Tekoa native Susannah Scaroni finishes second in women’s T53/54 wheelchair division at Boston Marathon

From staff reports

Less than a year after winning her first Paralympic gold medal, Susannah Scaroni finished second in Monday’s Boston Marathon in the women’s T53/54 wheelchair division.

Scaroni, who is from Tekoa, Washington, completed the course in 1:46:20. Switzerland’s Manuela Schar won the race with a time of 1:41:08.

The placing is a race-best for Scaroni, who is also the defending Bloomsday champion.

“I really came into Boston with no expectations and an open mind,” Scaroni said. “Being in a new chair and chair position I wanted to test my body and see what would happen. There’s still a lot of work to do being that I was five minutes behind the leader, but I’m so thankful to compete the way I did today.”

Scaroni is coming off several career-best performances at last fall’s Paralympics in Tokyo. The 30-year-old cruised to a gold medal in the 5,000-meters. She also took third in the 800 and sixth in the marathon.

Just two weeks after returning from the Tokyo games, Scaroni was involved in a training accident near her home in Illinois.

During a ride on the morning of Sept. 16, 2021, a vehicle crashed into Scaroni’s racing chair from behind, causing a burst fracture of her T8 vertebrae. The accident forced her to miss the 2021 Boston Marathon, which was held in October due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Scaroni will try to defend her Bloomsday title when the in-person event returns May 1 for the first time since 2019.