New York Road Runners (NYRR) has recently unveiled a revised pregnancy and postpartum cancellation policy, reflecting the organization’s commitment to fostering diversity, equity, inclusivity, and social responsibility. Following the footsteps of other major marathons such as Boston and London, NYRR’s move comes as a response to years of appeals from runners for policy changes.
The updated policy, now available under the guidelines and procedures section of the NYRR website, outlines modifications specifically applicable to the organization’s flagship events involving race drawings: the Brooklyn Half, NYC Half, and New York City Marathon. In collaboration with the advocacy group &Mother, NYRR has introduced a provision enabling athletes registered for any of the aforementioned races to request entry cancellations in the event of pregnancy or postpartum circumstances.
The policy stipulates, “Pregnant or postpartum athletes will receive non-complimentary guaranteed entry for one of the next three subsequent NYRR races for which they originally registered.”
To illustrate, if a participant is registered for the 2023 New York City Marathon and gains approval for a cancellation due to pregnancy or postpartum status, they are granted the choice to secure entry for the 2024, 2025, or 2026 marathon editions.
Importantly, athletes seeking Pregnancy and Postpartum Cancellation are not required to specify the year in which they plan to utilize the guaranteed entry. The policy ensures non-complimentary guaranteed entry for the immediate following year, with the option for it to automatically carry forward into subsequent years, up to a three-year period.
To qualify for Pregnancy and Postpartum Cancellation, athletes need to meet at least one of three criteria: they must be pregnant during the scheduled race, be postpartum (within a year following childbirth) at the time of the registered race, or have experienced pregnancy loss up to six months prior to the race for which they were registered.
Applicants must be officially registered for the event in question and adhere to the policy’s requirement of canceling their entry through their NYRR account while also submitting a cancellation request through the support system by 11:59 p.m. the evening before the scheduled race. Additionally, NYRR mandates entrants to complete a medical authorization form, endorsed by a licensed health care provider, such as a physician or registered midwife.
