columbus marathon

The Columbus Marathon, first run in 1980, features a flat, fast course which saw nearly 20 percent of finishers qualify for the Boston Marathon in 2005. The cloverleaf design of the course also makes it easy for spectators to see their athletes at several different points – all within a block walking distance. The course begins in downtown Columbus and takes athletes east through Bexley, Ohio, past the Governor’s Mansion and Capital University; back through the festive neighborhood of Old Town East; south through German Village; up High Street through downtown Columbus and the Short North Arts District; a jaunt through Upper Arlington, down through the campus of The Ohio State University, through the tree-lined streets of Victorian Village and back to a huge crowd awaiting finishers outside Nationwide Arena in the Arena District.

The 2007 marathon and half marathon reached a record field of 10,000 participants. The overall marathon winner was Robb Kestner with a time of 2:31:48. The female winner was Kelly Stewart, who achieved a time of 2:43:28. During the second annual running of the half marathon, Thomas Lentz led with a time of 1:09:32. The female winner was Jill Scully at 1:20:27.

The 2006 marathon is the first year to feature a half marathon. It is limited to 3,000 places.[1]

The 2005 overall winner was Teren Jameson (USA) in a time of 2:16:26. The female winner that year was Lyudmyla Pushkina (Ukraine), who achieved a time of 2:29:57.