Maya Sudhakaran está decidida a seguir corriendo
For Maya Sudhakaran, running has been a powerful three-fold journey consisting of her family, her community, and herself. On March 16, she’ll be toeing the line at the 2025 United Airlines NYC Half and her six-year-old son will be participating in the Times Square Kids Run at the United Airlines NYC Half. This will be his first Rising NYRR youth event and Maya said that because running and NYRR has become such a big part of her life, introducing her son to something she loves brings her so much joy.
“The opportunity to develop a sense of camaraderie with my son and bond over our shared experience running a race on the same day is incredibly special to me. Whenever I laced up and left home, he’d ask me 'Are you going on your run?' and now I’m able to say 'Yes, and you are too!'”
Maya began her running journey in 2008 when she signed up to run the New York City Marathon with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Inspired by her father, who was living with Multiple Sclerosis at the time, this experience changed her life, and she found a deeper sense of purpose, raising funds for a cure and making her father proud.
After he passed away, Maya was diagnosed with Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in 2012. Despite the pain, she was determined to keep running, and her doctor encouraged her to continue as long as her body allowed.
“I used to live in fear about how I would wake up the next morning. My supportive family has played a major role in helping me recuperate… enabling me to stay fit and keep my disease at bay,” she said.
Maya feels that if she stopped running, her chronic illness might catch up with her, and she won’t let it.
“Everyone lives with something that they need to manage in their lives. I encourage them to use it as fuel to move forward versus as an excuse to not.”
In 2018, Maya became a mother and faced a new challenge—returning to running post-pregnancy. She found support through NYRR Group Training, which helped her get back on track.
As a mother of two young kids, Maya said she’s fortunate to have an extremely supportive partner who helps her prioritize her running schedule in order to show up for Group Training and meet her race-day goals.
“A lot of times women feel guilty for prioritizing themselves and investing in physical fitness as it can be time away from home, especially with a new child. For me, doing so has helped me show up at home positively and I would encourage new mothers to figure out what works for them and ask for help to prioritize.”
The United Airlines NYC Half is a race close to her heart. Maya is a proud New Yorker whose lived in the city for 20 years. She appreciates the city’s diversity, energy, and living within proximity to Central Park, which fuels her running.
“Going on a run here is like being able to see the best city in the world,” she said. “The people watching, discovering a new neighborhood… a new bagel store that has opened, noticing that 3rd Ave to 2nd Ave is an incline, which you never notice when you walk. Also, admiring this gigantic park in the middle of the city.”