Marla Runyan

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Paralympic 4 Gold Medalist in Barcelona’s 1992 Olympics for the women’s 100m, 200m, 400m, and Long Jump while also competing for the US in the cycling was just the start of a successful running career for the legally blind Marla Runyan. She is a teacher, a bestselling author of “No Finish Line: My Life As I See It,” a public speaker, a coach, a race director of the Camarillo Half marathon, a philanthropist with Camp Ability, and a mother. Marla plays her different roles, showing us that our conditions do not define who we are.

Xtraordinary

Why Marla Runyan is Extraordinary

The sporting elite status and academic achievements of Marla Runyan would be impressive enough for an able person, however, Marla Runyan and her achievements are extraordinary because she has achieved all this whilst also being legally blind.

Her ambassadorship as a legally blind runner, competing in the able-bodied Sydney 2000 Olympics, secured her in the 8th place in the 1,500m event. It was an inspiration to the blind and disabled people, proving that physical disability does not define who they are. “We all have disabilities whether it’s a physical disability or not,” says Marla who never thinks of her blindness as an impediment to becoming a great athlete. Marla exemplified that through one’s dedication, perseverance, passion, and self-belief what may at first seem impossible could be made possible.

Marla has also used her achievements and public profile to give back to the community by being an inspiration, teacher, mentor, motivator, and educator to others with physical disabilities, be it through her ambassadorship with the Perkins School for the Blind, her assistance with Camp Able, her promotion of the half marathon named in her honor (The Marla Runyan Camarillo Half Marathon and 5K), or on the National Public speaking circuit on which she is constantly taking part in. She has inspired many others without disabilities—those who have followed in her footsteps and achieved much more than they first thought possible because of the height of achievements they have seen Marla Runyan accomplish in the face of physical adversities.

Regardless of the sporting event, short, middle distance, long distance, long jump, or shot put, her mental strength, perseverance, can–do attitude to life shows to us all how extraordinary we can, ourselves, become when we really put our mind and efforts into achieving what we want out of life.

As long as we truly believe, persistently work, and see the challenges as gifts not obstacles, we all have the opportunity to become extraordinary.

Research

Biography

Biography of Marla Runyan

Date of Birth: Saturday, 04 January 1969 | Nationality: United States of America

Marla Runyan attempted to compete in 1996 for a place in the American able-bodied Olympic team in heptathlon finishing 10th. And while unsuccessful the first time, she did get a place in the 2000 US Olympic team.

In 2000, she competed in the Sydney able-bodied Olympics garnering the 8th place. However, what was remarkable is that she was the first ever legally blind person who competed with able-bodied elite sports professionals. In 2001, she won the women’s 5000m US National Titles, and in 2002, she added to her 5000m title the 10,000m title.

In 2002, Marla competed in the New York Marathon and completed the race in 2.27.10 coming in fourth place. It made her the fastest American in the race and the second fastest woman ever to compete and finish the race. She also placed 5th in the Boston Marathon and capped off the year by being awarded the USATF’s Runner of the Year, and marrying her coach, Matt Lonergan.

The following year, Marla won the 20km US National Title event as well as the 5000m event. She then again competed in the 2004 Olympics.

In 2005, Marla took the year off to give birth to her daughter, Anna Lee, with her husband Matt. She returned to distance running in 2006 when she competed in the Twin Cities Marathon in Minneapolis and won the event in the time of 2.32.15. She also won the US National Championships in the 20km event. In 2006, Marla was again named Runner of the Year by USATF.

Other personal bests for Marla include:
1500m 4 minutes and 2 seconds
5000m 14 minutes 59 seconds

Marla grew up in Santa Maria California. She was born on January 4, 1969. At the age of nine years old, her vision started to degenerate brought on after she was found to have Stargardt’s disease (a form of macular degeneration). She still does have peripheral vision; however, slowly the disease caused her legal blindness to a point where she cannot even see the biggest E on a visual eye test board.

The determination of Marla was driven by her belief not to be defined or limited by her disabilities, after hearing from her eye specialists that she would not be able to learn as other students, she should expect lower grades; not be able to drive; and most probably because her grades would suffer, she would not be eligible to get the marks needed to attend university.

Through Marla’s determination, persistence, self-belief and courage, Marla attended Adolfo Camarillo High School, where she graduated in 1987. She then went to study Bachelor of Education and completed her Master’s Degree at the University of San Diego 1994, majoring in Education of Deaf & Blind.

Being an active person, Marla competed in university athletic events, such as the 200m, high jump, 100m, 800m, shot-put, long jump, and the heptathlon events. As if those were not enough to keep her fit, she joined the soccer team but eventually left when she found it too difficult to see the ball. She focused all her attention on track and field events and running.

