Athletes with Disabilities

The Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile & 5K welcomes athletes with disabilities, including push-rim wheelchair athletes, individuals with disabilities who are being pushed in wheelchairs (duos and trios), visually impaired athletes, hearing impaired athletes and athletes who have a prosthesis. We have special entry procedures for these athletes, so you should not enter the lottery. Please find the athlete category that pertains to you below for policies and procedures regarding athletes with disabilities.

Entry Procedures for All Participants in the Athletes with Disabilities Division 

All athletes with disabilities – and any necessary guides — will be given guaranteed entry into the race through the use of special entry codes. If you an athlete with a disability in any of the categories outlined below, do not enter the lottery.

Step 1: Request your special entry code by sending an email to info@cherryblossom.org with “Athlete with a Disability Registrant” in the subject line.

• • Include which category of Athletes with Disabilities you will be entering (categories are detailed below). Be sure to read the policies below that are specific to your category.
  • Include if you are requesting a code for the 10 Mile or the 5K.
  • If the person making the request is an individual with a disability, they should include their name and the name(s) of any guides or wheelchair drivers of duos or trios (see below) who will be accompanying them. Conversely, if a guide or wheelchair driver is requesting the code, they must include their name, the name of the athlete they will be accompanying, and the additional driver if it is a trio.

Step 2: You will receive an email with a link to the registration form for Athletes with Disabilities and an entry code so you can access the registration form. Each athlete with a disability and each guide and/or driver must fill out an entry form – no exceptions! Each person will use the same entry code to access the registration form – no one is allowed to participate in the race without having filled out a registration form. Be sure to check the descriptions below for the various categories in the Athletes with Disability division to help you in filling out the registration form and to make sure you fit one of the categories.

Registrations for athletes with disabilities will close on February 15, 2026. 

Categories for Athletes with Disabilities

Wheelchairs

We welcome wheelchair athletes in push rim wheelchairs. We are sorry but we can’t accommodate handcrank wheelchairs in the race.

Wheelchair Starting and Finishing Times:

• • 10 Mile: All participants in the wheelchair division will start at 7:21 a.m., three minutes after the Women’s Advance Start at 7:18 a.m. All wheelchairs must finish faster than the 2 hours and 20-minute net time required of able-bodied participants.
  • 5K: All participants in the wheelchair division will start at 7:57 a.m., three minutes before the mass 5K start, and must finish faster than the 75-minute net time required of able-bodied participants.

Scoring: Wheelchair participants will be scored in a special Wheelchair order of finish.

Duos and Trios

• • A “Duo” is defined as an able-bodied individual (referred to as the “driver) pushing an individual with a disability in a wheelchair or some other adaptive device (referred to as the “passenger”).
  • A “Trio” is defined as a group of two able bodied individuals with one pushing (“driving”) and the other a back-up driver accompanying an individual with a disability in a wheelchair or some other adaptive device. Note: No teams consisting of more than two drivers and one passenger will be allowed entry into the race. This policy is designed to allow for the maximum number of passengers to participate in the race.
  • The minimum age for a passenger is 12 years old on race day.
  • The use of helmets by passengers is strongly encouraged.

Maximum Number of Duos and Trios:  For safety reasons, both the 10 Mile and the 5K are limited to a total of 21 passengers in each race.  Each passenger may be accompanied by 1 or 2 “drivers” as either a “duo” (1 passenger and 1 driver) or a “trio” (one passenger and two drivers).

Substitutions:

• • Drivers: No substitutions of drivers are allowed after March 15. Any replacement drivers must be individuals already accepted into the 10 Mile or the 5K as regular race participants (i.e. no individuals not already accepted into the 10 Mile or the 5K will be allowed to be replacement drivers).
  • Passengers: Passenger substitutions will be allowed until seven days prior to race date (April 4, 2026). Replacement passengers must be entered into the race and be issued a new bib number.

Starting and Finishing Times:

• • 10 Mile: All participants in the Duos and Trios divisions will start at 7:21 a.m., three minutes after the Women’s Advance Start at 7:18 a.m. All Duos and Trios must finish faster than the 2 hours and 20-minute net time required of able-bodied participants.
  • 5K: All participants in the Duos and Trios divisions will start at 7:57 a.m., three minutes before the mass 5K start. All Duos and Trios must finish faster than the 75 minute net time required of able-bodied participants

Scoring: Drivers will be scored as runners. Passengers will be scored in a special Duos an Trios order of finish.

Other Categories

Visually impaired runners

Indicate when requesting your entry code if you will be participating with a Guide, who must also be entered into the race. Both visually-impaired runners and their guides will be scored as able-bodied participants.

Hearing impaired runners

Indicate when requesting your entry code if you will be participating with a Guide, who must also be entered into the race. Both hearing-impaired runners and their guides will be scored as able-bodied participants.

Runners using a prothesis

Indicate when requesting your entry code if you will be participating with a Guide, who must also be entered into the race.