Wyatt Anderson completed the Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s 26.2-mile course on Sunday. Anderson crossed the finish line just under a year after a basketball accident left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Saint Xavier High School said Anderson was injured in November 2025 when he ran head-first into a wall while diving for a basketball during a game at a local Jewish Community Center in Louisville, according to Saint Xavier High School. ABC News reported that the neck injury left him paralyzed from the neck down and that he was determined to regain his strength and eventually run the Chicago Marathon, according to ABC News.
In the months that followed, Anderson underwent inpatient and outpatient physical therapy at UofL Health's Frazier Rehabilitation Institute in Louisville. UofL Health says therapists guided him from immobility back to walking and eventually running. The institute specializes in neurological restoration and spinal cord injury rehabilitation.
From Hospital Bed to Half Marathon
Fewer than five months after his injury, Anderson completed the 13.1-mile Kentucky Derby Festival miniMarathon in under two hours, according to WLKY.
During his hospital stay, Anderson's high school classmates organized a schedule so he would not be alone between physical therapy sessions, Saint Xavier High School notes.
Brothers Side by Side for 26.2 Miles
For Sunday's marathon, Anderson's family mounted a grassroots fundraising campaign called Run Wyatt Run, according to Brownsboro Hardware & Paint.
Anderson and his brother planned to run to raise money for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
One Runner Among a Record Field
Anderson's marathon finish came amid one of the largest editions of the race in its history. The 48th Bank of America Chicago Marathon drew a record field of 55,000 registered runners on Sunday, per the Chicago Marathon's own event information. The race draws elite and adaptive athletes from around the globe each year.
The World Health Organization says spinal cord injury can cause complete or incomplete loss of function.
What injury guidance and race eligibility establish
The Bank of America Chicago Marathon’s Para Athletics Program lists spinal cord injury among conditions that may be associated with impaired muscle power. The World Health Organization says the extent of impairment from spinal cord injury depends on its severity and location.
Anderson's finish brought together two forms of support described during his recovery: his brother ran with him in Chicago, while Saint Xavier classmates organized a schedule so he would not be alone between physical therapy sessions.
