Being organized is the hallmark of a great volunteer captain, and one of our best was already mentioned in this newsletter.
Dorit Fratzscher, who coordinates the Dresden/Columbus sister-city program, serves as the Captain of a Fluid Station on the campus of The Ohio State University. Tired and thirsty marathoners find a welcoming, well-organized oasis run by Dorit and her team in the shadow of the OSU Library between mile markers 15 and 16.
Please read the Q & A below and learn more about Dorit! In the above photo, Dorit is pictured left, with volunteers at the Columbus Marathon fluid station.
Name: Dorit Fratzscher
City: Dublin, OH
Job: Bilingual Administrative Assistant at a downtown Columbus law firm; Executive Director of Dresden Sister City, Inc.
Family & Pets: Husband Karsten, daughters Lara (19) and Hannah (16), one dog, (a terrier mix), Penny, and one cat, Pfötchen
Volunteer history/background with the Columbus Marathon: I started collaborating with the Columbus Marathon on an international marathon exchange program with Dresden, Germany in 2012, and have been volunteering as a water stop captain since 2015. You can find me at mile 15.7 on the OSU campus.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering with the event?
The energy! There is this special atmosphere in the air; it feels like a celebration, a culmination of all of the hard work the runners have put into their training, and now they can finally show what they are capable of doing. I also find that runners are the nicest people! I can't believe how many of them manage to say "Thank you for volunteering!" after having run 15 miles!
Do you have any funny stories from your time as a volunteer?
In 2019, one the exchange participants from Dresden, Melanie, had decided to make Columbus her first full marathon, and when she got to our water stop, she was clearly out of steam. She told me she was really hungry, so I gave her my sandwich I had packed for lunch and walked the next half mile with her. She finished the full race!
Why should others volunteer with the Columbus Marathon?
Because it's fun! Besides the engagement with the runners, it is also a great group activity - get your friends and family and volunteer together. And helping others is always rewarding.
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