NKR-Sponsored Kidney Donor Athletes to Run New York City Marathon to Raise Awareness About Living Kidney Donation

Kidney donor athletes Matt Cavanaugh and Hilary Baude, after successfully completing the first nine marathons of their 1K12M (One Kidney, 12 Marathons) challenge, are gearing up for the next marathon on the list, the New York City Marathon.

1K12M is a full-year challenge sponsored by the National Kidney Registry, in which Matt and Hilary will participate in 12 marathons throughout 2023 all across the United States.

“Boston may be older, but New York is the granddaddy of marathons. Fifty thousand runners and five boroughs makes for one amazing race,” said Cavanaugh. “I'm really, really thrilled to get to that finish line at Central Park, which will make my 10th marathon of the year that much more special. Even more important is knowing just how many people we can introduce to the idea that living kidney donors can save a life and go right back to running and whatever physical things they love to do.”

“This will be my third year in a row running this iconic race,” said Baude. “The atmosphere is electric every step of the way and I'm looking forward to being back with the cheering crowds in all five boroughs! My kidney donation surgery took place at New York Presbyterian, so this city is near and dear to me! There is no better place to run marathon number 11 of the year to demonstrate that you can run on one (kidney)! Thank you, New Yorkers, for the amazing support you give this race!”

So far, Matt and Hilary have run marathons in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Cincinnati, Denver, San Diego, San Francisco, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Hartford, and Washington, D.C.

Hilary also participated in the Ironman Mont Tremblant in Quebec, Canada, and became the first living donor in history to qualify for the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, which she completed on October 14. After the New York City race, Matt and Hilary will wrap up the challenge with races in Philadelphia and Honolulu.

For more information on the 1K12M challenge, visit the Donor Games website https://www.livingdonorgames.org/1k12m-one-kidney-12-marathons/.

About Matt Cavanaugh

Matt Cavanaugh, PhD, is a retiring US military officer who serves as the President of the National Kidney Donor Organization. He twice earned the Bronze Star Medal, as well as the Combat Action Badge, for his service in Iraq. Matt donated his left kidney on September 15, 2021, to a stranger and started a donation chain.

About Hilary Baude

Hilary Baude is a kindergarten teacher who donated her kidney to a stranger in May of 2021 and is now an active member of the National Kidney Donation Organization. Hilary was an NCAA Division 1 swimmer and has run more than 20 marathons to date. She competed in her first Ironman in 2022, placing third in her age group.

Date: November 5, 2023

Start Location:
Verrazano–Narrows Bridge on Staten Island
The race will take runners through all five boroughs of New York City, starting on the Verrazano–Narrows Bridge on Staten Island and passing through Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and the Bronx, before finishing in Central Park.

About the National Kidney Registry

The National Kidney Registry (www.kidneyregistry.org) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to save and improve the lives of people facing kidney failure by increasing the quality, speed, and number of living donor transplants while protecting all living donors.

For details https://www.nyrr.org/races/2023tcsnewyorkcitymarathon.