July 10, 2023
West Columbia, S.C.– Lexington Medical Center is pleased to be the presenting sponsor of the Run Hard Half Marathon and road races scheduled for November 11, 2023, in Lexington, South Carolina. The event includes a half marathon, 10k and 5k that start and finish at the Lexington County Baseball Stadium, home of the Lexington County Blowfish.
“Lexington Medical Center enjoys sponsoring signature events like these in our communities that promote fitness and a healthy lifestyle,” said Tod Augsburger, president & CEO of Lexington Medical Center. “The Run Hard half marathon and its companion races showcase Lexington County and attract hundreds of runners and walkers across the state.”
Established in 2015, these three road races attract a crowd of approximately 800 participants. In addition to runners, walkers are encouraged to participate in the 5k and 10k.
The half marathon begins at 7:30 a.m. at the stadium, located at 474 Ballpark Road in Lexington. The USATF-certified course winds through several Lexington neighborhoods and features a lengthy downhill stretch of Highway 378. Pacing will be offered for specific finish times. All half marathon finishers receive custom medals. Award categories include overall male and female winners, masters winners and age category winners.
The 10k begins at 7:45 a.m. and offers custom finisher medals. F3 members participating in the 10K have the option of competing in the F3 Challenge, with the fastest team average for the top four finishers winning. For more information on the F3 Challenge, visit the race website at RunHardHalf.org.
The 5k begins at 8:00 a.m. and honors Toby Kirkland, a former Run Hard volunteer, staff member and board member. Kirkland passed away unexpectedly on March 19, 2020. All finishers receive custom medals.
“We are excited to partner with Lexington Medical Center for the 2023 event. Each year we see more and more people cross the finish and continue to live active and healthy lifestyles. Lexington Medical Center will help us continue the tradition of an incredible race experience and positive impact on our community,” said race director Jesse Harmon.
Run Hard will offer a virtual option again this year for individuals who are still not up to race day crowds. Anyone who wants to run any distance can register for the virtual option and receive all the race swag via mail. Register by the online registration deadline. All virtual finishers will receive their race medals and shirts the week after the completion of the event.
Registration must be received on or before October 27, 2023, to guarantee a shirt and proper sizing. Visit RunHardHalf.org to register.
Lexington Medical Center is a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It anchors a health care network that includes five community medical centers and employs a staff of more than 8,000 health care professionals. The hospital is ranked best hospital in the Columbia Metro and #2 hospital in South Carolina by U.S. News & World Report and was named one of the “Best Places to Work in South Carolina” by SC Biz News, in partnership with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce and Best Companies Group. Lexington Medical Cancer Center is an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence and has a clinical research and education affiliation with MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. The network includes a cardiovascular program recognized by the American College of Cardiology as South Carolina's first HeartCARE Center. The network also has an occupational health center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, an Alzheimer's care center and more than 70 physician practices. Lexington Medical Center operates one of the busiest Emergency departments in South Carolina, treating nearly 100,000 patients each year. The hospital delivers more than 4,000 babies each year and performs more than 25,000 surgeries. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies.
