Winning the New York Marathon even once is no mean feat, but Marcel “The Silver Bullet” Hug has done it five times as a New York Road Runner. The 38-year-old Swiss men’s wheelchair racer was born with spina bifida — an “open spine” condition considered a neural tube defect.
Hug’s racing career got its start when he was 10 years old. One day, instead of his usual daily wheelchair, his coach brought him a racing one to try.
“I said, ‘Yes, of course,’ because I knew this sport a little bit from the media and some famous athletes from Switzerland,” Hug said. “I was very keen to try and it was amazing. From the beginning, I loved it and competed in my first junior competition that same year.”
Switzerland has produced Paralympians Heinz Frei and Franz Nietlispach, who have a combined 66 Paralympic medals between the two of them in para athletics, para cycling and para skiing. Hug followed in his idols’ footsteps, competing with them in the 2004 Athens Paralympic games at the age of just 18, winning two bronze medals in the 800m and 1,500m T54 events and advancing to the finals of the 400m and 5000m races.
“I just started my education in office work,” said Hug. “I was in school for maybe a few days, and then I left for the Paralympics. It was really special and I didn’t know what to expect, but it was a great experience. Winning two Bronze medals was a surprise as well, I couldn’t believe that I won them.”
Since then, the Swiss Silver Bullet has amassed seven golds, five silvers and another bronze medal in the Paralympic games over the last 20 years — including a last-day gold in the marathon event at this year’s games. He has also added 12 World Championship gold medals and six European Championship golds to his résumé.
He became the first para-racer to win the Abbott World Marathon Majors series title by coming first in all six marathons last year — Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago and New York. He’s won the New York version in 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021 as well and will be looking to extend his winning streak to six in November.
“For me, it’s a huge privilege to do this as a professional athlete — traveling around the world, doing big competitions, meeting people, having success,” Hug said. “Just to do what I love most every day is enough motivation.”
His nickname comes from Hug’s signature silver helmet he wears during races. It was originally a Christmas gift from his coach of 28 years Paul Odermatt and has not worn any other kind of helmet since.
“I liked the shiny, silver helmet, and the people watching told me it was nice because they can see me in a pack,” said Hug. “It became my brand when at the World Championships in New Zealand, the organizers made an advertisement where they called me the silver bullet and I still like it!”
This year, Hug leads the Series XVI Men’s Wheelchair leaderboard this season by 49 points over rival American Daniel Romanchuk, even though he skipped the Tokyo marathon. Hug has won in Boston, London, Berlin and beat Romanchuk to the finish line in Chicago last weekend.
He will look for his second consecutive World Marathon Majors title in New York as New York Road Runner.
The 38-year-old may be arriving at the end of his career and is unsure about his 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic prospects but is already exploring a few options post-racing.
He has spent his entire life surrounded by sports and has even started a school — the Swiss Silver Bullet training camp in Nottwil — attempting to produce the next Marcel Hug or Catherine Debrunner.
“At the moment, I’m taking it season to season, I don’t plan long term goals anymore,” Hug said. “I don’t know if I can do one, two, three more years, or if I’m in Los Angeles for the next Paralympics. Four years is still a long time to go.”
