New York Marathon has become the fifth World Marathon Major to update its deferral policy for pregnant and postpartum runners.
Following in the footsteps of London, Berlin, Chicago, and Boston, this is a major win for many runners who otherwise would have lost their place. London Marathon organisers even announced further measures earlier this year to help better support women runners, including offering free sanitary products and breast feeding areas.
However, the good news from New York comes with a sting in its tail. Unlike the other marathon majors, New York Marathon hopefuls will have to pay their entry fee twice if they defer. And it’s not cheap.
International runners have to pay $295 (£232) just for their entry into the coveted race.
New York Marathon 2023 deferral policy update
The New York Road Runners (NYRR) claim they have a “commitment to a more diverse, equitable, inclusive, and socially responsible organisation”.
As such, they will now allow athletes registered for any of their three marquee events an opportunity to cancel their entry if they become pregnant or are postpartum. The policy also covers pregnancy loss.
These three events are: the RBC Brooklyn Half, the United Airlines NYC Half, and the TCS New York City Marathon.
The policy states,…
