The Mill Race Marathon is no longer a new, novel event in Columbus. Rather, it’s a maturing race competition that was conducted for the seventh time on Saturday.
It’s also one that has to compete for the attention of runners with other regional marathons conducted the same day.
So, the fact that this year’s Mill Race Marathon experienced greater participation than it had the past couple years is a good sign.
Despite temperatures that climbed into the mid-80s and high humidity, 3,267 runners crossed the finish line this year, topping the 3,181 finishers in 2018 when temperatures were in the 60s and made for ideal running conditions throughout the 5K, half-marathon and marathon.
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The Mill Race Marathon, which presents the special opportunity for participants in the 26.2-mile race to qualify for the Boston Marathon, attracted runners from mostly the Midwest, but also states as far away as Alaska, California, New Hampshire, New York, Oregon and Texas, and even other countries such as Canada, France, Mexico and Sweden.
Participants had praise for the welcoming community and extremely helpful volunteers, saying those things on top of the course, prizes and after-party made for an enjoyable time.
On top of that, the Kids Fund Run on Sept. 27 attracted more than 1,050 runners.
It’s clear that all involved with the marathon event have helped create a positive reputation for it, making the marathon something previous participants enjoy experiencing again while still attracting newcomers.
It certainly has become a signature event for the city.
