Daniel Romanchuk and Manuela Schar Win N.Y.C. Marathon Wheelchair Races

Daniel Romanchuk grew up in Mount Airy, Md., a hilly stretch of the state where he learned to love the challenge of climbing steep roads in his wheelchair.

As a professional racer, he has made a name for himself by running away from competitors on the hills, including on Sunday, when he won his second consecutive New York City Marathon in 1 hour 37 minutes 24 seconds.

The race was a rematch of last year’s down-to-the-wire showdown with Marcel Hug of Switzerland, who won the race in 2016 and 2017. Romanchuk, who now lives in Illinois, bolted to the front at the start in Staten Island, racing up the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge — the highest point on the course — and gliding into Brooklyn. Hug tracked him down there.

Throughout the rest of the grueling race, Romanchuk, 21, powered through the uphill portions of the course and Hug took the lead on the downhill sections.

At the 20-mile mark, in the Bronx, David Weir and Aaron Pike joined the two men and created a four-man pack. At 22 miles, Pike poked into the lead, but was unable to pull away. Along Fifth Avenue and into the hills of Central Park, Romanchuk retook the lead, holding off Hug and Weir in a sprint to the finish. Hug finished one second behind Romanchuk.

“I grew up climbing hills, and I love this course,” Romanchuk said at the finish. “One of the unique features of this course is there’s such a substantial hill so early in the race.”

The women’s race held no such drama. Manuela Schar of Switzerland won the women’s race for the third consecutive year, in 1:44:20. It was the third-fastest winning time since the New York City Marathon added a wheelchair division in 2000.

Schar, 34, led from very early in the race, when she passed her rival, Tatyana McFadden of the United States, then won by nearly four minutes, solidifying her dominance on the world stage. She is the titleholder in all six marathon majors and has won nine major races in a row. She has all but replaced McFadden, who finished second on Sunday, as the world’s most dominant female wheelchair marathoner.

“I’m happy and overwhelmed by what I’ve been able to do,” Schar said at the finish line. “It’s been an amazing year.”

Both winners collected $25,000. That was a fivefold increase from last year. The New York City Marathon increased the winning purse for the wheelchair winners to $155,000, up from $125,000 last year and now the most of any of the six major marathons.

Prize money for wheelchair races has steadily grown as race organizers close the large gap with winners in the runners’ categories. Sponsorship support for wheelchair racers has increased as well. Racers who come in first like Schar are earning enough prize money that they can now pay for their training.

“It’s getting more and more attention,” said Chris Weiller, a spokesman for New York Road Runners. “They’re incredible athletes with amazing personal stories.”

Romanchuk’s story is only just being told. He became the first American and youngest athlete to win the men’s wheelchair division at the New York City Marathon last year when he was 20 years old. He has also won major marathons in Boston, Chicago and London.

“It’s crazy what Daniel has done in the past few months,” Schar said of Romanchuk. “He’s so young and talented, I don’t know where it will go.”

Born with spina bifida, Romanchuk has a 6-foot-10 wingspan that allows him to use 17-inch wheels on his chair, while most others use 15- and 16-inch wheels. He now trains at the University of Illinois with some of the world’s best wheelchair racers. An engineering student, he takes apart his wheelchair and reassembles it for fun.

“I’ve always kind of wondered about this thing I use every day, so I can take my chair apart,” he said.

He applies his love of math to his precise preparation for races, particularly in New York, which is known for its hills. The growing pool of prize money has allowed him to buy a house, which he closed on between the Boston and London races this spring. Romanchuk has already qualified for the Tokyo Games in 2020.

As Romanchuk establishes his reputation, Schar is on an impressive streak in the women’s division. For years, she raced in the shadow of McFadden, who won the New York City Marathon four consecutive years before Schar beat her in 2017.

Now, Schar is the woman to beat. She enjoys technical courses because “every turn gives you an opportunity to attack,” Schar said. Last year, she chased McFadden to secure the victory. This year, Schar only had to look ahead, winning with ease.