Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon: Oct. 20, 2013

What an exciting opportunity to promote EDS Awareness with this marathon in Columbus, Ohio!

Click here to see Heather at Mile 24

The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon is pleased to announce its field of “Patient Champions” who will represent 24 of the 26.2 miles on this year’s course. Two of the miles along the Marathon route will be deemed the “Encore Mile” and “Angel Mile,” and each mile will be sponsored by a corporate or community organization.

After submitting personal stories through social networking sites and the hospital’s website, Patient Champions, who are current patients of Nationwide Children’s, were selected by hospital staff based on various criteria including diversity of diagnosis, age and enthusiasm to cheer on race participants at their mile, among other criteria. A full list of Patient Champions can be found below.

New this year is the Encore Mile stationed at mile 19 along the course. The Encore Mile is named for and represented by the 25 Patient Champions who lined the 2012 race. Because last year’s runners and walkers were so inspired, motivated and empowered by these champions, organizers have them coming back to cheer on 2013 participants.

The Angel Mile is dedicated to the angels of Nationwide Children’s who have passed on. Last year, on mile 12, the families of these angels came together to support one another, share memories and celebrate the days they spent with their children. On Marathon day this year, mile 12 again will be lined with white feather banners and represented by families honoring their children while cheering on participants.

Marathon and ½ Marathon participants are encouraged to raise donations on behalf of Nationwide Children’s. Last year, between participants’ fundraising efforts, corporate and community sponsorships and a match by the Marathon board, $925,000 was raised for Nationwide Children’s. Organizers hope to break the $1 million mark this year.

Partners that have committed to sponsoring a Miracle Mile along the 2013 Marathon route include Platinum Sponsors The Columbus Dispatch, Limited Brands, Nationwide Insurance and Walmart/Sam’s Club; Gold Sponsors Dennis Hyundai, The Kroger Co. and Cardinal Health; and Silver Sponsors Big Lots, Bob Evans, BuckeyeThon, Campus Parc, Clif Bar, Families for a Cure, Greif Inc., The Largent Family, Kohl’s, Rudy’s Family, Pleasure Guild of Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Rocky 4EurSole and The Superior Group.

Corporate or community organizations interested in becoming a partner in this year’s event may contact Niki Shafer with Nationwide Children’s Hospital Foundation at (614) 355-0812.

To read more about the Patient Champions’ stories and to support Nationwide Children’s, visitnationwidechildrens.org/childrens-champions-marathon.

The 34th Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon will be held on Sunday, October 20, 2013 and will have the capacity of 7,000 full marathoners and 11,000 ½ Marathoners. The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon is among the 20 largest marathons in the United States and it’s one of the top marathons to qualify runners for the Boston Marathon. For more information, visit www.columbusmarathon.com.

The 2013 Patient Champions:
•   Mile 1: Skyler Seymour, 6, Cerebral Palsy, Canal Winchester, OH 43110
•   Mile 2: Will Smith, 14, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mount Vernon, OH 43050
•   Mile 3: Garison “Colt” Marcum, 4, Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Jackson, OH 45640
•   Mile 4: Kinley Strohl, 7, Leukemia, Ashley, OH 43003
•   Mile 5: Nick Drexel, 7, Cystic Fibrosis, Bexley, OH, 43209
•   Mile 6: Addie McGarry, 6, Prematurity, Plain City, OH 43064
•   Mile 7: Adelyn Wu Yi Langton, 2, Nationwide Children’s Adoption Clinic, Delaware, OH 43015
•   Mile 8: Rudy Murray, 6, Leukemia, Lewis Center, OH 43035
•   Mile 9: Justus Hairston, 1, Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Copley, OH 44321
•   Mile 10: Morgan Hood, 17, Gastroparesis, Abilene, TX 79601
•   Mile 11: Madeline Richardson, 8, Neuroblastoma, Powell, OH 43065
•   Mile 12: Angel Mile
•   Mile 13: Molly Anne Carrier, 14, Type 1 Diabetes, Hilliard, OH 43026
•   Mile 14: Katelynn Timberlake, 7, Kidney Disease/Chronic Lung Disease/Osteoporosis, South Shore, KY 41175
•   Mile 15: Kylie Kandel, 10, Rare Chromosome Disorder/Epilepsy/Cerebral Palsy, Ashland, OH 44805
•   Mile 16: Ashley Poland, 26, Synovial Sarcoma, Columbus, OH 43045/43040
•   Mile 17: Connor Amabile, 1, Prematurity, Canal Winchester, OH 43110
•   Mile 18: Owen Birk, 6, Mitochondrial Disease, Pickerington, OH 43147
•   Mile 19: Encore Mile
•   Mile 20: Dae’shaun Martin, 15, Progressive Myoclonus Epilepsy, Columbus, OH 43002
•   Mile 21: Bryer Largent, 1, Undetermined, Galena, OH 43021
•   Mile 22: Camdon Garcia, 1, 22q/Tetralogy of Fallot/Stroke, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068
•   Mile 23: Gavin Runkle, 8, Autism, Columbus, OH 43002
•   Mile 24: Heather Anne Lynch, 17, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome/Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis, Wapakoneta, OH 45895
•   Mile 25: Kinzley Schmehl, 1, Hurler’s Syndrome, Galena, OH 43021
•   Mile 26: Madison Rose Reed, 16, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Dublin, OH 43016