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A UK woman withdrew from the New York City Marathon after not being allowed to wear a vest with her colostomy bag — and she is now alleging discrimination.
Gayle Redmon, a medical doctor from Flint, Flintshire, needs to self-catheterize six times a day as a result of multiple surgeries for endometriosis, the BBC reported.
She has a stoma, an opening that connects to the digestive or urinary system and allows bodily waste to be collected into a bag that is carried outside the body.
In the past 10 years, Redmon has continued to participate in several races with the assistance of aides.
“New York Marathon’s been on the bucket list for quite some time,” she told the BBC, adding that her vest has helped her compete safely in marathons in Paris and London.
Redmon said she was thrilled when she was notified by email six months ago that she had been registered as a disabled runner for this year’s race, which took place Sunday.
She sent organizers images of her vest, which has pouches on the back for a water bag and a straw so she can sip continuously since her condition makes her susceptible to dehydration.
“I carry huge volumes of fluids when I go out on my really long training runs,” she told the BBC, adding that her vest also has a pocket where she carries supplies for her stoma.
But New York Road Runners, the event’s organizers, informed Redmond that only waist belts would be allowed — a type of aid that would affect her stoma.
“I emailed them again and said this is a disability issue, this is really important. I can’t take part if we can’t figure something out,” she told the outlet.
The organization than sent her a type of clear ruck sack for carrying water, but she said she could not use it because it had no room to carry her stoma supplies.
Several days before the marathon she got another email saying she could use front water bottles in a vest, but nothing about where she could carry the supplies, forcing her to pull out of the race, the BBC reported.
“I’m disappointed that they couldn’t find a way of including me. I feel like I’ve been discriminated against,” she told the outlet. “I’ve got a disability that is recognized… the Equality Act in the UK, and as far as I can tell the Americans with Disabilities Act is very similar, says that reasonable accommodations should be made.
“I have gone out of my way to try to meet them halfway and see what I can do. They’ve made accommodations, but they’re not accommodations that suit me,” Redmond added.
In a statement to the outlet, NYRR said: “We work with intention to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with local laws and federal ADA guidelines to ensure runners of all abilities have access to our races while making sure that each and every runner, spectator, volunteer and staff member are safe.”
It said it went “above and beyond to provide this runner with options including purchasing two hydration packs for her, in addition to our 20 course-based hydration stations.
“It is unfortunate that her requests didn’t align with local law enforcement restrictions and that she has chosen not to join us this year,” NYRR said, adding that hydration vests are on a prohibited items list.
Redmon said she understood concerns about security after three people were killed and 260 injured in the April 15, 2013, Boston Marathon bombing.
“I would have quite happily had a conversation with New York Police Department about what their concerns are,” she said. “I’ve repeatedly asked [NYRR] what other suggestions they have to help me with this, and they’ve not come forward with anything.”
Redmon said she would not watch the popular Big Apple race because it was “all a bit to raw right now.”
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