A loop from downtown Columbus: level start to finish, 481 feet of climbing, and one long climb, to Upper Arlington. Here is the course mile by mile, and how I’d run each stretch.
This year’s forecast: 35°F with a 30°F dew point at the 7:30am start, a combined score of 65. Every race morning since 2000, the forecast six days out and your goal pace adjusted for it are on the Columbus Marathon weather page. For any other forecast, my heat pace calculator does the same math.
Over these 4.2 miles the course climbs 134 feet and drops 50, 84 feet net up. The two climbs: Out of the start from mile 0.0 (+50 feet over 0.6 mi, 1.5%); East Broad Street from mile 0.9 (+43 feet over 0.9 mi, 0.9%).
Columbus climbs gently out of the start, about 80 feet over the first two miles as Broad Street rises toward Bexley. It’s a long, gradual grade, not a hill. Hold your effort steady and let the pace come to you; the first two miles should feel a little slow.
Over these 4.8 miles the course climbs 56 feet and drops 73, 17 feet net down. The climb: Back up to Bexley from mile 5.4 (+48 feet over 1.6 mi, 0.6%).
Bexley and Olde Towne East roll a little, with a short climb back up to Broad Street around mile 6, then a gentle downhill trend to the Livingston Avenue turn. This is the stretch to settle in, take your first gel, and stop checking the watch every block.
Over these 3.9 miles the course climbs 45 feet and drops 74, 29 feet net down.
The new 2026 stretch on Parsons Avenue leads into German Village around Schiller Park, then it’s north on High Street through downtown. It’s flat, and the crowds build again toward halfway in the Arena District. Check in there: if goal pace still feels controlled, you’re on track.
Over these 5.1 miles the course climbs 111 feet and drops 94, 15 feet net up. The climb: Up to Upper Arlington from mile 17.6 (+97 feet over 1.5 mi, 1.2%).
The Short North, Victorian Village and the Ohio State campus come next, then Woody Hayes Drive past Ohio Stadium and down to the Olentangy River, the lowest point of the course. Enjoy the stadium. The drop to the river sets up the hardest part of the race.
Over these 3.1 miles the course climbs 73 feet and drops 43, 33 feet net up.
From the river the course climbs about 100 feet over a mile and a half, up the bike path and North Star Road into Upper Arlington, the high point of the course, and the crowds are at their thinnest here. Shorten your stride, run it by effort and let the pace go. Upper Arlington is flat once you’re up, which gives you time to recover before Grandview.
Over these 5.2 miles the course climbs 61 feet and drops 148, 87 feet net down.
Grandview drops you back toward the river, about 80 feet in under a mile, then the last miles run back through Victorian Village and the Arena District to the finish on Long Street. The drop is welcome, but it’s steep enough to beat up tired quads. Keep your stride short on the way down, then use what’s left on the flat finish.
| Mile | Elevation at the marker | Climb | Drop | Street |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mile 1 | 759 | +53 | −3 | North High Street |
| Mile 2 | 796 | +40 | −4 | East Broad Street |
| Mile 3 | 777 | +5 | −24 | Madison Avenue |
| Mile 4 | 789 | +31 | −19 | East Long Street |
| Mile 5 | 785 | +7 | −11 | South Drexel Avenue |
| Mile 6 | 758 | +5 | −32 | East Main Street |
| Mile 7 | 802 | +47 | −3 | East Broad Street |
| Mile 8 | 795 | +3 | −10 | South Ohio Avenue |
| Mile 9 | 776 | +0 | −18 | South 18th Street |
| Mile 10 | 758 | +0 | −19 | Thurman Avenue |
| Mile 11 | 756 | +6 | −7 | Reinhard Avenue |
| Mile 12 | 764 | +25 | −17 | South High Street |
| Mile 13 | 755 | +22 | −30 | North High Street |
| Mile 14 | 741 | +3 | −18 | Park Street |
| Mile 15 | 752 | +19 | −7 | West 5th Avenue |
| Mile 16 | 755 | +20 | −18 | North Oval Mall |
| Mile 17 | 734 | +18 | −38 | Annie & John Glenn Avenue |
| Mile 18 | 780 | +57 | −11 | Woody Hayes Drive |
| Mile 19 | 834 | +56 | −2 | North Star Road |
| Mile 20 | 821 | +0 | −14 | Waltham Road |
| Mile 21 | 797 | +2 | −26 | King Avenue |
| Mile 22 | 747 | +0 | −55 | Hope Avenue |
| Mile 23 | 732 | +13 | −24 | Bobcat Avenue |
| Mile 24 | 740 | +19 | −9 | West 5th Avenue |
| Mile 25 | 754 | +23 | −9 | Buttles Avenue |
| Mile 26 | 724 | +7 | −39 | North High Street |
| To the finish | 709 | +0 | −13 | West Long Street |
Race week, start to finish: how I’d run the three-week taper, what to take in during the race, how much to slow down in heat and humidity, and what the four weeks after should look like.
A course map tells you where the hills are. It doesn't know your training, how you handle a long climb, or what your legs look like at mile 20. I write every plan by hand and set race-day pacing with each athlete. It starts with a free 20-minute call.
Book a free intro callRace-day weather and heat-adjusted pace: Twin Cities Marathon, Chicago Marathon, Detroit Marathon, Marine Corps Marathon, NYC Marathon, Philadelphia Marathon, California International Marathon, Honolulu Marathon, Houston Marathon, LA Marathon, Boston Marathon, Grandma's Marathon. All race-day weather pages.
RunFitCoach is not affiliated with the Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon or its organizers. Course line © OpenStreetMap contributors. Elevation from the USGS 3D Elevation Program (1 m bare earth), sampled every 50 m and smoothed over 250 m. Bare-earth elevation leaves bridges out, so bridge decks are rebuilt from their ends. Distances are scaled to the certified 42.195 km, so mile marks can sit a little off the course markers. The line is routed street by street through the 2026 course’s turns rather than surveyed, so here that can be up to a quarter mile.
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