNDATION

To schedule time to discuss sponsorship opportunities, please contact:

Cynthia Laux | Assistant Vice President, Signature & Institutional Events

Cynthia.Laux@NationwideChildrens.org   |  (614)355-5413

Kathy Hickman | Associate Director, Corporate Partnerships

Kathryn.Hickman@NationwideChildrens.org   |  (614)355-5424