Amy Sanchez always figured if she were going to qualify for the Boston Marathon, she’d have to do so before having children, given all the time and energy they entail.
Between her first marathon in 2017 and 2019, she’d slashed her marathon time by 35 minutes—from 4:14 to 3:39—and was targeting a sub-3:30 BQ in the spring of 2020 (at the time, that was the qualifying mark for women age 18 to 34). But when the pandemic shut down races, the equation changed. She and her husband decided to start a family instead.
Sanchez had her son, Manny, in September of 2021. After taking ample time for recovery, she broke her previous perceptions and found she could keep training and improving. At the 2022 California International Marathon, she used her breast pump in a lactation room provided by race organizers before running a personal-best 3:15:54 at age 29, qualifying her for Boston in 2024.
And when she got pregnant again in May of 2023, she registered for the 2024 Boston Marathon, then used the race’s deferral policy to postpone her entry. Her daughter, Maya, was born in February of 2024, and Sanchez will line up for the first time at the Boston Marathon starting line in Hopkinton in 2025, where she’ll likely use the lactation tent in the Athletes’ Village at the start.
“This is going to define a many-year period of my life, having babies and breastfeeding,” says Sanchez, now 31 and living in Seattle, where she’s a school-based mental health counselor and a running coach at Running Joyfully. “But running continues to be really important to me at the same time, because it’s also how I feel like myself outside of my very strong identity as a mom.”
Sanchez is far from the only athlete whose prime racing years overlap with their childbearing ones. The juggling act is often a barrier to entry: About 40 percent of runners with kids have skipped a race because of concerns about breastfeeding or pumping logistics, and 83 percent say pregnancy or parenting responsibilities have prevented them from participating, according to results of a 200-person survey just released by researchers at Carleton University and For All Mothers+, a nonprofit (previously known as &Mother) dedicated to supporting mothers in sports, careers, and other aspects of life.
But thanks in part to the work of advocates like Olympic bronze medalist Alysia Montaño—who founded For All Mothers+ after sharing her own motherhood story as a pro athlete—and former elite marathoner and mom Kaitlin Goodman—who’s been working with races on this topic and maintaining a spreadsheet of their current policies—races are increasingly offering everything from private breastfeeding spaces to childcare for elite athletes to deferrals for those whose family timing and race calendars fall out of sync.
“We recognize that motherhood doesn’t just live in a corner—it lives across all facets of how we function in society,” Montaño says. By offering these amenities, races are allowing people in all phases of life to go after big goals, with all the mental and physical benefits that pursuit entails.
Such efforts are popular, the For All Mothers+ survey shows. More than 90 percent of runners prefer to spend money on races that offer support like lactation services and childcare, even if they don’t personally need them.
In addition to advising races on best practices, For All Mothers+ is also building a Family Forward Event Tracker, a comprehensive database of both recreational and professional races that prioritize these standards. Organizers can submit their events to the tracker and runners can peruse them. And thanks to a partnership with Strava, races will also have the option of integrating the location of their lactation stations via waypoints on their course map. Here are details on 10 of the marathons that are aiming to keep parents and families racing.
Houston Marathon
Date: January 11, 2026
Location: Houston, Texas
Lactation support: The George R. Brown Convention Center—in between the start and finish lines—hosts three small private rooms and a small communal space for nursing runners. You can then request a separate bag to check your pump at gear check.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Runners who are pregnant or postpartum can defer their entry for a year by contacting race organizers.
More information: This flat course has hosted several American records—including one set by mother runner Keira D’Amato, whose 2:19:12 here in 2022 broke Deena Kastor’s longstanding mark (though Emily Sisson has since lowered it again to 2:18:29).
Boston Marathon
Date: April 21, 2025
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Lactation support: The lactation tent at the Athletes’ Village in Hopkinton offers private and semi-private spaces, power outlets, hand sanitizer, and sanitizing wipes. If you request an approved medical device bag at the expo, the Boston Athletic Association (BAA) will transport your pump (though not your milk) to the finish, where another lactation station awaits in the St. James Medical Tent.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Deferrals are available for pregnant runners and those who are postpartum, meaning they’ve given birth within 24 weeks of race day. Anytime from the day you’re accepted into the race until two weeks beforehand, submit a deferral form, along with a note from a medical professional. You’ll receive a guaranteed entry—without having to requalify—into either of the next two subsequent Boston Marathons, though you will have to pay the registration fee again (unless you bought registration protection when you signed up).
More information: In addition to a lactation pod from Mamava, this year’s expo at the Hynes Convention Center will feature an extra dose of inspiration. At 3 p.m. on Friday, April 18, elite mother-runners Goodman, Paula Radcliffe, and Sara Vaughn—along with eight-time Boston Marathoner and mom of three Erica Brecher—will speak at a panel on Motherhood and Marathoning, hosted by the BAA’s Lorna Campbell.
Bayshore Marathon
Date: May 24, 2025
Location: Traverse City, Michigan
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Lactation support: Northwestern Michigan College, located near the start and finish of this out-and-back course, will be home to an indoor lactation space on race day.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Runners who are pregnant, postpartum, or have experienced pregnancy loss can email [email protected] to request a deferral. They won’t be charged again to enter next year’s race.
More information: If you’re looking for a more low-key alternative to big-city races, this scenic run along the Old Mission Peninsula in Lake Michigan offers a field capped at 2,000 runners; it also has an accompanying half marathon, 10K, and 1.2-mile kids run. And because it’s Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, you’ll have two days to enjoy the area’s other family-friendly attractions, such as Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
Twin Cities Marathon
Date: October 5, 2025
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Lactation support: Last year, runners could pump before and after the race—and safely store or transport breast milk—on Barb, the Breast Express Bus. The vehicle, provided by the Maine-based company Pumpspotting, was also staffed with lactation consultants. The bus hasn’t yet set a 2025 schedule, but race organizers say they’d welcome its return. Either way, there will be lactation spaces at both the start in St. Paul and the finish in Minneapolis.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Organizers noted there’s no official deferral option, but exceptions are considered on a case-by-case basis by contacting customer service.
