Thomas Eller (marathon runner)
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | German |
| Born | July 2, 1980 Essen, Germany |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
Event | Marathon |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best | 2:47:11 (Berlin Marathon 2019) |
Thomas Eller (born 2 July 1980) is a German deaf marathon runner, teacher and inclusion activist. He completed all six World Marathon Majors, culminating in Tokyo 2023, and has been described as the first deaf-born Six Star Medal finisher.[1][2]
Early life and education
[edit]Eller was born deaf in Essen, Germany. During his teacher-training studies in Cologne, he took up running as a way to cope with the strain of constant lip-reading.[3] In 2018 he ran his first marathon in Petra, Jordan, finishing fourth.[4]
Marathon career
[edit]Eller set his personal best of 2:47:11 at the Berlin Marathon in 2019.[5] In 2023 he completed the six World Marathon Majors, with his final star earned in Tokyo.[1][2] He also participated in Paris’s mass-participation Marathon pour tous linked to the Olympic Games.[6]
Selected results
[edit]Advocacy and outreach
[edit]Eller works with the World Marathon Majors and individual race organizers to improve accessibility for deaf athletes, including official “Deaf Runner” back bibs, sign-language interpreting and captioned content.[2][8] He has discussed barriers faced by deaf athletes and practical measures at mass events in interviews.[9]
Media coverage
[edit]In OCtober 2023, NBC Chicago wrote that Eller was “chasing marathon history” despite his hearing disability.[10] He appeared in the Chicago Tribune’s 2023 marathon photo report and in an interactive The New York Times feature on Boston finishers.[11][12] In 2024, InsideHook profiled Eller and his approach to long-distance running as a deaf athlete.[13]
Honours and recognition
[edit]- Completed the Six Star Medal at the Tokyo Marathon (2023).[1][2][7]
- Featured by the World Marathon Majors in a long-form profile.[2]
- Invited speaker on inclusion panels at the Chicago Marathon Expo (2023), the Berlin Marathon 50th-anniversary program (2024), and the Boston Marathon Expo (2025).[14][3][15]
Personal life
[edit]Eller teaches deaf children and teenagers at the LVR-David-Ludwig-Bloch School in Essen, Germany. His students have supported him at races, including during the Berlin Marathon program in 2024.[3] In 2025 he was a torchbearer for the Rhine-Ruhr 2025 FISU World University Games flame relay in Essen.[16]
References
[edit]- 1 2 3 4 "Mein Weg zum 6. Stern". ARD Mediathek (in German). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "History Boy". World Marathon Majors. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- 1 2 3 "Inclusion: Breaking Boundaries (Berlin Marathon 50)". Unseen Gallery (in German). Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- 1 2 "Deaf-born runner redefining his disability, running his way across the world". Albatros Adventure Marathons. 12 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- 1 2 "BMW BERLIN-MARATHON 2024 – Official program" (PDF). BMW Berlin-Marathon. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Listen Up". Footprint. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- 1 2 "German Deaf man completes the 6 World Marathon Majors". The Daily Moth. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Thomas Eller". New York Road Runners. 19 May 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "An interview with Deaf World Runner Thomas Eller". InclusiveASL. 8 February 2024. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Despite his hearing disability, German runner Thomas Eller is chasing marathon history". NBC Chicago. October 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Chicago Marathon 2023: Photo gallery". Chicago Tribune. 8 October 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "At the Finish Line, 10 Years Later". The New York Times. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "The Deaf Marathoner Changing the Conversation Around Hearing Loss". InsideHook. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Main Stage Schedule 2023" (PDF). Bank of America Chicago Marathon. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Boston Marathon Expo". Boston Athletic Association. Retrieved 18 August 2025.
- ↑ "Flame relay in Essen sends a strong signal of community spirit". Rhine-Ruhr 2025. Retrieved 18 August 2025.