T1D Exchange and Tidepool Partner with Beyond Type 1 to Study Athletes with Type 1 Diabetes 


 2019-06-17

This year, the 2019 Beyond Type Run team will be more than an inspiring group of marathon runners living with type 1 diabetes. Team members will also be participants in a research study designed to understand the impact that training and running a marathon have on blood glucose variability. 

The study, “Patient Experiences Managing Type 1 Diabetes In Marathon Training and Recovery” is possible because of a new partnership between Beyond Type 1, T1D Exchange, and Tidepool. For the duration of the study, the research team at T1D Exchange will be analyzing continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and survey data collected using Tidepool’s software from Beyond Type 1’s team of 30 runners living with type 1 diabetes. The goal is to better understand the impact of exercise on glycemic variability, particularly prior to, during and post marathon training.

By layering this study into the existing Beyond Type Run marathon program, this collaboration brings an exciting new approach to research aimed at understanding type 1 diabetes and exercise. “This study is important because there is minimal research regarding endurance activities in people with type 1 diabetes,” said T1D Exchange Research Scientist Allyson Hughes.

Many research studies hit roadblocks because of recruitment and participation, time and cost, among other challenges. By working together and tapping into the strengths of each collaborating organization, this study is designed to streamline the research process. 

The study is designed to:

  • Gauge the well-being of people with type 1 diabetes (T1Ds) after exercise.
  • Identify what marathon training and recovery look like for type 1 athletes.
  • Identify best training practices, successes and setbacks for athletes with type 1 diabetes.

Researchers on the T1D Exchange team will conduct interviews with runners in order to better understand each individual’s training, running and recovery from the marathon. This year’s marathon team features a wide range of individuals with varying levels of running experience. Beyond Type Run members will train for, participate in and recover from the marathon using CGM technology provided by marathon program sponsor Dexcom. 

Research Scientist Allyson Hughes explains, “exercise can be difficult to manage and there are many things to keep in mind [for people with type 1 diabetes] when starting a new type of exercise. I’m looking forward to sharing these findings so that people with type 1 diabetes who want to run a marathon can learn more about what to expect before, during and after their event!”

The partnership between T1D Exchange and Beyond Type 1 adds a new dimension to the 2019 marathon program. The collaborative’s hope is to seize this opportunity created by the Beyond Type Run program to generate meaningful new insights about life with type 1 diabetes.


Learn more about the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon Beyond Type Run team here.

The 2019 Beyond Type Run Team running the TCS New York City Marathon is sponsored by Dexcom and Tandem Diabetes Care.

This content mentions Dexcom and Tidepool, active partners of Beyond Type 1.
News coverage by the Beyond Type 1 team is operated independently from any content partnerships. Beyond Type 1 maintains full editorial control of all content published on our platforms.

WRITTEN BY Beyond Type 1 Editorial Team, POSTED 06/17/19, UPDATED 11/12/22

This piece was authored collaboratively by the Beyond Type 1 Editorial Team. Members of that team include Editorial Manager Todd Boudreaux, Program Manager Mariana Gómez, Director of Brand Communications Dana Howe and Editorial Associate Jordan Dakin.