Record Number of Athletes with Disabilities Conquer the NYC Marathon
More than 300 athletes with disabilities and their volunteer guides from around the world came to New York City to take on the 2025 TCS New York City Marathon on November 2, 2025.
Despite bad weather and travel delays, a record number of Achilles athletes from around the world made the journey to the Big Apple to take on this race, marking one of our largest fields yet.
The weekend opened with the annual Achilles welcome dinner at the iconic Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, this year which landed on Halloween. Athletes connected with teammates and enjoyed a pre-race pasta dinner while donning spooky costumes and enjoying fun photo props and festive treats.
Richard Whitehead, Paralympic gold medalist, Achilles Freedom Team mentor and longtime supporter who went on to complete his 100th marathon that weekend, shared words of wisdom to the entire Achilles team. His top tip for first time marathoners? “Enjoy it!”
That same night, Achilles was featured on CBS News, where Achilles President and CEO Emily Glasser was joined by Achilles NYC Metro Region Director Francesco Magisano to discuss Achilles’ mission and participation in the race.
On Saturday morning, Achilles NYC held a shakeout run in Central Park. Television personality Nev Schulman joined the run and raced as a guide for the third consecutive year.
Achilles Freedom Team veteran Freddie de los Santos took first place in the men’s handcycle division. Teammates Anthony Robinson and Ricardo Corral finished together, tied for second place.
Athletes represented many countries on the race course, including Juan Pablo Dos Santos from Venezuela, a double leg amputee and first time marathon runner who was celebrated as this year’s final finisher.
Also among the first-time marathoners was Andy Sostak of Achilles South Africa, who completed the race 24 years to the day after a car accident that left her using a wheelchair. “It’s just surreal. I can’t believe I actually crossed the finish line,” Sostak said. “There were times it was incredibly hard, but I don’t think I stopped smiling for five hours.”
Achilles is grateful to our 113 Team Achilles charity runners who raised over $637,000 to support athletes with disabilities. We congratulate the entire Achilles community on a strong performance and a great end to the fall race season.
