COLUMBUS, Ohio — More than 1,000 runners hit the pavement at the Jesse Owen’s 5K and one-mile run Saturday as they prepare for Columbus Marathon weekend.
The run is in honor of former Ohio State athlete turned Olympic track star Jesse Owens and his contributions to health, wellness and giving back.
The weekend’s events are all an effort to bring the running community together and to raise money for Nationwide’s Children’s Hospital.
"This has been a wonderful turnout and this is just the start of what we're hoping is another million-dollar year on behalf of the hospital," Darris Blackford of Columbus marathon said.
Jesse Owens’ daughters and granddaughter cheered on the crowd and thanked the runners for continuing their father’s legacy.
"It means an awful lot to the family that he's remembered this way... this represents his legacy of giving back and health and wellness and the community,” Owens' daughter Melanie Rankin said.
Marlene Hemphill Dortch said her grandfather shows athletes everywhere, anything’s possible with hard work and perseverance.
That legacy has inspired runners all throughout the world, including the community of 250,000 runners called, “Black Girls on the Run.”
Dee Bowman, a runner with "Black Girls on the Run," drove from Cincinnati to join in the races.
“For me, growing up, Jesse Owens has been like in the history books and everything like that and it made me believe that I could do what he did,” said Bowman.
Beverly O. Prather, daughter of Owens, said, "To see the camaraderie with people and of all the different races, which is what we're all about, it's just a wonderful day."
For some runners, the event was a day of pushing boundaries and setting new personal records, like Blair Colter from Gahanna, who was the 5K’s first-place finisher.
“It's definitely kind of crazy,” Colter said. “I think it just goes to show whenever you work hard, it really pays off."