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Marla Runyan

Track & Field Runner, First Ever Legally Blind Olympic Athlete

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Marla Runyan Biography

Marla Runyan is a former world-class American track and field athlete and marathon runner who is legally blind. At age nine, she was diagnosed with Stargardts disease, a form of juvenile macular degeneration that causes progressive vision loss.

After graduating from Adolfo Camarillo High School in 1987, Runyan studied at San Diego State University where she competed in numerous track and field events including the high jump and heptathlon. In 1994, Marla graduated with a master's degree in Communicative Disorders and began her post-collegiate running career. She qualified for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in the heptathlon, where she finished 10th but fell well short of making the Olympic Team. In 1992, she competed in her first of two Paralympic Games, and ultimately won 5 gold medals and set 9 world records in the T13 visually impaired classification.

In 1996, Runyan relocated to Eugene, Oregon and reinvented herself as a middle-distance runner. With a new coach and heightened focus, she won gold in the 1500-meters at the 1999 Pan-American Games and finished 10th in the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Seville, Spain.

At the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, Runyan finished 3rd and qualified for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team in the 1500 meter event -- the first time a legally blind American track and field athlete has ever made a U.S. Olympic Team. She went on to win 3 consecutive USATF national outdoor titles in the 5000-meters and made her second Olympic Team in that event in 2004. To this day Runyan is considered to be one of the most versatile athletes in U.S. Track and Field history - as an aside to her limited vision, she astonishingly moved from sprints and field events to middle and long-distance running. In 2002, she placed 4th in the NYC Marathon and was the top American female finisher in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 10 seconds, the fourth-fastest marathon debut time by an American woman. Runyan also ran the Twin Cities, Boston, and Chicago marathons finishing 1st, 5th, and 7th in those events respectively.

To this day, she remains the only visually impaired American athlete to qualify and compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Runyan currently holds two master's degrees in Special Education.

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FAQs
  • How do I book Marla Runyan to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Marla Runyan for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Marla Runyan, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Marla Runyan or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Marla Runyan

    Speaking fees for Marla Runyan, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Marla Runyan are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Marla Runyan, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Marla Runyan speak about?

    Marla Runyan is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Christian Athletes, Christian Speakers, Empowerment, Faith & Religion, Inspirational, Motivation, Olympics, Personal Growth, Sports, Sports Motivation, Women's Health, Women's Issues.
  • Where does Marla Runyan travel from?

    Marla Runyan generally travels from Boston, MA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Marla Runyan’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Marla Runyan for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Marla Runyan for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Marla Runyan or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.
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This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

Track & Field Runner, First Ever Legally Blind Olympic Athlete

Travels From:
Boston, MA, USA
Speaking Fee:

Marla Runyan Biography

Marla Runyan is a former world-class American track and field athlete and marathon runner who is legally blind. At age nine, she was diagnosed with Stargardts disease, a form of juvenile macular degeneration that causes progressive vision loss.

After graduating from Adolfo Camarillo High School in 1987, Runyan studied at San Diego State University where she competed in numerous track and field events including the high jump and heptathlon. In 1994, Marla graduated with a master's degree in Communicative Disorders and began her post-collegiate running career. She qualified for the 1996 U.S. Olympic Trials in the heptathlon, where she finished 10th but fell well short of making the Olympic Team. In 1992, she competed in her first of two Paralympic Games, and ultimately won 5 gold medals and set 9 world records in the T13 visually impaired classification.

In 1996, Runyan relocated to Eugene, Oregon and reinvented herself as a middle-distance runner. With a new coach and heightened focus, she won gold in the 1500-meters at the 1999 Pan-American Games and finished 10th in the IAAF World Outdoor Championships in Seville, Spain.

At the 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials, Runyan finished 3rd and qualified for the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team in the 1500 meter event -- the first time a legally blind American track and field athlete has ever made a U.S. Olympic Team. She went on to win 3 consecutive USATF national outdoor titles in the 5000-meters and made her second Olympic Team in that event in 2004. To this day Runyan is considered to be one of the most versatile athletes in U.S. Track and Field history - as an aside to her limited vision, she astonishingly moved from sprints and field events to middle and long-distance running. In 2002, she placed 4th in the NYC Marathon and was the top American female finisher in a time of 2 hours, 27 minutes, 10 seconds, the fourth-fastest marathon debut time by an American woman. Runyan also ran the Twin Cities, Boston, and Chicago marathons finishing 1st, 5th, and 7th in those events respectively.

To this day, she remains the only visually impaired American athlete to qualify and compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Runyan currently holds two master's degrees in Special Education.

