OARacle Newsletter

Fifty-nine RUN athletes have raised over $56,000 this spring, dedicating their Chevron Houston Marathon and United Airlines NYC Half Marathon miles to autism research. 

In January, 20 runners participated in Chevron Houston Marathon events from the 5k to the marathon. Many team members, including Houston runner Cecilia Jones, were inspired by a personal connection to autism. Jones runs for her son on the spectrum, so parents like herself have more resources to “figure out how to learn and grow in helping those on the spectrum succeed in this big world.” In her first race since 2015, she nearly set a new personal record and Boston qualifying time. “Seeing my husband and my son who inspired me to run for this organization at the finish line was so rewarding,” she said. 

Interested in taking on a Houston Marathon event next year? You can register here for the January 19, 2025 race.  

In mid-March, 39 runners ran the United Airlines NYC Half Marathon. Longtime RUN athlete Susanna Iuliano took on the race carrying an “I love someone with autism” banner. “I am proud to say my son has autism,” she said. “He has been my greatest teacher. He lives his life as his authentic self and even though he struggles to communicate, our family knows he loves us very much. I run for autism because it gives me a platform to show my pride as a parent and to bring awareness to the OAR mission. It was very touching at the NYC Half Marathon that there were other runners who recognized and thanked me for running for autism.” 

Registration for the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half will open this fall. Fill out the interest list if you are interested in running this race with RUN FOR AUTISM next spring. 

If you’re looking for ways to get involved with RUN during Autism Acceptance Month, check out the upcoming events calendar.