Aaron Matthew grew up on First Avenue between 110th and 116th Street in East Harlem. Runners in the NYC Marathon know that landmark as mile 18.8. As a kid, Matthew spent marathon mornings on the curb with his brother and cousins, cheering on participants as they ran up the avenue.
On Nov. 1, Matthew was back on First Avenue, this time as one of those runners. He ran the TCS New York City Marathon, passing right by the curb where he used to sit. Born deaf, he wore a “Deaf Runner” bib on his back at the marathon, and along the course, people tapped him on the shoulder, cheered him on and signed “I love you” as he passed.
“I kept saying, ‘I’m home!’” said Matthew, 33.“Then I saw my family right after, and that was the cherry on top.”
Part of what got him there is ASL Run NYC, the running club that gave Matthew his marathon bib. Co-founded by Ray Walker, 26, who ran the marathon as a “support runner” or guide, and Guillermo Burgos, 32, the club brings together deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing runners, aiming to create a safe, accessible space where all members can socialize and communicate. Since its first run in February, the club has alternated between Monday evenings and Saturday mornings, meeting at spots across the city, from Prospect Park to Long Island City.
Matthew trained with the 9:30-per-mile pace group and finished in 4:20:04.
When asked what he felt when he crossed the finish line, he said, “All day I’d been telling myself, ‘I love you. You are beautiful. You’re going to have a great day.’ And I did.”
Because most running spaces aren’t built with his needs in mind, Matthew said having a dedicated group in New York has been a comfort on his running journey. For him, a race is inaccessible when he can’t communicate with people the way he wants to.
Matthew’s love of the marathon may have started on a Harlem curb, but running it came into view about two years ago, when he was invited to his first official New York Road Runners (NYRR) event.
After completing a few 5Ks, he was encouraged by his partner to work toward the marathon, so he signed up for NYRR’s 9+1 program, which guarantees marathon entry to members who run nine qualifying races and volunteer at one event. He completed the program for 2027, but his bib for this ultimately came through ASL Run NYC.
“I never really understood the benefit or joy that [running] would bring,” Matthew said. “To watch people from different communities come together and do their thing — it’s just super-inspiring.”
Walker, who is hearing but grew up with a deaf sister, said he’s noticed that very few run clubs are truly inclusive of deaf and hard-of-hearing runners. As a result, many deaf runners hesitate to join hearing clubs because they worry they won’t be able to communicate during a run. ASL Run NYC fills that gap by building its runs around both signing and speaking.
For hearing runners, Walker said, the club also offers a chance to see the sport through a different lens and understand what it’s like to rely on another language mid-run.
“I walk around this world as a hearing individual who knows what’s going on around me 24/7, but these folks rely on another language — they’re signing and running,” he said. “I feel like people don’t understand that that’s not easy — you have to use your eyes a lot more than the average person.”
Walker said his passion for the club comes from watching his sister navigate the world growing up and from wanting to help others with similar experiences. Matthew’s enthusiasm fuels him, too.
“Aaron is passionate; he has that energy, and it makes me even more willing to want to put myself out there,” Walker said.
At mile 14, neighbors joined ASL Run NYC members in cheering on Matthew, Walker, and four other club members running the race.
For those interested in joining, information about the club can be found on its Instagram, @aslrunnyc.
