When Alison Hile cheered for her twin sister at the Columbus Marathon on Oct. 18, she was also supporting the hospital that has cared for her since childhood.
Hile, 25, has cystic fibrosis and still receives care at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. In 2012, she became the race’s first patient champion− helping launch a tradition that puts patients and their families along the course to encourage runners.
"There’s not a dull part of this race whatsoever," Hile said.
For her, the encouragement runners receive reflects the support that has carried her through her own illness.
"I would not be able to be where I’m at today without the support of my doctors, nurses, support staff, my family, my friends,” said Hile, whose mother, Jill Hile, is vice chair
of the Columbus Marathon.
That connection brought families to the sidelines Oct. 18 for the 46th Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon and 20th half-marathon.
More than 15,000 athletes from 49 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 15 countries participated, according to organizers. More than 1,700 volunteers helped make the event possible, with more than 40 bands, DJs and other entertainers supporting runners along the way.
Who won the Columbus Marathon?
Nick Doud of Bloomington, Illinois, won the men’s marathon in 2:15:08. Ashton Swinford of Hudson, Ohio, won the women’s marathon in 2:38:05.
Doud said he has been training since the summer for the Columbus Marathon, and he is preparing for the Marathon Project in Arizona in December.
The patients honored at each mile marker helped keep him motivated throughout the 26.2-mile course, he said. He described the weather as beautiful, though the final miles tested his legs.
"Everyone says the race starts at mile 20. They’re not wrong," Doud said. "About two miles into mile 20 is when my legs started to feel like jelly."
Who won the Columbus half-marathon?
Colbi Borland of Sunbury, Ohio, won the women’s half-marathon in 1:12:35. James Quattlebaum of Greenville, South Carolina, won the men’s race in 1:01:30.
Asked what was going through her mind during the race, Borland had a straightforward answer.
"I was like, 'Don’t screw this up,'" she said.
Borland said this was her first half-marathon and credited her father, who also serves as her coach.
Families cheer for loved ones and the hospital that helped them
For Emily Blevins, 31, of Lancaster, the Oct. 18 race offered a way to support Nationwide Children’s Hospital after the loss of her child.
Her family’s hospital stay in May left her grateful for everyone involved in their care, from the employees who cleaned their room to the physicians and respiratory therapy staff.
"They were all amazing, and just a good, good place to support," Blevins said.
Her husband, sisters-in-law, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends were running. The family was raising money for genetic research, she said.
Others came to celebrate a loved one’s newest challenge.
Morgan Minner, 24, traveled from Canton to cheer for her boyfriend in his second half-marathon and his first in Columbus.
"The atmosphere is always so much fun," she said.
For Hile, a first-grade teacher who also teaches dance, supporting children has become part of everyday life. She said seeing a child who appears happy does not necessarily reveal the health challenges they face.
That was true of her own childhood.
"I always looked happy. I was always optimistic, but deep down inside, this is a hard-fought battle going on," she said.
She has not run the race herself, though she hopes to someday. For now, she returns to support the runners and the patients who give them a reason to keep going.
Patients give meaning to the miles
Organizers said this year’s course featured 24 Marathon Mile Champions whose stories help inspire participants.
A Remembrance Mile honors patients who have died, while an Encore Mile recognizes more than 290 patients who lined the course from 2012 through 2025.
Another 986 participants, known as Children’s Champions, were raising money for Nationwide Children’s through the event, according to organizers.
For Hile, those connections bring together people running for themselves, in support of someone else or in a loved one’s memory.
Whatever their reason for coming, she said, the race unites them.
Trending reporter Amani Bayo can be reached at abayo@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who won the 2026 Columbus Marathon? See full and half-marathon winners
