Dick Traum
American disability runner (1940–2024)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dick Traum (November 18, 1940 – January 23, 2024) was an American disability runner and businessman who was the founder of the Achilles Track Club for disabled athletes.[1] In 1976, he completed the New York City Marathon, becoming the first runner to complete such an event with a prosthetic leg after being the first at shorter distances.[2] He also collaborated with Marathon founder Fred Lebow in drawing more disabled athletes into the marathon.[3] In the 1980s he became the first amputee to finish a 100 km ultra event, in Poland.[citation needed]
In 1993, Traum wrote A Victory for Humanity.[2]
Recognition
In 2010, Traum was inducted into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. The Achilles Track Club was renamed Achilles International in 2004. Dick remained the CEO for 37-years before retiring in 2019.[4] He was inducted to the NYRR Hall of Fame in 2018.[5][6] As of 2019, he'd run the marathon distance more than seventy times and was the oldest athlete from New York City to run that year's Boston Marathon.[7]
Terry Fox credited reading an article about Traum's marathon running inspired his cross-Canada run for cancer research.[8]
