January 11th, 2022

Santa Barbara, California - On Saturday, April 16th, theBorn to Adapt 3 Hour Challenge will begin. When the gun goes off at 10:00 am, the history of running will begin a new chapter. 

The challenge, which has participants run a five-kilometer loop as many times as possible for three hours, is an event for all people of all abilities, but has a division specifically created for adaptive athletes. Adaptive athletes, or athletes with physical disabilities that require specific modifications, like a prosthetic, to participate in the sport of running, have few opportunities to compete in an adaptive-athlete-specific division. Zachary Friedley wants to change that. 

Friedley, the creator and race director of the Born to Adapt 3 Hour Challenge, who is a member of therabbitELITEtrail team, is an adaptive athlete himself and, with his new race, hopes to make the sport of running more accessible to those with physical disabilities. 

The race will take place alongside and during Luis Escobar’sBorn to Run Ultra Marathons in Los Olivos, California and, according to Friedley, is the first event created specifically for adaptive athletes. The female-founded, free-spirited, California running apparel brand,rabbit, will support the event by awarding prizes to the top overall Born to Run 3 Hour Challenge male, female, and non-binary finishers, and will also raffle a gift card to the Virtual 5k that’s also happening in support of the even for all runners. All participants of the event, both in-person and virtual, will also receive a custom rabbit EZ tee.

When the event concludes at 1:00 pm on April 16th, it’s likely to be the first ever race result for adaptive athletes specifically. It will hopefully be the first of many more races to come.

Photo: Luis Escobar