ultramarathon
19-year-old runs 100 miles – not despite, but because he is autistic, says his mother
Zach Bates (left) at the finish with his mother
© Zach Bates / TikTok
Zach Bates is autistic – and after graduating from school he set himself a goal: he wanted to run a 100-mile run before his 20th birthday. He did it with the help of his parents.
Zach Bates was diagnosed with autism at the age of four. At that time nobody would have believed that he would one day become a long-distance runner – and not only that: an ultra-distance runner. This is what athletes are called who cover more than the classic marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers.
Bates can only smile over the 42 kilometers. This year, the American has achieved his big goal: he finished a 100-mile run – that’s about 160 kilometers. At the “Coldwater Rumble Ultramarathon” near Phoenix, he finished 38th out of 99 runners after five laps of 20 kilometers each. It took Bates just over 28 hours to complete the route. A strong performance, especially considering that Bates has only recently started running.
The mother became a trainer
Numbers sparked his passion for running. Like many other autistic people, Bates is extremely good at remembering numbers. Even as a child he memorized the times and placings of runners. Then he finally wanted to put on his running shoes himself. First he ran in school, later he also took part in marathons. Eventually, he surprised his mother with a plan: to run a 100-mile run before his 20th birthday.
Youtube/NationalSeniorGames
“He doesn’t ask for much,” Rana Bates told Trail Runner magazine, “but if he wants something, he means it and we take it seriously.” So his parents bought reference books, developed a training and nutrition plan, looked for suitable routes and registered their son for runs over ever longer distances. Zach Bates brought the sporting requirements and the discipline with him, but as an autistic person he was not able to organize the trappings. “I do all the thinking, Zach just walks,” says his mother.
Autism doesn’t have to be an obstacle
The family didn’t have much time: Zach Bates only came up with the plan eight months before his 20th birthday. But everything worked. Zach built up more and more condition, ran longer and longer distances and also got professional help – other, experienced athletes had noticed him during his preparatory runs and support him in achieving his goal. Bates shared his progress with the world on Instagram and TikTok. Eventually, he became the youngest competitor to complete the Coldwater Rumble ultramarathon.
The autism was not an obstacle for Zach, on the contrary: her son was able to stay focused, says Rana Bates. “People with autism have this extreme focus on what they love and what they want to do, which maybe allows them to achieve a lot more than I can,” she told CNN. It is important to listen to children with autism, to take their dreams seriously and not to decide for them: “We have to accept them as individuals and help them to achieve their dreams.”
Swell: “Trailrunner” / CNN / Zack Bates on TikTok