In 2025, Team IBDKids celebrated its 20th year of participation, proudly earning the distinction of being one of the longest-running charity teams in the New York City Marathon's history. Founded by Dr. Keith Benkov, a renowned pediatric gastroenterologist responsible for the development of the pediatric IBD center at Mount Sinai, the team has made a significant impact in the fight against inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Benkov's journey began when he ran his first marathon during medical school at Mount Sinai in 1978.
The team is usually a blend of inspirational runners who either have the illness themselves or are family members, along with health care professionals who care for these diseases. This year, Team IBDKids raised $289,000, and to date, the team has raised more than $4 million, highlighting their unwavering commitment to both the marathon and the cause they champion.
Here are a few of this year’s runners’ stories.
Jonah’s Story
Prior to my diagnosis with ulcerative colitis (at 15 years old), I was already passionate about taking care of my mind and body. The summer before my sophomore year of high school, I was diagnosed with UC. My body began to change in ways I couldn’t control. I wanted more than anything to get control over what felt like an entire world being torn apart from the inside.
Early on, Dr. Benkov shared stories of his marathons and of patients who had gone on to achieve milestones of their own. From that moment, I knew I wanted to be one of them. I wanted to prove to myself that I was stronger than my diagnosis, and that my chronic illness didn’t define me.
Running became my way to find stability within a body that often felt unpredictable. That’s the “why” behind my first marathon with Team IBDKids, and I know it won’t be my last. My hope is to become a patient who inspires others who feel stuck.
Overcoming obstacles on the journey “home”
I trained for a very different race than the one I ran on November 2nd. I put in high mileage, running over 80 miles a week for 5 weeks. My goal was to finish my first marathon in under three hours, but my body had other plans. Around mile 11, I began to cramp uncontrollably. Doctors in the medical tent told me that my blood acidity was high. I have to say, even with this, there was never a doubt in my mind that I would cross that finish line. Inside, I knew my body had already endured the worst of it when I was sick that summer back in 2019. I reframed my race day focus to how close I could get to my goal.
The grit that shows up during training, on race day, at work, and even in relationships is what I value most. It’s not easy, it’s not graceful, and sometimes it isn’t something I want to endure, but it’s what teaches me compassion for myself. The finish time and medal are rewarding, but my life has taught me that the most effective way to go through pain is to lean into it and focus on the resulting growth.
Mount Sinai has always felt like a home away from home. The infusion center nurses recognize me, and they remember me from visit to visit. Mount Sinai is a community of workers at the front desk who greet patients with smiles, nurses who offer delicate care, and, most importantly for me, Dr. Benkov, who is a constant source of care, hope, and encouragement at all times, and when I needed it most. I go to school in Boston, and knew this race would be a form of “homecoming,” but running past Mount Sinai made it even more so.
Running with Team IBD Kids at first was me trying to prove to myself that even with UC I can endure, to which I realized somewhere throughout that race, even with UC I have endured. I will continue to turn my pain into new paths of growth.
Catherine with her sister Emily and their father running the NYC Marathon in support of Team IBDKids.
Kousha celebrating with loved ones after completing the NYC Marathon in support of Team IBDKids.
Jonah after completing the NYC Marathon in support of Team IBDKids.
Kousha’s Story
Back in the day, I completed an Ironman triathlon—that’s a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles biking, and a full marathon.
But a few years ago, I was hospitalized with blood clots in my lungs (I went to Mount Sinai’s ER on East 101st). Later, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease, the likely source of the clots.
Mount Sinai is where I receive treatment. Their staff has helped me on the road back to health. I was diagnosed later in life than some, and I can appreciate how difficult a similar diagnosis is for so many children around the country.
This year, I’m proud to run on Team IBDKids. This team was an opportunity to discover community, rediscover my own health, and move the needle on critical pediatric research.
It’s my first big race since leaving the hospital, and running for a cause close to my heart (figuratively and literally) has made every mile even more rewarding.
Challenges and rewards
For me, dealing with chronic disease makes it too tempting to think of myself as “not healthy.” That negative mentality crashes the party on days when training is made harder, or not possible, by the condition.
But here’s the thing: when I can run 20 miles and have more energy than before I was diagnosed, that “not healthy” label just isn’t as sticky as it used to be. I thought instead about how I would want to come across to a child for whom I was fundraising.
So, the most challenging part of this experience has been reframing my own self-perception with more grace and grit.
The most rewarding part has been getting to rediscover another label: not just “healthy” or “unhealthy,” but “capable.”
Nearing the finish line
My journey with this health condition started when I was rushed to Mount Sinai’s ER on East 101st. That is a special spot in the NYC Marathon course: It is mile 23 of 26 and the start of what some call the most grueling hill of the race. On top of that, Team IBDKids set up a cheering squad right there. Does that sound like it’s out of the final scene of a movie, or is that just me? Seeing my team, knowing I could get up the hill, and leaving that ER in the dust was pretty spectacular.
Catherine’s Story
My name is Catherine and I am both a patient and clinician at Mount Sinai. I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease five years ago and wanted to find a way to celebrate the anniversary.
This was my first time running a marathon and I was able to run with my sister and my dad, which was so special. They have both been an integral part of my support team, as well as my mom, my other sister, and my partner.
As the Radiology Child Life Specialist at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital, I have supported many of our pediatric GI kiddos through diagnostic scans and inpatient admissions. My experience as a patient has made me a better clinician and given a sense of purpose to the "why" of it all.
I was inspired to raise money to help further IBD research and feel very lucky to be able to support IBD pediatric patients in their radiology scans. The kids I work with inspire me to be more resilient in my own medical journey.
You can hear Catherine’s full story on a special episode of Mount Sinai’s Road to Resilience podcast, aptly titled Running Against the Odds.
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