RUN FOR AUTISM team member Mackenzie OConnell summed up one of the aims of the 2025 United Airlines New York City half team well: “Let’s run to celebrate neurodiversity.” It’ll be her first half marathon when she takes on the race with 42 teammates in March. “I am not much of a runner and never…
Join OAR to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month with the seventh annual Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash this April! This fitness and fundraising event spreads autism awareness and acceptance in our communities and raises money for OAR’s Changing Lives Fund, which directly supports research and programs. Your registration fee and money raised will directly…
James Meadows is set to take on his third marathon when he crosses the start line of the 2025 Chevron Houston Marathon on Sunday, January 19th, with the RUN FOR AUTISM team. All three marathons he’s run have been with the RUN FOR AUTISM – Houston team. James found OAR while looking for a charity…
In 2024, RUN team members from around the world represented OAR at 30 events, including ultramarathons, triathlons, and our own Active for Autism 5K and Kids Dash. Together, OAR’s 2024 team of 945 runners, walkers, cyclists, and triathletes joined forces to raise nearly $1 million. That money will help fulfill OAR’s mission in 2025 which…
OAR recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary. At 23, most of us were likely still figuring out who we were and what we wanted to do with our lives. However, OAR’s 23 years represent an incredible body of work: over two decades of funding research and providing free, high-quality resources to the autism community. As many…
“I am the proud mom of a son who is on the Spectrum.” Erinn Hannigan, along with 56 RUN FOR AUTISM athletes, will compete at the 2025 Walt Disney World ® Marathon weekend this January, representing OAR. Her son, Tommy, was diagnosed with autism at age 12. “Without the research that was available, we would…
“We’re running for autism for everyone with autism, but especially for my son, Duke,” OAR runner Jen Fellmann said as she took on the 2024 TCS NYC Marathon alongside her friends, Sarah Dixon and Lyndsey Benharris. Their team, Duke’s Darlings, raised over $11,600 for the RUN FOR AUTISM program. After training together over the summer,…
Miriam Elsendyouney’s twin boys, Malek and Zain, were diagnosed with autism at age two. “It was a whole new world for us,” she said. She found OAR as she first started navigating the autism community, looking for resources for her boys and family. A few years later, Miriam started running to do something for herself.…
On Sunday October 13th, 132 OAR athletes took on the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon, running 26.2 miles through the windy city to support autism research. Collectively, they’ve raised over $187,000. Each runner joined the team with a different story; many ran because of a personal connection to autism. “I chose this charity because…
RUN FOR AUTISM runner Joseph Carrasquillo completed a personal challenge in September, running a 100-mile race to raise awareness of autism on behalf of his son, Jacob, who was diagnosed with autism nine years ago. “Jacob had a wonderful neuropsychologist at the time who brought it to our attention that he had tremendous potential but…
