Marla Lee Runyan (married name Lonergan; 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.
Runyan's accomplishments include competing at the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics, three back-to-back national titles in the 5,000 meters, and top American finishes at the 2002 New York, 2003 Boston, and 2004 Chicago marathons. She formerly held the American records in the 800m event of the heptathlon and 20k road race. She currently holds numerous para-athletics world and national records in sprint, long distance, and field events.
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.
Runyan received a bachelors and masters degree from San Diego State University and a masters degree from the University of Northern Colorado, each in subjects pertaining to the education of deaf/blind children. In 2025, Runyan earned a Juris Doctor degree from Syracuse University Law School.
Runyan married Matt Lonegran in 2002 and had a daughter in 2005.
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. She also placed fifth in the mixed road tandem open cycling event.
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.
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.
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.
Awards and recognition
She was the USATF "Runner of the Year" in 2002 and 2006.
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.
{| class="wikitable"
|+Records and Personal Bests
!Surface
!Event
!Result
!Year
!Type of record
|-
| rowspan="16" |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
|-
|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
|-
| rowspan="2" |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
|-
| rowspan="2" |5000 m
|15:07.19
|1999
|Para Athletics T13 NR and WR
|-
|14:59.20
|2004
|PB
|-
|10,000 m
|32:11.92
|2006
|PB
|-
| rowspan="8" |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
|-
|Half marathon
|1:11:19
|2002
|PB
|-
| rowspan="2" |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
- Marla Runyan biography provided by the USA Track & Field organization
External links
- Marla Runyan at National Women's History Museum
- (archive February 11, 2008)