COLUMBUS, Ohio — The 2020 Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & Half Marathon has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The event was previously scheduled for Sunday, October 18.
Anyone who registered for one of the races will receive a full refund. According to organizers, registered athletes will receive specific instructions in the coming weeks about how to obtain their refund.
“No one at the finish line last October could have anticipated that we would cancel the event for this year, but it is absolutely the correct thing to do,” said Board Chairman Dan Leite. “The safety of our athletes, volunteers, first responders, team and the entire community is the top priority for our event. With the ongoing pandemic and based on consultation with our valued partners at Nationwide, Nationwide Children’s Hospital and the City of Columbus, it became quite apparent to the Board that the best way to protect everyone’s safety would be to cancel our event for 2020. It was a very difficult decision to make but one we strongly believe is in the best interest of everyone involved.”
The Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & Half Marathon has raised approximately $10 million for Nationwide Children's Hospital since it became the title beneficiary of the event in 2012.
Supporters of NCH will still have a chance to raise money for the patients and families the hospital cares for and hospital officials say there will be a future announcement about fundraising activities.
