The club was founded by Dick Traum and Robert Glover. Dick is its current President, an above the knee amputee marathoner. Rovert Glover is his coach and author of the best selling book, The Runner's Handbook. We are an international, nonprofit organization that provides support, training, and technical expertise to runners at all levels. Achilles includes people with all kinds of disabilities, such as visual impairment, stroke, cerebral palsy, paraplegia, arthritis, amputation, multiple sclerosis, cystic fibrosis, cancer, traumatic head injury, and many others.
Runners participate with crutches, in wheelchairs, on prostheses, and without aids.
Founded in New York City, the ATC has expanded into 40 chapters in the United States and over 110 chapters on six continents, including countries like Norway, New Zealand, Mongolia, Dominican Republic, Russia, South Africa, Vietnam and Japan. Programs, in conjunction with other organizations, provide eye surgery for blind runners, below the knee prostheses, and sports wheelchairs for Achilles members. Achilles is involved in many local and national running events. Every year the ATC sponsors a large number of disabled runners for the New York City Marathon. The 1998 NYC Marathon, for example, had 281 Achilles runners from around the world competing in the 26.2 mile race.