Marla Runyan

Marla Runyan

Personal information
Full name	Marla Lee Runyan
National team	United States
Born	January 4, 1969 (1969-01-04) (age 56) Santa Maria, California, U.S.
Alma mater	San Diego State University
Height	5 ft 7 in (170 cm)
Spouse	Matt Longergan
Sport
Coached by	Matt Lonergan
Achievements and titles
Olympic finals	2000 Sydney 1500m
World finals	1999 Seville 1500m
Medal record Women's athletics (track and field) Representing the   United States Paralympic Games 1992 Barcelona 100 m B3 1992 Barcelona 200 m B3 1992 Barcelona 400 m B3 1992 Barcelona Long Jump B3 1996 Atlanta Pentathlon P10-12 1996 Atlanta Shot Put F12 Pan American Games 1999 Winnipeg 1500 m

Marla Lee Runyan (married name Lonergan; ^[1] born January 4, 1969) is an American track and field athlete, road runner, and cyclist who is legally blind. She is a six-time Paralympic medalist in track and field, two-time Olympian in track and field, and Paralympian in para-cycling. She was the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics and is the only American to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics. ^[2]

Runyan's accomplishments include three back-to-back national titles in the 5,000 meters and top American finishes at multiple World Marathon Majors. She formerly held the American records in the 800m event of the heptathlon and 20k road race, as well as the highest American woman finish in the 1500 meters at the Olympics. She currently holds numerous para-athletics world and national records in sprint, long distance, and field events.

Early life and education

Runyan was born in Santa Maria, California. After graduating from Camarillo High School in 1987, she went on to study at San Diego State University, where she began competing in several sporting events: the heptathlon, 200-meter dash, high jump, shot put, 100-meter hurdles, long jump, javelin throw and the 800-meter run. In 1994 she received her master's degree in Education of Deafblind Children. In 2025, Runyan earned a Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University Law School. ^[3]

Career

1992: Paralympics

Runyan won four gold medals at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in the long jump and the 100, 200, and 400 meter races. ^[4] She also placed fifth in the mixed road tandem open cycling event. ^[5]

1996: Olympic Trials and Paralympics

She attempted to qualify for the Olympics at the 1996 U. S. Olympic Trials, finishing 10th in the Heptathlon. While failing to qualify, she ran the 800 meters in 2:04.60, a heptathlon-800m American record. ^[6]

At the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, she took silver in the shot put and gold in the pentathlon. ^[4]

1999: Pan American Games and World Championships

Her career as a world-class runner in able-bodied events began at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, where she won Gold in the 1,500-meter race and was ranked second in the United States in that event in 1999 by Track and Field News.

She placed 10th in the 1,500-meter race at the 1999 World Championships in Athletics.

2000: National indoor title and Olympics

She won 3,000-meter race at the 2000 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships. ^[7]

She placed eighth in the 1,500-meter in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, making Runyan the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics and the highest finish by an American woman in that event.

2001-2004: National titles, Olympics, and marathon success

5,000 meters

Runyan won the 5,000-meter race at the 2001 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, 2002 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, and 2003 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. She competed in the first round of the 5,000-meter run at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics. Runyan qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in the 5,000-meter by finishing second in the United States Olympic Trials (track and field).

Road running

Runyan set the American record in the 20K road race in 2003. ^[8] She also won the national road 10k championship in 2002 and the national road 5k championship in 2002, 2003, and 2004.

Marathon

Runyan finished fifth as the top American at the 2002 New York City Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds to post the second-fastest debut time ever by an American woman.

"I just think it's pretty brave, Marla's very tough, really gutsy. She's been fighting all of her life, and it comes out in her running."

—  Colleen De Reuck, Marathoner ^[9]

She also had the top American finishes at the 2003 Boston Marathon and 2004 Chicago Marathon. She did not finish the 2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships. ^[7]

2006: Continued national success

Runyan was the 2006 20k road champion and USATF Running Circuit Champion. ^{[10] [11]}

Awards and recognition

She was the USATF "Runner of the Year" in 2002 and 2006. ^[12]

Records and personal bests

The following table reflects Runyan's personal bests (PB), national records (NR), and world records (WR) in para and non-para athletics competition. These results may differ in each category due to different certification requirements for para and non-para records. ^{[7] [13] [14]}

Records and Personal Bests

Surface	Event	Result	Year	Type of record
Outdoor	High jump	1.80m	1995	Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
	Long jump	5.88m	1995	Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
	Javelin	35.62m	1996	Para Athletics T13 NR
	Pentathlon	3,661 pts	1996	Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
	Heptathlon - 800m	2:04.70	1996	Former NR [6]
	100 m hurdles	13.59*	1996	PB, not legal due to wind
	200 m	24.45	1995	Para Athletics T13 NR
	400 m	54.46	1996	Para Athletics T13 NR, former Para Athletics T13 WR
	800 m	2:03.18	1999	Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
	1500 m	4:05.27	1999	Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
		4:02.97	2002	PB
	Mile	4:43.90	2001	PB
	3000 m	8:39.36	2002	PB
	5000 m	15:07.19	1999	Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
		14:59.20	2004	PB
	10,000 m	32:11.92	2006	PN
Road	5K	15:24	2000	PB
	10K	31:46	2002	PB
	15K	48.43	2003	PB
	10-mile	53:37	2002	PB
	20K	1:05:52	2003	PB, former NR [8]
	Half marathon	1:11:19	2002	PB
	Marathon	2:27:10*	2003	PB - not legal
		2:28:33	2004	PB

See also

• List of athletes who have competed in the Paralympics and Olympics

References

1. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Marla Runyan". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 2018-10-13. Retrieved 2018-03-31.
2. "Marla Runyan - Paralympic Track and Field, Para Track and Field | Team USA". www.teamusa.com. 2025-07-11. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
3. Reff, Caroline K. (12 July 2025). "Class of '25 College of Law Graduate to Be Inducted Into the U.S. Olympic Hall Of Fame". Syracuse University News . Retrieved 13 July 2025.
4. "Marla Runyan". Paralympic.org. International Paralympic Committee.
5. "Marla Runyan - Athletics, Cycling | Paralympic Athlete Profile". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
6. Archives, L. A. Times (1996-06-21). "Runyan Got a Heptathlon Record but Certainly Not Her Due". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
7. "Marla RUNYAN | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Archived from the original on 2024-09-06. Retrieved 2025-08-21.
8. Cacciola, Scott (September 2, 2003). "New records set in 20K title run". The Middletown Press.
9. Lieber, Jill (2002-10-29). "Blind, Brave and Inspiring". USA Today. McLean, Virginia: Gannett. Archived from the original on 2016-11-04. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
10. "USA Track & Field | USATF Running Circuit History". usatf.org. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
11. "USATF 20 km Championships - Past Champions - Past USATF 20 km Champions". www.runnerspace.com. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
12. "USATF - Awards - Runner of the Year". Archived from the original on 2011-01-06. Retrieved 2011-01-09.
13. "Para Athletics Records". International Paralympic Committee. Retrieved 2025-08-25.
14. "Records". www.usparatf.org. Retrieved 2025-08-25.

• Marla Runyan biography provided by the USA Track & Field organization

External links

• Official website
• Blind Runner Qualifies for Olympics (IAAF.org) at the Wayback Machine (archived October 25, 2012)
• Marla Runyan at National Women's History Museum
• Marla Runyan at Team USA ( archiveOctober 10, 2022 ) (archive February 11, 2008)
• Marla Runyan at the International Paralympic Committee