Running News Daily

For most marathon runners, completing 26.2 miles is a test of endurance, preparation and mental strength. For Mary Kitlowski, it was something far greater — a battle against the limitations imposed by a rare and progressive lung disease.

In 2019, Kitlowski finally crossed the finish line of the New York City Marathon after years of determination and preparation. What made the achievement extraordinary was not simply the distance she covered, but the circumstances under which she covered it: Mary was living with primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD), a rare genetic disorder that had caused significant lung damage, and she required supplemental oxygen during exertion. At the time, reports stated that she had only about 34 percent lung capacity.

Her journey to New York had already included heartbreak.

Two years earlier, in 2017, Mary had attempted the marathon for the first time. But an infection had left her struggling before race day, and she was ultimately forced to stop at mile 18 — just over eight miles from the finish. Rather than allowing that experience to define her, she returned to training with an even greater determination to complete what she had started.

The challenge was unlike that faced by most marathoners.

Mary competed with a portable oxygen concentrator strapped to her, carrying equipment that helped her breathe during exertion. The device weighed around six pounds, while additional batteries were needed because its power would not last throughout the entire marathon. Her husband, Ed, stayed alongside her and carried the extra batteries as they made their way through New York’s five boroughs.

And this was never simply about completing a race.

Mary had become an advocate for people living with lung disease and those who depend on supplemental oxygen. Through her Running On Air initiative, she sought to challenge the perception that needing oxygen should prevent someone from being active, pursuing goals or living an ambitious life. Her marathon became another powerful platform for that message.

On November 3, 2019, after years of preparation and a previous attempt that ended at mile 18, Mary finally completed the 26.2-mile journey.

Her official finishing time was 9 hours, 50 minutes and 26 seconds. She completed the marathon as part of an effort to raise awareness for rare diseases and the National Organization for Rare Disorders, turning every step into a statement about resilience and possibility.

Mary’s achievement was never about how quickly she could reach the finish line. It was about reaching it at all.

With a portable oxygen concentrator on her back, spare batteries carried by her husband and lungs functioning at only a fraction of normal capacity, she walked and ran her way across New York — refusing to let her medical condition decide the boundaries of her life.

Her story is a reminder that sometimes the most remarkable marathon victories are not measured by medals, records or finishing positions.

Sometimes, the victory is simply refusing to stop