Disability Challenges the Ethics of Running Culture

Abstract

This article reviews moral dilemmas the running community is currently facing as a result of the participation of athletes with medical conditions in competitive events. A detailed review of the experiences and treatment of athletes’ with respiratory conditions demonstrates new challenges the sport of running will need to address. Michael McBride and Lyn Cole are two COPD patients that represent the push to accommodate physically disabled athletes. McBride participated in the Boston Marathon, dragging an external oxygen supply behind him on a cart. People with disabilities, like him, are using exercise as an element of their treatment plans. McBride and Cole found that training and participation in competitive running events provides them with motivation and an enjoyable sense of achievement.