Today, Marla Runyan, although retired from elite competitive running, continues to serve as an Ambassador for the Perkins School for the Blind which she has been doing since 2001. The Perkins School is the first school solely dedicated for the blind in the United States. This role allows her to practice her teaching profession and use her education background to keep abreast of the latest educational trends for both deaf and blind children.

Watch Marla Runyan talk about passion!

Her Achievements

Won four gold medals at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in the long jump and the 100, 200, and 400 meter races.
Won gold in the pentathlon and silver in shot put in the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics.
Won the 1,500-meter race in 1999 at the Pan American Games.
Placed eighth in the 1,500-meter in the 2000 Sydney Olympics, making her the first legally blind athlete to compete in the Olympics and the highest finish by an American woman in that event.
Won her first of three consecutive 5000 meter National Championships in 2001.
Added the road 5K and 10K National Championships in 2002.
Finished as the top American at the 2002 New York Marathon with a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes and 10 seconds to post the second-fastest debut time ever by an American woman.
Won the road 5K again in 2003 and qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympic Games by finishing second in the United States Olympic Trials.
Won her second National Championship at 20 km (her first was in 2003) in 2006.
The USATF "Runner of the Year" in 2002 and 2006.
Five times gold medalist in the Paralympics Games.
Currently holds the Paralympics World Records in the B3 division in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m, High Jump, Long Jump and Pentathlon.

Written on Friday, 28 September 2012 23:29 Last modified on Tuesday, 07 May 2013 02:40

Quotes

Quotes by Marla Runyan

The conditions I have are not who I am.

A poor attitude can be far more disabling than blindness.

On blindness: “It is not a factor or an excuse for a bad race.

We all have challenges whether it’s a physical disability or not.

I’m not going to give up. Perseverance and attitude is what it’s all about.

As long as I can see the ground underneath my feat I can run with the best of them.

I learned from my mom that no matter what obstacles came my way, I still had a choice on how to respond.

I can do this; it might take me a little longer than you and I might have to do it a different way, but I can do this.

I can’t see the finish line it just gives me all the more reason to run harder, faster because once I’m there I’ll be able to see it.

Growing up with a vision impairment, I tended to view just about everything as a mini challenge and perceived these tasks as opportunities.

Latest News

Latest news for Marla Runyan

January 18, 2013:
Three-time Outdoor Track National Champion Marla Runyan is the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) keynote speaker in their annual dinner and auction. NWABA is based in Vancouver, Canada and is an organization that encourages visually impaired individuals to take part in sports. The event, which is called “Going the Distance,” is facilitated by Kim Capeloto, Executive Vice President of Riverview Community Bank, and Mark Matthias, owner of Beaches Restaurants.
Read more about the story here: Oregon Live

August 8, 2012:
Marla Runyan, the first legally blind American athlete to participate in the Olympics track and field, now has her "eyes" on children who are going through the same struggles that she experienced in a project called “Camp Abilities.” Runyan was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease back when she was young. Her sight degenerated as she was growing up. Yet, her disability did not stop her from pursuing her dream of becoming an athlete. "Believe you can," is the project’s motto.
Watch the video and read the story here: Writingshares.com

July 27, 2012:
Marla Runyan is a world-renowned athlete who defied the odds and went on winning in able-bodied competitions despite being legally blind. As a child, the Olympic medalist was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease. This eventually led to her blindness. However, she refused to be limited by her vision impairment and was able to make a name in track and field. In The Daily Golden's list of "US Olympic Medalists who own, or have owned a Golden Retriever," Runyan was included at Number 8.
See the ranking here: The Daily Golden

October 8, 2011:
MSN has included Marla Runyan, the first legally blind to participate in the Olympics, in their list of "Success Stories: Sportspersons who have defied all odds." Runyan was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease which led to her eventual blindness. She was a three-time world champion in the women's 5,000-meter race. During the 1992 Summer Paralympics, she collected four gold medals at long jump and 100, 200, and 400-meter races. She was not able to participate in the 1996 Olympics, but went on winning in the same year's Paralympics in Atlanta. Finally, in 2000, Runyan was allowed to participate in the Olympic Games.
See her picture and story here: MSN Sports

June 7, 2011:
Marla Runyan, the first legally blind person to compete in the Olympics for the track and field category, is The College at Brockport's keynote speaker in its 2011 Diversity Conference. Runyan began experiencing difficulty in seeing back when she was a young girl. She was diagnosed with Stargardt’s disease, a case of irreversible macular degeneration. She eventually lost her eyesight, but it did not keep her from running. She won first place in the U.S. National Champion 5000-meter run three times. She used to be an American Record holder in the 5000-meter indoor run. She joined the Olympics in 2000 as the first legally blind athlete to ever participate in the able-bodied category.
Read more about the story here: Brockport.edu