October 18, 2024 • 6 mins
Race Director Darris Blackford has all the details on this great event happening Sunday!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Another thing that kind of kicks us off, gets us
into the holiday season. The holiday spirit, the holiday mood,
is the eas the the bunch of people running.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Around down down Columbus.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
The Nationwide Children's Hospital Marathon is coming up this weekend.
As I said before, I lost, something very big and
very scary is behind me. Chances are you'll never ever
see me run twenty six miles. But I envy those
that can. I really do, and uh well, maybe you're
one of those people. Let's find out what's going on
with the marathon this year. Daris Black for joining me
right now in the Legacy Retirement Group dot com phone lines.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Good morning, Darris, are.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
You good morning? Thank you for having me. I was
just gonna mention that I went as a Canadian one
year for Halloween. It's an easy costume because the same
costume as being in Ohioan.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's not really this. You know, put the little tuke
on you remember what they called them tukes?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Oh yeah, and you know, maybe carry a package of
back bacon with you. You're a Canadian show The idea
of running twenty six miles is just completely alien to me.
Did you grow up as a runner, Did you start
running as a teenager and just can't stop. Or is
this something you acquired over the years, maybe later in life,
and said yeah, I'm going to give this a try.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I'm the greatest inspiration ever because I started because I
loved the snack and eat barbecue and I wasn't going
to give them up. And as I started getting older
and getting out of shape, I'm like, well, hey, I'm
going to try this because I am not giving up
my snacks.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You are my soulmate.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So I actually, you know, when I started dropping weight
a couple of years ago, two of my doctors encouraged me.
They say, you should do it, just run the half marathon.
I'm like, you don't understand. Just I enjoy sofas and
snack foods way too much to do it. But you
get a great turnout for this every year. Are are
you expecting that to stay about the same or maybe
even more participation this year?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
So this is again another year of growth ever since
the pandemic, Each year we've grown, I don't know twenty
or so percent will be at we have more than
thirteen thousand people in the marathon and half marathon, and
you know we're reaching the point back to where we
want to be. We used to be even larger. We
had eighteen thousand one year out there on the streets,
(02:11):
which is too many. Just the quality of the event,
you start to get just the streets get too crowded.
I'll give you an example. The Chicago Marathon was on
Sunday this past Sunday. We had fifty thousand people and
it took the last person two hours across the start line.
That's not a good experience. So you know, in that
fifteen thousand or so range, it's our sweet spot. Allows
(02:34):
us to offer great service and a great event, also
keep people safe and just just do what we need
to do to make it keep Columbus great in terms.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Of the event, two hours does pass the start line
is yeah, you're right, that's just nuts.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Daris Blackford's with me right now on the legs. Hereativangroup
dot com, phone lunch.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
He's the director of the nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon
and the half marathon, which if you're too chicken to
do twenty six miles you can try for the thirteenth and.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
So it's a big accomplishment.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, well it's a big accomplishment, yes, But if you're
you're not motivated enough to try for twenty six I'm
trying to sell some people in the thirteen idea. That's
good the the you know, and if you you got
to think of this sports wise. Okay, So if you
don't want eighteen thousand, let's shoot for twenty five thousand
and have a race one and race two and then
(03:25):
we can have you know, the winner of race one
go against the winner of race two as beating like
the golden foot champion of Central Ohio or something.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
You know, you're always thinking, that's what that's what we
love about you.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
The wheels are turning, man, the wheels are turning pleasant
benefits Nationwide Children's Hospital. And as I said, I'm a dad,
I'm a granddad, and I have been in that building many,
many many times for many many reasons, and I appreciate
them being there in Central Ohio and what they do.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
So, you know, and actually that's probably the best part
of it all. With that partnership we started in twenty twelve,
it really changed the event for the community. It became
not just you know, as you opened up, not just
a bunch of crazy runners and walkers out on the streets,
but really people motivated to help the hospital. We've raised
thirteen million dollars in that time, and it's just to
(04:09):
your point, it's such a great community asset that we
just want to continue to help. They help kids from
around the world, but particularly here. It's just a wonderful,
wonderful thing that they do. Each year. We have kids
out on the course that every mile out there, people
runners and walkers can celebrate them and get motivated back
from the kids and it's just a great, just a
(04:29):
great synergy that we've been able to put together, and.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
The corporates come to the table on this thing too.
