Endurance sport pioneer speaks at Grandma’s Marathon

By WDIO

Grandma’s Marathon is excited to welcome a record-breaking, endurance sport pioneer to the starting line of the William A. Irvin 5k.

Chris Nikic was born with Down Syndrome and was unable to walk well until the age of 4.

Now, he is the first person with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman Triathlon. The race consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2-mile run.

He ran the race in 2020 and would and beat his record in 2022, writing history in the Guinness Record Book at 16 hours, 31 minutes.

Also, he is the first person with Down Syndrome to race the six major marathons across the world, including Boston, New York, Chicago, Berlin, London, and Tokyo. Nikic earned the coveted Six Star Medal.

Down Syndrome is a chromosomal disorder caused by an extra chromosome 21.

Chris co-wrote a book with his dad, Nik, called 1% Better: Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too.

Grandma’s Marathon is Saturday, June 22.