Vanessa Parker Finishes Her Third New York City Marathon
Native American Heritage Month Spotlight
|
| Vanessa Parker, the Seneca language teacher at W.G. Houston Middle School, finished the New York City Marathon on Sunday, Nov. 1. It was her fifth marathon and her third in New York. |
|
5marathons finished
26.2miles, with a guide
3rdNew York City Marathon
|
| Parker is Seneca, Hawk Clan, from the Cattaraugus Territory. She is also an athlete with a disability. Ten years ago she broke her left hip, a femoral stress fracture. She has permanent pins in that hip and one leg almost two inches shorter than the other, so she races in a special shoe with a lift on the bottom to even out her legs. |
|
| Because of her injury, Parker races with a guide, Rumiko “Rumi” Lane of Jackson Heights, Queens. She trains and gets support through the Queens chapter of Achilles International, which helps athletes with disabilities take part in mainstream races. On Sunday, Achilles athletes and their guides, in bright yellow shirts, crossed the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge together at the start. |
|
| Her five marathons |
| New York City Marathon · 2021 |
| New York City Marathon · 2023 |
| New York City Marathon · 2026 |
| New York · October 2020, virtual, tracked on a fitness app |
| Boston · October 2021, virtual, tracked on a fitness app |
|
|
“There aren’t many Indigenous marathon runners, or walkers, though more people are starting to run races and grow the running community.”Vanessa Parker
|
| She shared her story with the district for Native American Heritage Month. “I thought my story might be inspiration for someone,” she said. |
|
| Congratulations, Vanessa. |
|
 Vanessa Parker (right) at the start line on Staten Island. A hug on the course. Parker with her 2026 finisher’s medal.
|
