NYRR's Ongoing Commitment to Disability Inclusion and Accessibility for All
As we celebrate Disability Pride Month this July, New York Road Runners continues our commitment to ensuring that our programs, events, activities, and services are accessible to all, in accordance with New York City, New York State, and U.S. federal law.
A History of Advocacy and Support for Athletes with Disabilities
We have a long history of inclusion of athletes with disabilities (AWDs) in our races and programs. Highlights of this history include:
1976 – Dick Traum becomes the first known amputee athlete to complete a marathon when he runs the New York City Marathon in 7:24.
1983 – Traum founds Achilles Track Club (now Achilles International), an organization with a mission to break down barriers to race start lines and empower the disability community to cross the finish line.
2000 – The New York City Marathon includes a professional wheelchair division for the first time, with Kamel Ayari of Tunisia and Anh Nguyen Thi Xuan of Vietnam winning the men's and women’s races, respectively.
2003 – The first Achilles Hope & Possibility race is held in Central Park. The 24th annual Achilles Hope & Possibility 4M Presented by TD took place June 28, 2026.
2014 – The United Airlines NYC Half features its first professional wheelchair division.
2016 – NYRR launches the free Rising New York Road Runners Wheelchair Training Program for youth.
2018 – The NYRR New York Mini 10K features the world’s first women’s wheelchair division 10K, won by Susannah Scaroni; a wheelchair division is added to the Rising New York Road Runners at the NYRR New York Mini 10K youth race in 2019.
2022 – New York Road Runners hires its first-ever director of disability inclusion and accessibility to serve as a key liaison across the organization, assisting with strategic planning for programs, services, facilities, policies, and procedures relating to opportunities for persons with disabilities that go beyond compliance with federal and state law. The Disability Inclusion and Accessibility team supports NYRR's ongoing work to develop policies and initiatives to allow as many people as possible to participate in and be part of the organization.
The 2022 TCS New York City Marathon offers dedicated lactation spaces that provide pumping accommodations and amenities at the start, course, and finish, with breast pumps available to give participants easy options for pumping and personal breast pumps transported from the start to the finish. These initiatives further support nursing parents and elevate the lactation experience, with the aim to remove barriers to full participation. They are the first of their kind among the Abbott World Marathon Majors events and have since been expanded to select other NYRR races.
2023–2024 – NYRR expands its efforts toward disability inclusion to further comply with city, state, and federal mandates. Learn more here.
Kayleigh Williamson becomes the first woman with Down syndrome to complete a major marathon when she finishes the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon. She runs again in 2024.
2024 – NYRR creates a cross-functional accessibility team that works to review accessibility matters from external stakeholders in accordance with New York City, New York State, and U.S. federal law.
A Sensory Space is included at the start of the TCS New York City Marathon, United Airlines NYC Half, and RBC Brooklyn Half, designed for all participants, including those with sensory sensitivities, and provides a low-stimulation environment to relax, recharge, and refocus before taking on a race.
2026 – The TCS New York City Marathon introduces para athletic categories. In addition to the pushrim wheelchair division, handcycle and duo team exhibitions, and ambulatory (participating on foot) category, NYRR has expanded its ambulatory AWD categories for the 2026 TCS New York City Marathon to include the following:
- Low Vision and Blind
- Intellectual and Developmental Disability
- Co-ordination Difficulties / Hypertonia / Ataxia / Athetosis
- Lower Limb Disability
- Upper Limb Disability
Learn more here.
NYRR will continue to build toward an inclusive future for athletes with disabilities.