People gather for the truck giveaway during the Mill Race Marathon Finish on 4th in downtown Columbus on Saturday.
Carla Clark | For The Republic
Columbus’ Mill Race Marathon has become a signature event in our community, and this year, the number of participants in Saturday’s 11th edition was greater than in any event since COVID interrupted the races a few years back.
Each of the more than 2,300 participants has a story of why they push the limits of their endurance, why they train, grow stronger, then register to run in either the 26.2-mile marathon, the 13.1-mile half-marathon or the 5K. And let’s not forget Friday evening’s Kids Fun Run.
The Republic’s Ted Schultz caught up with the winners in the marathon’s men’s and women’s divisions – Cory Kirkham of Carmel and Oklahoman Sheridan McKinley — after Saturday’s race.
For Kirkham, it wasn’t his first Mill Race run, but it’s bound to be his most memorable. He was just coming off an injury, and even though his pace and that of the race was slower than last year, he placed first with a time of 2 hours, 50 minutes, 29 seconds. McKinley finished second overall and first among women with a time of 3:01:33.
“It’s a great way to come back,” Kirkham said after recuperating from a stress fracture to become the first marathon runner to cross the finish line.
This was McKinley’s first Mill Race, and like many other dedicated out-of-town runners, she found out about it online while looking for a nice autumn event. She told Schultz she “saw it was good weather and a nice, fast course, and it all just kind of lined up. … It’s somewhere I’d never been before, so I thought I’d come out and do it.”
Same story for Brian McAlees, who, speaking of covering long distances, traveled from Port Glasgow, Scotland to join in the Mill Race Marathon. He finished third overall after making a point of meeting and greeting as many runners as possible beforehand, proudly wearing the colors of his home country.
But while these may be races, speed isn’t everything. Which brings us to Mary McGuire, 73, of Santa Barbara, California, who walks half-marathons and came to Mill Race this year in a quest to complete 13.1-mile courses in all 50 states. She told The Republic she’d learned about our city’s storied architecture, so when it came time to cross Indiana off her list as state No. 47, she chose Mill Race.
Likewise, participants from as close to home as Robert Reeves of Hope, who finished fourth overall and third among men, and from as far away as Mexico and elsewhere, make the Mill Race an event with a strong local fan base and international appeal that benefits the community on many levels.
And that’s in keeping with so much of the unique spirit and character of Columbus. We strive to be a welcoming community whose hometown charm and Hoosier hospitality are accentuated by our surprisingly rich assets. And we boast no greater asset than the talented and diverse people who call Columbus home not by chance, but by choice.
The Mill Race Marathon events are much more than thousands of people running on city streets and trails. They are an outstanding showcase of our community to ourselves and the wider world, whether you’re part of a 5K or just watching and joining in the fun events such as the afterparty on Fourth Street. Proceeds from the marathon benefit the Columbus Parks Foundation and Healthy Communities, and coinciding this year with the exciting Exhibit Columbus events, the 2023 Mill Race offered something new and exciting for everyone.
We applaud the Mill Race Marathon planners and participants for another outstanding event that continues to put our community’s best foot forward.
