Autistic Ultrarunner and World Record Holder Camille Herron Calls for Greater Disability Inclusion After Her ADA Request Was Not Accommodated at the 24-Hour World Championship

October 23, 2025

Ultrarunning legend Camille Herron is channeling her endurance and clarity into a new mission: advocating for neurodiversity, fairness, and athlete wellbeing in sport.

Tucson, Arizona (October 23, 2025) /ENDURANCE SPORTSWIRE/ – Camille Herron has spent her career redefining what’s possible in human endurance. After setting 12 world records in a single six-day race in 2024– an achievement that led BBC Sport to hail her as “the greatest ultramarathon runner of all time”– she’s turning her focus toward a new kind of finish line: changing how the world understands neurodivergent athletes and disability inclusion in sport.

Herron’s historic performance marked a personal turning point. Two months later, she received a formal diagnosis of Autism and ADHD (AuDHD)– a discovery that brought deep self-understanding and inspired a new purpose and passion.

“That race helped me connect the dots,” Herron says. “I realized my hyperfocus, sensory processing differences, pattern recognition, and deep empathy were all part of my neurodivergent brain. Learning I’m Autistic and ADHD gave me clarity and compassion for myself– and a new mission to help others feel seen and supported too.”

From Adversity to Advocacy

In 2024, Herron faced retaliation after whistleblowing about misconduct within her sport– an experience that tested her resilience and strengthened her resolve to advocate for sports integrity, equity, and athlete safety.

“This experience revealed my strong justice sensitivity– something many Autistic people share,” she explains. “It also showed how communication and processing differences can be misunderstood. I’ve learned that my persistence, focus, and moral clarity are part of my superpower– they drive me to stand up for what’s right, even when it’s hard.”

Beyond her advocacy for sports integrity, she’s also been using her platform to educate others about neurodivergence, disability rights, accessibility, and how to create safer, more inclusive spaces in sport. She’s helping athletes understand how to self-accommodate while encouraging race organizers and governing bodies to implement reasonable accommodations that improve participation and wellbeing.

She points to the Vermont 100’s inclusion of multiple disability divisions– including a neurodevelopmental category– as a promising example of progress. She also highlights features like sensory-friendly spaces, flexible communication options, predictable schedules, and disability awareness training for volunteers and staff. “Small changes like these make a huge difference,” she says. “They help athletes like me perform at our best and feel respected, seen, and understood.”

“My brain has a different operating system, and these differences are my strength,” Herron says. “Neurodivergence is my superpower. It’s how I break barriers, both on the track and in life.”

“Why I couldn’t compete at the 24Hr-World Championship”- A Call for Disability Inclusion in Sport

The 24-Hour World Championship is one of the most demanding environments in athletics– 24 hours of continuous light, noise, and hundreds of athletes on a small 1500m loop that pushes competitors to their physical and mental limits. For neurodivergent athletes like Herron, it can also mean 24 hours of sustained sensory overload.

Herron won the 2019 24-Hour World Championship in Albi, France, setting a new 24-hour World Record. But based on her experiences at past events, she recognized that the traditional team setup and race environment were not ideal for athletes with sensory or processing differences. “There’s only so much an athlete can do to self-accommodate,” she says. “Those who need it should have space within the rules that reasonably accommodates our needs and ensures fair, equitable, and safe competition.”

In June 2025, Herron submitted a formal ADA accommodations request to USATF ahead of the 2025 IAU 24-Hour World Championship, also held in Albi on October 18-19. To support her safety and disability needs, she asked for access to a safe, quiet, more open, and less crowded space for her race essentials– separate from the enclosed U.S. Team tent that had previously been a difficult environment. She suggested sharing with the Open race tent, local organization, or the medical tent.

Her request, reviewed by legal counsel, was deemed reasonable and compliant with all event rules and policies. However, her original request was denied the week before the event, requiring her to remain in the U.S. Team tent with a small, enclosed, divided space, which tends to make her feel physically ill. Herron submitted a revised plan that fully complied with IAU and local organizing committee rules, but received no response before the competition. Without confirmation that her accommodations would be honored, she made the difficult decision not to sign the U.S. Team Statement of Conditions and not participate.

“This was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” Herron says. “Representing Team USA is one of the greatest honors of my life. But inclusion means more than just showing up or being made to ‘fit in’– it means creating an environment where disabled athletes can safely and equitably perform at their best. Accessibility isn’t special treatment; it’s a human right.”

Herron hopes her experience will lead to greater collaboration with governing bodies to ensure that athletes with safety and disability needs receive reasonable accommodations that support equity, inclusion, and protection from harm. She also emphasizes the importance of education and awareness around neurodivergent and hidden disabilities so that all athletes can compete in environments that respect their wellbeing and differences.

Blending Science, Sport, and Purpose- A Legacy Still Unfolding

A former bone-research scientist with degrees in Exercise and Sport Science, Herron has long approached running as both an art and a science. She’s logged more than 116,000 lifetime miles—averaging over 10 miles a day for 30 years—and applies that same analytical curiosity to understanding how the human body and mind adapt under stress.

Now, Herron is channeling that curiosity into her advocacy work. She’s exploring how neurodivergent traits such as hyperfocus, analytical thinking, pattern recognition, and persistence can be performance advantages, and how better understanding of sensory and processing differences can make sports safer and more equitable for all athletes.

“Running has always been my creative science experiment,” Herron says. “I love pushing the boundaries of what’s possible, but now I’m just as passionate about changing how we define success, belonging, and fairness in sport.”

At 43, Herron continues to compete at the highest levels and believes she has another decade or more of peak performance ahead– fueled by smarter training, self-awareness, and renewed purpose. “We all have something extraordinary to give,” she adds. “I hope my story helps others feel seen, supported, and confident about their human differences. Our uniqueness is a gift that can shine brightly in the world.”

About Camille Herron

Camille Herron is an Ultramarathon runner, scientist, coach, and advocate. She has set more than a dozen World Records and World Bests from 50 miles to 6 days and was hailed by BBC Sport in 2024 as “the greatest ultramarathon runner of all time.” She served for 12 years as the Secretary for the USATF Women’s Long Distance Running Committee and was voted the 2021 Marja Bakker Contributor of the Year.

A four-time IAU International Athlete of the Year, six-time USATF Ultrarunner of the Year, and 8-time USATF Athlete of the Week, she was inducted into the 2024 Road Runners Club of America Distance Running Hall of Fame for her contributions to the sport. Through her social platforms @runcamille and coaching at RunWithCamille.com, she continues to advance women’s sports science and training, neurodiversity inclusion, athlete wellbeing, and equity in sport.