More information: Kids of all ages can also take part in race weekend fun—the day before the race, Twin Cities hosts several family events, including the Diaper Dash for crawlers; a roughly 100-meter Toddler Trot for tots age 4 and younger; and a Family Mile and Half Mile.
Chicago Marathon
Date: October 12, 2025
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Lactation support: Runners can nurse in private or semi-private spaces before the race at the Hilton Chicago, 720 N. Michigan Ave., across the street from the start line in Grant Park. On course, there are lactation tents at miles 15 and 16. And the 27th Mile Post-Race Party in Butler Field, within Grant Park, will have lactation spaces with access to power and a sink.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: If you need to cancel because you’re pregnant, postpartum, or have experienced pregnancy loss, send a request and a physician authorization form to race organizers by October 8. You can defer both your entry and registration fee to any future event within a three-year window.
More information: Chicago’s looped course and extensive public transit system makes it particularly spectator friendly—with a little advance planning, families can catch their runners flying by at several points along the way.
New York City Marathon
Date: November 2, 2025
Location: New York City, New York
Lactation support: Runners can access dedicated lactation spaces at the start and finish line, as well as miles 8, 17, and 22. Personal breast pumps (but not milk) will be transported from the starting line to the finish line, and Medela breast pumps are also available for participants to use.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Runners who are pregnant, within one year of giving birth, or who have experienced pregnancy loss, can cancel their entry and receive a guaranteed spot at one of the next three subsequent races (so those who defer this year can sign up in 2026, 2027, or 2028). They won’t receive refunds and will have to pay the registration fee again the year they choose to run.
More information: Provided you have an entry to what’s become a major hot-ticket event—in 2025, only 2 to 3 percent of more than 200,000 applicants to the lottery were selected—you’ll find private nursing spaces stocked with pumps from Staten Island to Manhattan.
Indianapolis Monumental Marathon
Date: November 8, 2025
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Lactation support: The start and finish lines are both within a block of the Indiana Convention Center, which will host a lactation room that can be accessed at any time on race day. Race organizers also said pumps can be stored at gear check, just west of the start and finish lines.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Requests for referrals related to pregnancy, as well as military deployment and injury, can be submitted via an online form by October 1. While there is a deferral fee of $20, runners don’t have to pay their entry fees twice. Race organizers handle requests related to pregnancy loss, postpartum complications, and related situations on a case-by-case basis, with an eye toward flexibility.
More information: Sign up for this Midwestern gem and feel good about supporting the next generation of runners: Proceeds from this race support the Apex Benefits Monumental Kids Movement, a school-based running club that teaches local students about health and wellness as they train for a 5K or half marathon.
Every Woman’s Marathon
Date: November 16, 2025
Location: Scottsdale, Arizona
Lactation support: Race organizers said private lactation spaces at the start and finish lines are stocked with high-quality pumps, which runners can take with them or leave for disposal. They’ll also be provided with a milk bag and insulated water bottle with ice for safely storing or transporting breast milk.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Complete refunds are available for all pregnancy-related reasons, by request from race organizers.
More information: This second annual event is put on by Team Milk—a.k.a. the Milk Processor Education Program, funded by milk companies and charged with educating consumers about the benefits of drinking more of the stuff. In 2025, it’s in Scottsdale instead of Savannah, Georgia, but promises the same atmosphere of female empowerment.
Philadelphia Marathon
Date: November 23, 2025
Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Lactation support: Runners will find a lactation tent with private spaces in the start and finish areas, and can store pumps at the nearby gear check. While there are no on-site refrigeration services, participants are welcome to bring coolers or other containers to store and transport milk.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: Runners have until November 1 to log into their online account to request a one-year deferral for any reason, no documentation required. Those who do pay a $100 deferral fee for the marathon but don’t pay another registration fee in 2026.
More information: At least one postpartum athlete has seen major success here: The 2024 winner, Philadelphia runner Katie Florio, gave birth to her son Nico in October 2023. Thirteen months later, she crossed the finish line in a personal best 2:32:42.
California International Marathon
Date: December 7,2025
Location: Sacramento, California
Lactation support: Runners can pump in a semi-private space at a restaurant near the start area in Folsom, California, then place their devices in a clear plastic gear check bag for transportation back to the finish line in Sacramento.
Pregnancy and postpartum deferrals: When they register, runners choose between three levels and price points. One of those—gold level, at $230—includes a one-year deferral for any reason, and that and the standard “orange” entry ($200) also allow runners to transfer bibs. But even those who buy a blue entry ($180), which is non-deferrable or transferable, can apply for a “special considerations” waiver if they’ll be pregnant or postpartum on race day.
More information: Sanchez is far from the only mom who’s earned a qualifying mark at CIM. Despite its gently rolling hills, the course is known as fast, and is favored by aspiring Boston and Olympic Trials runners alike.
Cindy is a freelance health and fitness writer, author, and podcaster who’s contributed regularly to Runner’s World since 2013. She’s the coauthor of both Breakthrough Women’s Running: Dream Big and Train Smart and Rebound: Train Your Mind to Bounce Back Stronger from Sports Injuries, a book about the psychology of sports injury from Bloomsbury Sport. Cindy specializes in covering injury prevention and recovery, everyday athletes accomplishing extraordinary things, and the active community in her beloved Chicago, where winter forges deep bonds between those brave enough to train through it.
