Columbus Marathon Mile Champions Highlight Patient Stories of Recovery Along Course

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Runners in Sunday's Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon will pass 24 patients and former patients stationed along the course, each representing a mile and a story of medical treatment and recovery.

The Marathon Mile Champions program, in its 15th year, pairs the race with Nationwide Children's Hospital. Ten of this year's 24 champions are from central Ohio. Two of them are Hayden Laycock, 18, and Quentin Halsey, 9.

Laycock has been a patient at the hospital since before birth. A cardiologist diagnosed him with a congenital heart block at 21 weeks of gestation. He was delivered by emergency cesarean section nine weeks later and received his first pacemaker at four days old.

He is now a senior at Grandview Heights High School. He plays on the school volleyball team, participates in theater and competes in the school's e-sports program.

His mother, Sabrina Laycock, said she initially received a prognosis of zero chance of survival from another specialist. After seeking a second opinion at Nationwide Children's, she said the staff offered a different message.

"They didn't give me false hope, but they gave me hope that as long as his heart kept beating, we would keep fighting for him," she said.

Halsey was diagnosed with Burkitt leukemia on Halloween 2021 after his mother, Lindsey Halsey, noticed a fever and later a lump under his ear. He was four years old. The cancer is aggressive, and he began chemotherapy immediately after a port was placed at Nationwide Children's.

Nearly five years later, he is in the maintenance phase of treatment. He is active, enjoys Pokémon, building Lego sets and mountain biking with his family.

Lindsey Halsey ran the Columbus Half Marathon a month before her son's diagnosis and again the following year, about six months after his port was removed. She described the second race as emotional and a full-circle experience. She also encountered her son's primary oncologist, Dr. Anthony Audino, at the finish line in 2022 while wearing a shirt thanking the 12th-floor staff for saving her son.

The partnership between the Columbus Marathon and Nationwide Children's Hospital began in 2012. The race has raised more than $15 million for the hospital through athlete fundraising, corporate donations and contributions from the race board. More than 15,000 runners registered for the sold-out 2026 event, which starts at North Bank Park.

Race director Darris Blackford has led the event for 17 years. He said the champions affect participants who may be struggling during the race.

"You really think when you're running or walking, I am doing this for fun, even though maybe I'm hurting at this moment, but those kids are going through real life challenges," Blackford said. "And if I'm struggling at mile 22 of a marathon, well, boo-hoo, that kid is going through some real hard stuff. I can get through this challenge."

The 26.2-mile course assigns 24 miles to current or former patients, one remembrance mile for children who have died and one alumni mile for past champions. Patients and families stand along the route to cheer runners.

Laycock said he hopes his presence will motivate participants.

"If I can do all of this and be so active and play sports and have long, long days – and I don't have part of my heart – you better be able to, all right?" he said. "Just keep going. The other side is there, absolutely. Trust me."

The marathon and half marathon begin at 7:30 a.m. Sunday. A wheelchair division starts at 7:25 a.m. The course passes downtown landmarks, the Ohio Statehouse, Nationwide Children's Hospital, German Village, Bexley, Upper Arlington, Grandview Heights and the Ohio State University campus. A new stretch along Parsons Avenue to Thurman Avenue was added this year.

The hospital treats patients regardless of ability to pay. Funds from the race support research and care. Steve Testa, president of the Nationwide Children's Hospital Foundation, has said every dollar raised supports patients and families who rely on the hospital.

The Columbus Marathon has run nearly every year since 1980. The Mile Champions feature was added after the 2012 partnership. Race organizers describe the event as America's most meaningful race because of the patient stories placed along the course.

Participants include athletes from 49 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico and 15 countries, plus 165 elite runners competing for a prize purse. Approximately 100,000 spectators are expected. Nearly 100 bands and entertainers are scheduled along the route.

Halsey's diagnosis came quickly after a persistent fever. The Halsey family said the speed of treatment at Nationwide Children's was critical. Burkitt leukemia requires prompt chemotherapy because of its aggressive nature.

Laycock's medical history includes multiple interventions beginning in infancy. He continues regular care at the hospital while attending school and participating in extracurricular activities.

Both families said the decision to feature the patients along the course allows runners to connect their own effort to the children's experiences. Organizers place the champions at mile markers so participants encounter their stories throughout the race.

The 2026 event marks the 15th year of the title sponsorship. The partnership was extended for at least two more years earlier this year. In 2025, the race raised a record $1.4 million for the hospital. Organizers have said they expect to exceed that total this year based on early fundraising.

Runners who fundraise as Children's Champions average more than $500,000 collectively for the hospital each year, according to race materials. Individual participants set personal goals; one recent fundraiser aimed for $5,000 in memory of a child who died of a rare immune disorder.

The course is designed with minimal elevation change. It begins and ends at North Bank Park at 311 W. Long St. Corrals open at 6 a.m.

Hospital staff, including oncologists and cardiologists who treat the champions, have participated in past races. Audino has run the half marathon in previous years.

Sabrina Laycock said the second opinion at Nationwide Children's changed the family's outlook. The initial specialist's prognosis left little room for hope; the hospital team focused on continuing care as long as the heart continued to function.

Lindsey Halsey said seeing her son's progress from diagnosis through treatment to the maintenance phase made the return to the half-marathon course meaningful. The shirt she wore in 2022 remains a personal marker of the experience.

Organizers say the Mile Champions program is intended to give participants a concrete reminder of why the race raises money. Blackford has described the effect as putting the runners' temporary discomfort in perspective against the children's ongoing medical journeys.

The event also includes a Jesse Owens 5K, a 1-mile race and a kids' run on the surrounding weekend. More than 3,000 volunteers support the races. Approximately 60,000 people attend the health and fitness expo.

No major changes to the Mile Champions format were announced for 2026. The hospital continues to select patients who represent a range of conditions and recovery stages. Families volunteer to stand at their assigned miles and interact with participants.

The Columbus Dispatch profiled the two central Ohio champions as part of its partnership with the Center for HumanKindness at the Columbus Foundation. The newspaper retains editorial control over the content. Suggestions for future profiles can be sent to [email protected].

Race results and further participant information will be available after the Sunday start. The hospital and race organizers have not released a full list of all 24 champions beyond the two featured in local reporting.