New York, October 28, 2022 – To further support nursing mothers participating in the TCS New York City Marathon, New York Road Runners (NYRR) is elevating its lactation experience with the aim to remove barriers to full participation. NYRR is working with &Mother to expand its offerings and pilot some new processes for this year’s marathon. &Mother is a nonprofit driving change and building equity for mothers in sports. The expansive activation is a first-of-its-kind among the Abbott World Marathon Majors events.

“It is essential to examine processes to ensure that we remove or minimize barriers to provide accessibility, deliver the necessary infrastructure, and establish standards for runners to participate fully in our races,” said Erica Edwards-O’Neal, Senior VP of Culture, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at NYRR. “We are excited to partner with &Mother to support mothers and create positive impact through enhancing our runner experience.”

Five dedicated and private lactation tents will be available throughout the marathon course. At the start area in Fort Wadsworth, there will be a new lactation tent that provides accommodations and amenities. Three lactation tents will be available on course at miles 8, 16, and 22. In addition, there will be a tent at the finish area in Central Park.

As in previous in years, NYRR will transport personal nursing pumps from the start to finish area for runners. To further this year’s offerings, the new lactation spaces will include pumping accommodations. Breast pumps will be available at the start and finish lines as well as at lactation tents on course, giving participants easy options for pumping. Medela breast pumps and sets of individually-wrapped, sanitized accessories will be provided by Babyation, a technology company that creates products that meet the holistic needs of parents.

To ensure runners are aware of the accommodations and preparation for medical device operations, &Mother will have an information booth at the TCS New York City Marathon Expo Presented by New Balance at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center from November 3-5.

&Mother is co-founded by Alysia Montaño, Olympian and six-time USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships 800 meters champion. She gained worldwide attention when she ran the 800-meter race in the 2014 USATF championships while eight months pregnant.

“I am thrilled that my story has influenced our work with &Mother and inspired the sports industry to adapt standards that support and allow women, mothers and lactating people a chance to participate and succeed,” said Montaño. “Sports have the ability to change the world and inspire other macro societal changes to create opportunities for mothers to thrive in their career and motherhood.”

NYRR is looking to deepen its offerings for mothers throughout the year. Working with &Mother’s programs, which aim to flatten barriers related to participation and support success for mothers in sports, it will enable a path for all mothers across the industry.

# # #

About New York Road Runners (NYRR)

NYRR’s mission is to help and inspire people through running. Since 1958, New York Road Runners has grown from a local running club to the world’s premier community running organization. NYRR’s commitment to New York City’s five boroughs features races, virtual races, community events, free youth running initiatives and school programs, the NYRR RUNCENTER featuring the New Balance Run Hub, and training resources that provide hundreds of thousands of people each year with the motivation, know-how, and opportunity to Run for Life. NYRR’s premier event is the TCS New York City Marathon. Held annually on the first Sunday in November, the race features a wide population of runners, from the world’s top professional athletes to a vast range of competitive, recreational, and charity runners. To learn more, visit www.nyrr.org.

About &Mother 

&Mother is a 501c3 nonprofit dedicated to breaking the barriers that limit a woman’s choice to pursue and thrive in both career and motherhood. Co-founded by Olympian, Alysia Montaño, our current initiatives focus on creating structural change that will allow full participation and success for mothers in sports to pave a supportive and enabling path for all mothers in all industries. At the intersection of systemic barriers, professional opportunity, and motherhood, our work points towards a future where the value of mothers in the workforce is intrinsic and motherhood is not a limiting factor in how women succeed professionally and personally. Join our community or learn more at www.andmother.org.