Feature photo courtesy of Nationwide Children's Hospital Columbus Marathon
Were you waiting to sign up for the 2025 Columbus Marathon? Well, it’s too late. This year’s race is officially sold out.
As I’ve written before, we’re seeing marathons sell out more frequently and earlier than they have in the past. When I wrote that analysis, I noted that Columbus was on the verge of selling out.
Columbus is a good example of a race that was more popular back in the day, but it faded a bit as the previous running boom subsided. In the years leading up to COVID, it was not a regular sellout.
But over the past few years, it has found its footing again and sold out every year. Despite increasing capacity year over year, it continues to fill up its field over a month before race day.
Here’s a quick round up of information about when the Columbus Marathon has sold out in the past, how the number of finishers is trending, and some thoughts from the race director.
When Has the Columbus Marathon Sold Out In the Past?
In 2019, the Columbus Marathon was not a sold out event. That year saw a slight bump in participation as a result of it being the 40th anniversary of the race. But it hadn’t been sold out since its peak in 2013-2014.
When the race returned from COVID, the field size was reduced. But each year, the race reached capacity. And each year, after selling out, that capacity was increased for the following year.
| Year | Sellout Date | Race Date | Days Before Race |
| 2019 | – | 10/20/2019 | – |
| 2022 | 09/30/2022 | 10/16/2022 | 16 |
| 2023 | 09/05/2023 | 10/15/2023 | 40 |
| 2024 | 08/31/2024 | 10/20/2024 | 50 |
| 2025 | 09/05/2025 | 10/19/2025 | 44 |
The table above shows the specific dates when the full marathon sold out. In the last three years, it’s consistently been at the beginning of September or the end of August – about 40-50 days before the race. Despite accommodating more registrants each year, the race has continued to sell out at the same pace.
This year’s race sold out on September 5, 2025 – and they anticipate having even more finishers than last year.
How Big Is the Columbus Marathon?
When you look at the history of the Columbus Marathon, it used to be much bigger. From 2012-2014, the race had over 5,000 finishers.
2014 was a peak year for the entire sport. As with many other races, the Columbus Marathon started to fade after that point. From 2015 to 2019, the number of finishers shrank pretty consistently. The graph below follows a trajectory similar to that of Philly.
After COVID, the race returned with a drastically reduced field size in 2021. But it increased each year since, and last year was the biggest year since 2016.
I reached out to the Columbus Marathon to see if they had continued to increase capacity this year. They confirmed that this race would be bigger than last year, with over 5,000 registrants. After you take into account runners who flake out or don’t finish, we should expect to see 4,000 or more finishers.
The race director, Darris Blackford, also noted that there are over 10,000 registrants for the half marathon. The way the event is set up, both races begin together and cover the same course for the first twelve miles or so. With 15,000 runners sharing the streets, the event is more or less at it’s logistical capacity.
According to Blackford, “Too big of a race and the quality suffers – and we strive for being the best event, not the biggest.”
That’s a refreshing take, given how some other races have seemingly grown beyond their capacity to deliver a safe, enjoyable, and well-supported experience.
It’s unlikely the registration cap will increase much further in the years to come. But for this October – expect to see some additional marathon finishers. If this trend persists at other races throughout the fall, it’ll be a sign that the 2027 Boston Marathon cutoff time could be even more competitive than this year.
What’s Driving Interest in the Columbus Marathon?
While races of all sorts share in the fact that they are seeing increasing levels of interest and participation, each marathon is a unique event. So I asked if there were any particular dynamics driving the growth in Columbus.
Blackford noted that in the past decade, women have made up a big share of the growth. Although in the full marathon, just under 40% of the field has been female in the last few years, women make up almost two thirds of the half marathon field.
He also singled out the 25-29 year age group as one that has seen particular growth. Last year, nearly 40% of the field was under 30. Previously, they only made up about 30%. On the flip side, the relative share of runners in their 40’s and 50’s is now slightly lower. This is in line with this analysis of results from 2024, that showed a particular surge among young runners nationwide.
Finally, he said the race is always popular with first timers – who typically make up 40% to 50% of the field.
If you were hoping to make the Columbus Marathon your first 26.2 mile race in 2025 – you may be too late. But there’s still time to register for the half marathon.