Jan 18, 2012 at 09:50 PM
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Insurance Co. Gifts Marathon Title To Children's Hospital

Columbus, Ohio-based Nationwide Insurance has elected to give up its title sponsorship of the Nationwide Insurance Columbus Marathon by making Nationwide Children’s Hospital the title beneficiary of the annual running and walking event. For the next three years, the event will be called the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon & ½ Marathon. Nationwide will pay for the title sponsorship under the new agreement, which takes effect immediately.


Nationwide Insurance remains as one of the event’s lead sponsors and will continue providing corporate support. Nationwide Insurance has been a key sponsor of the Marathon since the event’s inception in 1980.

“We are excited about this transition as we continue our involvement with the newly named Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon and 1/2 Marathon,” said Chad Jester, Vice President, Corporate Citizenship, Nationwide Insurance. “The annual running and walking event has become nationally renowned and showcases tens of thousands of people who participate as athletes, volunteers and spectators. We see the engagement with the hospital as another great opportunity for the entire community to further support the life-saving work undertaken at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.”

“Adding Nationwide Children’s Hospital as our title beneficiary significantly increases the positive impact our event has on the entire community,” Bill Burns, Chairman of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Marathon Board of Trustees, said. “We could not ask for a better corporate partner than Nationwide Insurance, as they have stood with us since day one. The sky is the limit in terms of how this powerful collaboration will benefit the participants, volunteers and sponsors, and the entire Columbus community, and of course, what it can mean for the hospital.”

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