Moms Draw Confidence From Lactation Support At The New York City Marathon

For the last nine years, Stephanie Pennington has maintained a streak that's transformed her fitness journey. Since 2015, the founder of Project Finish—a group of dedicated spectators that cheer on back-of-the-pack runners—has raced the New York City Marathon every year. In 2022, she covered the five boroughs while pregnant.

In July, Pennington gave birth to her daughter and set out to train for the marathon postpartum. Between the physical recovery process and her baby having colic for 10 weeks, preparing for the rigors of 26.2 was far from easy. But once her body healed and the colic improved, Pennington was more driven than ever to maintain her streak.

"It just gave me a bigger motivation to not only overcome how hard it is to train postpartum, but to then look back and show [my daughter] that she could do something hard too," Pennington told &Mother.

On November 5, Pennington and 100 other women utilized supportive infrastructure dedicated to helping mothers reach their running goals. For the second year in a row, &Mother partnered with the New York Road Runners (NYRR) to bring on-course lactation spaces to the New York City Marathon. While competing in the biggest marathon in the world, runners had access to lactation tents at the start line, miles 8, 17, and 22, and near the finish. Runners were able to use hand-held pumps provided by NYRR or have their personal breast pumps transported from the start in Staten Island to the finish line in Central Park. The planning and logistics required to execute the lactation spaces wouldn’t be possible without support from key partners, including Vita Coco and Bobbie.

As several runners attested, the amenities not only made them feel supported, but also empowered them in their desire to set a strong example for their children.

For Rachel Clattenburg, running has always been a source of happiness. When the mom of three gave birth to her daughter in July, the longtime marathoner approached New York City as a unique "maternity leave project," she said.

Throughout the buildup, most of Clattenburg's runs were done on the treadmill while her daughter, Josephine, napped next to her. With little time to complete long runs in one sitting, the bulk of her training was broken up into doubles and triples throughout the day. Heading into the race, she hoped to break the 4-hour barrier.

When she learned &Mother and NYRR would be providing lactation tents during the race, Clattenburg felt relieved as she was still breastfeeding Josephine. While pumping in the tents at the start and finish on race day, Clattenburg said she found a sense of camaraderie in those spaces.

"It's nice to know the race is so welcoming to moms, and also I think it's nice for moms to all see each other using the same service, there are a bunch of us in the same situation," Clattenburg said.

When she reached the finish line to the cheers of her husband and three kids, Clattenburg was elated to crush her goal.

"To see [Josephine], I was so happy because I've never been away from her that long, and I missed her," Clattenburg said. "It was wonderful. New York was a good confidence booster."

Rachel with her daughter, Josephine.

Nina Rohrig experienced similar emotions on race day after training through two cross-country moves and giving birth to her daughter, Aila, in December 2022. Connecting with fellow mothers—who all faced similar challenges during their respective buildups and navigated their own parenting logistics on race day—motivated the marathoner and triathlete.

"[The lactation tents] felt like woman power," Rohrig said. "Moms are unbelievable. It was very moving to see everybody there the morning of the race."

After pumping at the start, Rohrig pumped once more at mile 17 before seeing her daughter around the 22-mile mark. With every stride, Rohrig found encouragement by remembering the lesson she hopes to share with Aila. "I want her to know she's powerful, she's capable, and she can be a badass," Rohrig said.

Nina with Aila on the New York City course.

After an emotional family meeting, Rohrig found another gear and hit her fastest splits with six miles remaining in the race. By the time she reached the finish line in Central Park, she found a new appreciation for her body, the effort it took to cover 26.2, and the supportive infrastructure that helped her get there.

"[Lactation tents] remove a barrier that can stand in the way of people competing and doing these events," Rohrig said. "I'm really grateful."

In 2024, &Mother hopes to bring lactation spaces to more races. We appreciate our community's ongoing support of our efforts.