I don't know if you still need any volunteers, any
help out there, but I want to let people know
White Castle, those in one hundred thousand cups because you've
got to grab the water when you're running the marathon.
And you got the one hundred thousand plus cups of
lemon lime Gatorade. The Gatorade people thank you for that. Yeah,
you've got what nine thousand bananas?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Really? Is that for cramping? The potassium? Is that what that?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah? Mostly, and just you know, afterwards, people like to
have something to kind of a little bit lighter if
they're you know, their energy a little bit low to
Potassi and all that. But you know, we we just
we just try to make it as complete as we
can for those folks who've spent money and have come
to our town or our local and doing this event
to just go home and say, hey, that was a
good event. I want to do it again. That's what
(05:17):
we really work hard on.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Do you need anything, Do you still need volunteers, people
to you know, man the course, point, the hold water whatever.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
You know, we're really pretty much said, I mean people
at this point of volunteer registration closed a couple of
days ago, and really there at that point it kind
of becomes a security issue because we have to put
them through a whole whole rigamar role to make sure
that everybody out there is who who they say they
are and who again it's security and safety are a big,
big thing. We don't want to get into it to
(05:46):
make people scared, but when you've got tens of thousands
of people in the same location, you always want to
make sure that safety and security are number one. Columbus
Police COMUS Fire Arlington and grand View and OSU and Bexley,
the police some fire in all those communities. They are
so great to work with because they understand that this
(06:07):
thing is just like a giant parade for twenty six miles,
and they work hard to keep everybody safe and secure
and just looking out for us. We're just we're so thankful.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Anybody wants to know more or maybe find out how
to be a spectator or any of that kind of stuff.
Is their website, Facebook page, anything like that.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Absolutely, both of those, But Columbus Marathon dot com shows
you all the info. We're on Facebook as well, and yeah,
just come down, you pop out of your house, if
you're on the course, say cheer those runners. You'll be
motivated even to just have a good day. You know,
it's hard to be angry when you see people smiling
and having fun and you see those little kids out there.
It's a pretty good, pretty good feeling.
Another thing that kind of kicks us off, gets us
into the holiday season. The holiday spirit, the holiday mood,
is the eas the the bunch of people running.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
Around down down Columbus.
Speaker 1 (00:09):
The Nationwide Children's Hospital Marathon is coming up this weekend.
As I said before, I lost, something very big and
very scary is behind me. Chances are you'll never ever
see me run twenty six miles. But I envy those
that can. I really do, and uh well, maybe you're
one of those people. Let's find out what's going on
with the marathon this year. Daris Black for joining me
right now in the Legacy Retirement Group dot com phone lines.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
Good morning, Darris, are.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
You good morning? Thank you for having me. I was
just gonna mention that I went as a Canadian one
year for Halloween. It's an easy costume because the same
costume as being in Ohioan.
Speaker 2 (00:44):
It's not really this. You know, put the little tuke
on you remember what they called them tukes?
Speaker 1 (00:51):
Oh yeah, and you know, maybe carry a package of
back bacon with you. You're a Canadian show The idea
of running twenty six miles is just completely alien to me.
Did you grow up as a runner, Did you start
running as a teenager and just can't stop. Or is
this something you acquired over the years, maybe later in life,
and said yeah, I'm going to give this a try.
Speaker 3 (01:12):
I'm the greatest inspiration ever because I started because I
loved the snack and eat barbecue and I wasn't going
to give them up. And as I started getting older
and getting out of shape, I'm like, well, hey, I'm
going to try this because I am not giving up
my snacks.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
You are my soulmate.
Speaker 1 (01:29):
So I actually, you know, when I started dropping weight
a couple of years ago, two of my doctors encouraged me.
They say, you should do it, just run the half marathon.
I'm like, you don't understand. Just I enjoy sofas and
snack foods way too much to do it. But you
get a great turnout for this every year. Are are
you expecting that to stay about the same or maybe
even more participation this year?
Speaker 3 (01:51):
So this is again another year of growth ever since
the pandemic, Each year we've grown, I don't know twenty
or so percent will be at we have more than
thirteen thousand people in the marathon and half marathon, and
you know we're reaching the point back to where we
want to be. We used to be even larger. We
had eighteen thousand one year out there on the streets,
(02:11):
which is too many. Just the quality of the event,
you start to get just the streets get too crowded.
