The Boston Marathon Wheelchair Division turns 50: Looking back, racing forward
Susannah Scaroni crosses the finish line at the 2023 Boston Marathon.
PHOTO: BOSTON ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION
On April 21, 1975, Bob Hall’s unofficial entry into the Boston Marathon marked the beginning of a revolution for wheelchair racing. Tasked with completing the course in under three hours to be officially recognized, Hall not only met the challenge- he paved the way for wheelchair athletes in major marathons.
This Monday, exactly 50 years later on April 21, 2025, 50 of the world’s top wheelchair racers will line up in Hopkinton, with Hall serving as a Grand Marshal.
From Hall’s historic entry in 1975 to the world-class field of 2025, the Boston Marathon Wheelchair Division celebrates 50 years of racing history, honoring its legacy and looking toward the future of the sport.
“People like Bob Hall had to fight to get into Boston. I’m fortunate to be competing at a time where wheelchair racing is treated as an elite sport,” said Susannah Scaroni, 2023 champion of the professional women’s wheelchair division. “I have so much gratitude for these earlier generations.”
Two years after Hall first crossed the finish line, the Boston Athletic Association officially recognized both a professional men’s and women’s wheelchair division in 1977. Since then, the division has grown from a few pioneering participants to a competitive global field.
The wheelchair division has featured over 1,800 total athletes from around the world. In 2025, athletes from 12 countries are set to compete. As the field has grown, so have the standards. Athletes had to meet strict qualifying times to race Boston– 1:31:00 for men and 1:52:00 for women– underscoring the event’s elite status.
“There’s this energy in the atmosphere where you can feel the amount of effort and determination it took for each athlete to get to Boston. It’s very hard to get into other marathons, but Boston specifically is so exclusive,” said Scaroni.
Scaroni is one of several former and returning champions to what is one of the most decorated athlete pools in race history. Joining her in the professional women’s wheelchair division is 2024 champion Eden Rainbow-Cooper (GB), five-time champion Tatyana McFadden (USA), and four-time champion and course record holder Manuela Schär of Switzerland (1:28:17). Other notable athletes include 2024 third place finisher Madison de Rozario (AUS) and 2024 Boston Half Marathon winner Michelle Wheeler (USA).
On the men’s side, seven-time returning champion Marcel Hug of Switzerland is competing fresh off of breaking his own course record in 2024 with a time of 1:15:33. Two-time Boston Marathon winner and 2024 Boston Half Marathon champion Daniel Romanchuk (USA) and 2024 third-place finisher David Weir (GB) will accompany Hug at the starting line.
Newcomers to watch include reigning Abbott World Marathon Majors series winners Catherine Debrunner (SUI) and Victor Kiplangat (UGA).
The presence of such a decorated field speaks not only to the race’s prestige but to how far the wheelchair division has come in terms of inclusivity and equity. Beyond expanding participation, Scaroni notes improvements to athlete accommodations and the prize purse since her Boston debut in 2012.
“Before, non-winners had to stay in separate hotels from the host hotel,” said Scaroni. “Once you’re in the same space, your experience is integration. You’re eating with all the other athletes and seeing them in the hospitality room. It builds community.”
All wheelchair racers in the professional divisions now stay together in the host hotel alongside athletes from other divisions. As for the prize purse, the winners of the men’s and women’s divisions each will earn $50,000, an increase from 2024’s $40,000 winners’ purse.
This Monday, fans and spectators should expect to witness a race worthy of Boston and Hall’s legacy. As the wheelchair division looks ahead to its next 50 years, Scaroni says the sport’s visibility and growth depend on those competing today.
“Athletes have a responsibility to educate so we can grow the sport,” said Scaroni. “Boston plays a big role in that because the more representation there is, the more potential athletes can learn about the sport…this year, people will see demonstrations from wheelchair racers who are peaking right now.”
The 2025 Boston Marathon wheelchair races start Monday, April 21, with the men’s division at 9:02 a.m. ET and the women’s at 9:05 a.m. ET. The full list of broadcasters can be found here.
