Celebrating 50 years of the wheelchair division and the unforgettable spirit of the world’s most iconic race.
Written by: Stephen Walmsley, Access Consultant
With its first run in 1887 the Boston Athletic Association (B.A.A) Marathon is one of the 6 Abbott World Marathon Majors, soon to be seven with the addition of Sydney, and is the oldest and most prestigious. Entry is primarily through qualification, with a limited number of the 32,000 entries reserved for fundraisers.
I was fortunate enough to have achieved a qualifying time and so, this year was my year.
Coincidentally, it also marked the 50th anniversary of the wheelchair division. Boston was the world’s first major marathon event to include a wheelchair category, and in 2021 became the first Abbott World Marathon Major event to offer equal course record bonuses for open and wheelchair division athletes, at $50,000USD.
Over the last 5 decades, 1,880 wheelchair athletes have crossed the Boston finish line, reaching speeds of up to 50-65km/hr on downhill sections of the course. The wheelchair division is fierce – six races have been decided by less than a second over the 42.2km distance.
This year, 50 wheelchair athletes were entered. By the time my wave and corral were called to the start, they had long since departed, having started earlier alongside the elite runners due to their anticipated speeds. Para-athletes, athletes with vision impairment and open division athletes all rubbed shoulders together on our way to the start. The bond between a vision-impaired runner and their guide never ceases to amaze me – built on trust, rhythm, and shared determination.
When my wave did get underway, the atmosphere was incredible. Held on Patriots’ Day, a public holiday, the entire route from Hopkinton to Boylston Street in downtown Boston was lined with cheering locals. The whole city embraces the marathon weekend, as a wave of humanity flows through the streets, runners from all over the world united by a common challenge; 42.2km.
All marathon festivals have a positive, uplifting atmosphere and hold a special buzz; however, Boston was like no other I had experienced before.
B.A.A. Marathon 2025 Wheelchair Division Podium:
| Male | Time | Female | Time | |
| 1 | Marcel Hug | 1:21:34 | Susannah Scaroni | 1:35:20 |
| 2 | Daniel Romanchuk | 1:25:58 | Catherine Debrunner | 1:37:26 |
| 3 | Jetze Plat | 1:30:16 | Manuela Schar | 1:39:18 |
