1976

Dick Traum, an above-the-knee amputee, completes the New York City Marathon as the first amputee to complete a 26.2-mile course.

1983

Dick founds the Achilles Track Club on January 8th, 1983. Six members complete the NYC Marathon.

1984

Achilles Vermont is founded, the first chapter outside New York.

1985

The first International Chapter, Achilles New Zealand, is founded.

1988

The first Achilles Handicap 10K Race in Central Park.

1991

Achilles hosts its first annual tribute dinner - the Achilles International Gala.

1995

Achilles Kids is founded, and kicks off with the “Race Around New York” virtual marathon.

Achilles Utah is founded.

2001

The inaugural Achilles Marathon held in Brooklyn.

2003

Achilles launches the Hope and Possibility® 5-mile run, a race that gives awards for achievement in multiple disabled categories and includes both able-bodied and disabled runners. The event’s name is taken from the title of Achilles founding Board Chairperson Trisha Meili’s memoir, I Am the Central Park Jogger – A Story of Hope and Possibility.

2004

Dick Traum and Mary Bryant visit Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. to speak to the first group of Freedom Team runners. Later that year, 34 wounded veterans came to New York City to run the 5-mile Hope and Possibility® race.

NYC Chapter athletes are given the opportunity to add swimming and bicycling to their running regimens. The first team of para triathletes and volunteer triathletes to take part in multi-sport competitions is formed. In future, this program will be known at TriAchilles.

2005

A Chapter of Achilles is established in Madison, Wisconsin.

2006

The first Hope and Possibility® race outside New York takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

2007

Achilles celebrates participation in 25 years of the NYC Marathon.

2008

Achilles Track Club changes its name to Achilles International.

Achilles Freedom Team handcyclists participate in the Boston Marathon at the behest of Maureen Dunn whose husband Joe Dunn was MIA in Vietnam for many years. Her passion was to see that the men and women wounded in service to the United States would be welcomed to compete in her hometown’s marathon on Patriots Day.

New York Governor David Paterson runs in the Hope and Possibility® race, guided by Trisha Meili in New York’s Central Park.

2009

Senator Tammy Duckworth completes the Chicago Marathon with the Achilles Freedom Team.

Team Rusk -- a trio of patients from the Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine’s Brain Injury Day Treatment program who trained with Achilles -- debuts at the New York City Marathon.

2010

Prince Harry of Wales, Cindy and Megan McCain, and Heather Mills join over 5000 participants in the 8th Annual Achilles Hope and Possibility®.  It is a NYC Marathon Qualifying race. 

2011

Achilles Freedom Team members are joined by The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart at the 9th Annual Hope and Possibility® in NYC’s Central Park.

Achilles Germany hosts its first Hope and Possibility® race.

Achilles Utah renews its Chapter Charter.

2012

Achilles Nashville, Achilles Greater Phoenix, Achilles Bergen County Kaplan JCC and Achilles Philadelphia Chapters are founded.

A Chapter is founded in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Achilles International hosts its 10th annual Hope and Possibility® race.

Dick Traum is a semi-finalist in CNN’s Heroes.

Qualifying Achilles paratriathletes and guides travel to Austin, Texas to compete in CapTexTri, the National Triathlon Championship.

The New York City Marathon is cancelled on the Friday evening before the race due to Hurricane Sandy. Achilles athletes and guides from all over the world run in what came to be called the UnMarathon in Central Park.

2013

On January 8, Achilles International celebrates its 30th Anniversary.

Connecticut is united under one newly founded Chapter called Achilles CT.

Crystal Springs Resort in New Jersey hosts the first Achilles Paratriathlon Camp to kick off the season with clinics run by professional trainers Brian Hammond and Travis Hawkins.

The newly-built Jewish Community Center (JCC) in New York City provides pool access to Achilles paratriathletes and guides.

The NYC Triathlon sees 33 Achilles paratriathletes, guides and handlers; plus 20 Achilles Charity Entrants making 2013 the largest Achilles showing to date.

Achilles Colorado is founded in Denver. 

2014

Achilles International Freedom Team celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

Achilles Pikes Peak is founded in the Colorado Springs area.

Inaugural Hope and Possibility® races are held in Nashville, Tennessee and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

The first Achilles Love Run in NYC’s Central Park takes place.

Achilles Mongolia Chapter is founded.

Achilles Moscow celebrates its 25th Anniversary.

2015

Chapters are founded in Brooklyn, New York and Boulder, Colorado.

In Wisconsin, Achilles Madison celebrates its 10th Anniversary with Achilles Founder Dick Traum in attendance.

Achilles Mongolia hosts its first Hope and Possibility® race.

2016

Achilles Australia celebrates its 20th Anniversary.

Achilles Queens and Achilles San Francisco Bay Area Chapters are founded.

Inaugural Achilles Connecticut Hope and Possibility® 5K and 10K take place in Bloomfield, Connecticut.

Achilles Utah trains a team of 13 blind athletes and 12 guides to complete the Wasatch Back Ragnar. 

2017

Kirsten Cole hosts the Achilles International Gala honoring Master Sergeant Cedric King. Jon Stewart delivers the keynote address.

The Achilles team of Paratriathletes adopts the name TriAchilles.

Achilles Boston begins meeting at the RunBase on Boylston St.

Achilles Los Angeles and Achilles Las Vegas are founded.

Achilles Minnesota is founded with the twin Minneapolis-Saint Paul cities as its hub.

Achilles Charlotte is founded in North Carolina and another Chapter forms in Greenville, South Carolina.

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) recognizes the top male and female handcycle competitors to win the Boston Marathon.

The Star Spangled Banner is played and wreaths of laurel placed upon Tom Davis of Achilles Freedom Team and Michelle Love who won the women's handcycle division as the only female competitor.

The BAA agrees to double the size of the handcycle field to 60 in 2018. 

2018

Achilles International celebrates its 35th Anniversary.

Achilles Boston arranges city run tours for out-of-town runners during the Boston Marathon weekend.

Achilles New Zealand celebrates its 25th Anniversary.

A Chapter of Achilles in Washington, D.C. is revived for the fourth time.

Achilles New Jersey is founded and subsumes Achilles Bergen County Kaplan JCC.

2019

Achilles NW Arkansas and Achilles Tucson are founded.

The New Jersey Chapter of Achilles hosts its first Hope and Possibility® race.

At the opening ceremony of Achilles Mongolia annual Hope and Possibility® events, President of Mongolia, Khaltmaagiin Battulga, honors the impact Achilles Mongolia has on the perception of disability and sports in Mongolia by improving lives, and sponsoring 20 athletes with disabilities and their guides for the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon. Almost 2,000 people participate in the race and thousands of spectators cheer and celebrate the President’s call to work together to create a society fair to everyone, regardless of ability or disability.

Meghan McCain and Deborah Roberts host the Achilles International Gala at which David Cordani, CEO of Cigna is honored. Special guests include Gary Sinise, Alex Rodriguez, and Magic Johnson, who delivers the keynote speech.

Achilles founder Dick Traum retires.

Emily Glasser is named CEO and President.

2020

In the face of the COVID-19 global pandemic, Achilles International goes high-tech without loss of the high-touch the organization is known for. Achilles athletes and volunteers all over the world connect virtually and take part in remote training sessions online.