Four WESH 2 team members are lacing up their running shoes to train for the 50th anniversary OUC Orlando Half Marathon, set for Saturday, December 5 at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando. Sanika Dange, Kristen Lago, Lindsey Sablan and Meaghan Mackey make up this year's Team WESH 2, with the station committing to 13 weeks of “Ready for Race Day” training stories leading up to the golden anniversary event.
According to WESH 2, the race weekend includes both a half marathon and a 5K, with the option to tackle the DTO 16.2 Challenge by completing both distances across the weekend. Sablan is among this year's team members, and the OUC Orlando Half Marathon will be broadcast live on WESH 2, WESH.com and the WESH 2 Facebook page. The “Ready for Race Day” training series will air every Wednesday at 9 a.m., 4 p.m., 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. as the anchors document their buildup to race day.
A Milestone Rooted in Orlando's Running History
The December race marks the event's 50th running, according to Track Shack. Track Shack Events, which organizes the race, is led by Jon and Betsy Hughes.
The 50th running will also bring marquee star power: Des Linden is set to appear as a special guest during the race weekend, taking part in appearances and community events. Organizers are pairing that national profile with a competitive boost for elite runners, launching an Athlete Development Program that provides hospitality and a $23,000 total prize purse for up to 30 elite and emerging American distance runners, including dedicated “Fastest Floridian” prize money.
Participation Climbs Ahead of the Golden Anniversary
Interest in the race has been climbing fast. Race participation grew by 24% year-over-year at the December 2025 event, reaching 4,609 participants — including 3,372 half-marathon runners and 1,237 5K runners — with more than 100 OUC utility employees also lacing up, according to the utility's own recap on the OUC blog.
Presenting sponsor Orlando Utilities Commission has backed the half marathon, using the event's four-day footprint to showcase municipal sustainability projects and electric vehicle technology. The race includes sustainability programming, with its pre-race expo and registration hub centered at The Plaza Live in Orlando under zero-waste and conservation programming, per the same OUC account.
New Accessibility Division and Charity Tie-In
For the 50th running, organizers are establishing the race's first-ever Intellectual Impairments Division, expanding the event's adaptive athlete offerings. The initiative is part of the event's expanded adaptive athlete offerings.
The weekend's charitable reach extends beyond the race itself. The Suncoast Credit Union Lake Eola 5K, held on Sunday of race weekend, directly benefits WESH 2's annual “Share Your Christmas” charity food and donation drive, tying the station's on-air running team to a broader community giving campaign that runs each holiday season. The DTO 16.2 Challenge, offered during the 2026 race weekend, gives participants a way to combine both Saturday's half marathon and Sunday's 5K into a single multi-day feat, according to Endurance Sportswire.
