Amputee Is NYC's Oldest Athlete In Boston Marathon

NEW YORK, NY – A 78-year-old who lost a leg in a Naval plane accident is leading an army of New Yorkers at the Boston Marathon Monday, Apr. 15.

And it will be the 73rd time Upper East Sider Dr. Richard "Dick" Traum, who had his leg amputated above the knee, has tackled the 26.2 mile distance.

Traum, one of 549 athletes headed to the race from Manhattan alone, will be riding a hand cycle through the grueling course. He is the founder of Achilles International, an organization that describes its mission as, "empowering people with disabilities to participate in mainstream running events in order to promote personal achievement."

Programs within the organization include the "Achilles Freedom Team," which serves wounded military personnel and veterans; "Achilles Kids," which provides race opportunities for children with disabilities; and the "Achilles Para-Triathlon Team," which expands the running program into biking and swimming.

"I give a speech 15 minutes before the event on how if you can complete a marathon, there's nothing you can't achieve," he told Patch.

Traum began running in the 1970s. In 1976, he ran in the New York City Marathon and became the first amputee to run a race of that distance on a prosthetic leg. In 1983 he founded Achilles International and has competed in an astonishing 73 marathons since.

Despite all his bravery and grit, Traum still admits to some fear. "It's very frightening," Dick told Patch when asked about being the oldest participant from Manhattan competing in the Boston Marathon.

He is one of 34 veterans from the Achilles Freedom team participating in Monday's race.

The five most represented zip codes amongst the borough of Manhattan are 10023, 10024, 10028, 10128 and 10025. The 10023 zip code on the Upper West Side has the most race participants with 52.

To look up other runners CLICK HERE.

If you want to cheer on Traum or any other racers, NBC Sports Network will be airing the race live on television and you can also catch it streaming online live at www.nbcsports.com beginning at 8:30 a.m on Monday.

Here is a breakdown of the start times:

• 9:02 a.m. - Men's Push-Rim Wheelchair Start
• 9:04 a.m. - Women's Push-Rim Wheelchair Start
• 9:25 a.m. - Handcycle and Duos Start
• 9:32 a.m. - Elite Women's Start
• 10 a.m. - Elite Men's Start
• 10:02 a.m. - Wave One Start
• 10:25 a.m. - Wave Two Start
• 10:50 a.m. - Wave Three Start
• 11:15 a.m. - Wave Four Start