Kentucky Teen Completes Chicago Marathon After Spinal Injury

A Kentucky teenager completed the Chicago Marathon on October 8, 2026, less than a year after suffering a spinal injury that left him briefly paralyzed. Wyatt Anderson, 17, finished the race with a time of 3:56:28. In November 2025, while playing basketball, Anderson tripped and collided headfirst with a wall, fracturing his spine and resulting in temporary paralysis. He underwent spinal fusion surgery and spent months in rehabilitation to regain his ability to walk. Anderson shared that during his recovery, he was motivated by a story from a therapist about a man who completed 50 marathons in 50 states while in a wheelchair. This inspiration led him to set a goal of running a marathon within a year of his injury. Prior to the Chicago Marathon, he completed the Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon in April 2026. Anderson expressed hope that his story would encourage others to pursue ambitious goals. He and his brother, Jack Anderson, ran the marathon to raise funds for the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, which supports spinal cord injury research and advocacy, raising over $24,000.