I'll give you an example. The Chicago Marathon was on
Sunday this past Sunday. We had fifty thousand people and
it took the last person two hours across the start line.
That's not a good experience. So you know, in that
fifteen thousand or so range, it's our sweet spot. Allows
(02:34):
us to offer great service and a great event, also
keep people safe and just just do what we need
to do to make it keep Columbus great in terms.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
Of the event, two hours does pass the start line
is yeah, you're right, that's just nuts.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Daris Blackford's with me right now on the legs. Hereativangroup
dot com, phone lunch.
Speaker 1 (02:51):
He's the director of the nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon
and the half marathon, which if you're too chicken to
do twenty six miles you can try for the thirteenth and.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
So it's a big accomplishment.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Yeah, well it's a big accomplishment, yes, But if you're
you're not motivated enough to try for twenty six I'm
trying to sell some people in the thirteen idea. That's
good the the you know, and if you you got
to think of this sports wise. Okay, So if you
don't want eighteen thousand, let's shoot for twenty five thousand
and have a race one and race two and then
(03:25):
we can have you know, the winner of race one
go against the winner of race two as beating like
the golden foot champion of Central Ohio or something.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
You know, you're always thinking, that's what that's what we
love about you.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
The wheels are turning, man, the wheels are turning pleasant
benefits Nationwide Children's Hospital. And as I said, I'm a dad,
I'm a granddad, and I have been in that building many,
many many times for many many reasons, and I appreciate
them being there in Central Ohio and what they do.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
So, you know, and actually that's probably the best part
of it all. With that partnership we started in twenty twelve,
it really changed the event for the community. It became
not just you know, as you opened up, not just
a bunch of crazy runners and walkers out on the streets,
but really people motivated to help the hospital. We've raised
thirteen million dollars in that time, and it's just to
(04:09):
your point, it's such a great community asset that we
just want to continue to help. They help kids from
around the world, but particularly here. It's just a wonderful,
wonderful thing that they do. Each year. We have kids
out on the course that every mile out there, people
runners and walkers can celebrate them and get motivated back
from the kids and it's just a great, just a
(04:29):
great synergy that we've been able to put together, and.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
The corporates come to the table on this thing too.
I don't know if you still need any volunteers, any
help out there, but I want to let people know
White Castle, those in one hundred thousand cups because you've
got to grab the water when you're running the marathon.
And you got the one hundred thousand plus cups of
lemon lime Gatorade. The Gatorade people thank you for that. Yeah,
you've got what nine thousand bananas?
Speaker 2 (04:53):
Really? Is that for cramping? The potassium? Is that what that?
Speaker 3 (04:57):
Yeah? Mostly, and just you know, afterwards, people like to
have something to kind of a little bit lighter if
they're you know, their energy a little bit low to
Potassi and all that. But you know, we we just
we just try to make it as complete as we
can for those folks who've spent money and have come
to our town or our local and doing this event
to just go home and say, hey, that was a
good event. I want to do it again. That's what
(05:17):
we really work hard on.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
Do you need anything, Do you still need volunteers, people
to you know, man the course, point, the hold water whatever.
Speaker 3 (05:26):
You know, we're really pretty much said, I mean people
at this point of volunteer registration closed a couple of
days ago, and really there at that point it kind
of becomes a security issue because we have to put
them through a whole whole rigamar role to make sure
that everybody out there is who who they say they
are and who again it's security and safety are a big,
big thing. We don't want to get into it to
(05:46):
make people scared, but when you've got tens of thousands
of people in the same location, you always want to
make sure that safety and security are number one. Columbus
Police COMUS Fire Arlington and grand View and OSU and Bexley,
the police some fire in all those communities. They are
so great to work with because they understand that this
(06:07):
thing is just like a giant parade for twenty six miles,
and they work hard to keep everybody safe and secure
and just looking out for us. We're just we're so thankful.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Anybody wants to know more or maybe find out how
to be a spectator or any of that kind of stuff.
Is their website, Facebook page, anything like that.
Speaker 3 (06:23):
Absolutely, both of those, But Columbus Marathon dot com shows
you all the info. We're on Facebook as well, and yeah,
just come down, you pop out of your house, if
you're on the course, say cheer those runners. You'll be
motivated even to just have a good day. You know,
it's hard to be angry when you see people smiling
and having fun and you see those little kids out there.
It's a pretty good, pretty good feeling.
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