Marla Runyan Videos

  • Marla Runyan at Vision Loss Resources
  • Marla Runyan Example of Overcoming - YouTube

FAQs on booking Marla Runyan

  • How do I book Marla Runyan to speak at my event?

    Our experienced booking agents have successfully helped clients around the world secure speakers like Marla Runyan for speaking engagements, personal appearances, product endorsements, or corporate entertainment since 2002. Click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page to check availability for Marla Runyan, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to discuss your upcoming event. One of our experienced agents will be happy to help you get speaking fee information and check availability for Marla Runyan or any other speaker of your choice.
  • What are the speaker fees for Marla Runyan

    Speaking fees for Marla Runyan, or any other speakers and celebrities, are determined based on a number of factors and may change without notice. The estimated fees to book Marla Runyan are $10,000 - $20,000 for live events and available upon request for virtual events. For the most current speaking fee to hire Marla Runyan, click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536 to speak directly with an experienced booking agent.
  • What topics does Marla Runyan speak about?

    Marla Runyan is a keynote speaker and industry expert whose speaking topics include Christian Athletes, Christian Speakers, Empowerment, Faith & Religion, Inspirational, Motivation, Olympics, Personal Growth, Sports, Sports Motivation, Women's Health, Women's Issues.
  • Where does Marla Runyan travel from?

    Marla Runyan generally travels from Boston, MA, USA, but can be booked for private corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. For more details, please contact an AAE Booking agent.
  • Who is Marla Runyan’s agent?

    AAE Speakers Bureau has successfully booked keynote speakers like Marla Runyan for clients worldwide since 2002. As a full-service speaker booking agency, we have access to virtually any speaker or celebrity in the world. Our agents are happy and able to submit an offer to the speaker or celebrity of your choice, letting you benefit from our reputation and long-standing relationships in the industry. Please click the Check Availability button above and complete the form on this page including the details of your event, or call our office at 1.800.698.2536, and one of our agents will assist you to book Marla Runyan for your next private or corporate function.
  • What is a full-service speaker booking agency?

    AAE Speakers Bureau is a full-service speaker booking agency, meaning we can completely manage the speaker’s or celebrity’s engagement with your organization from the time of booking your speaker through the event’s completion. We provide all of the services you need to host Marla Runyan or any other speaker of your choice, including offer negotiation, contractual assistance, accounting and billing, and event speaker travel and logistics services. When you book a speaker with us, we manage the process of hosting a speaker for you as an extension of your team. Our goal is to give our clients peace of mind and a best-in-class service experience when booking a speaker with us.
  • Why is AAE Speakers Bureau different from other booking agencies?

    If you’re looking for the best, unbiased speaker recommendations, paired with a top-notch customer service experience, you’re in the right place. At AAE Speakers Bureau, we exclusively represent the interests of our clients - professional organizations, companies, universities, and associations. We intentionally do not represent the speakers we feature or book. That is so we can present our clients with the broadest and best performing set of speaker options in the market today, and we can make these recommendations without any obligation to promote a specific speaker over another. This is why when our agents suggest a speaker for your event, you can be assured that they are of the highest quality with a history of proven success with our other clients.

Marla Runyan is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Marla Runyan for your event is $10,000 - $20,000. Marla Runyan generally travels from Boston, MA, USA and can be booked for (private) corporate events, personal appearances, keynote speeches, or other performances. Similar motivational celebrity speakers are Shannon Miller, Amanda Beard, Nastia Liukin, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Kim Rhode. Contact All American Speakers for ratings, reviews, videos and information on scheduling Marla Runyan for an upcoming live or virtual event.

Marla Runyan Speaker Videos

  • Marla Runyan at Vision Loss Resources
    Marla Runyan Example of Overcoming - YouTube

Tell us about your event!

During normal business hours, we respond to most inquiries within 4 hours.

  • Customized Service

    Our agents find the right fit for your event

  • Unparalleled Database

    Full access to all speakers & celebrities

  • One Stop Shopping

    A reliable and unbiased point of contact

  • Logistics Management

    Your personal Logistics Manager who takes care of all event details

Speakers Similar to Marla Runyan

This website is a resource for event professionals and strives to provide the most comprehensive catalog of thought leaders and industry experts to consider for speaking engagements. A listing or profile on this website does not imply an agency affiliation or endorsement by the talent.

All American Entertainment (AAE) exclusively represents the interests of talent buyers, and does not claim to be the agency or management for any speaker or artist on this site. AAE is a talent booking agency for paid events only. We do not handle requests for donation of time or media requests for interviews, and cannot provide celebrity contact information.

If you are the talent and wish to request a profile update or removal from our online directory, please submit a profile request form.

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