One morning in Central Park in Manhattan, New York, two men were running together when one of them bumped into a woman, causing her momentary anger, but her anger subsided when she saw the rope tied around the two men's waists.
Francesco Magisano, the 28-year-old runner who collided with the blind woman, and his running partner Nev Schulman, 39, have apologized for the incident. It was the first time the two had run together in preparation for the New York City Marathon this Sunday, November 5th.
Magisano was one of over 500 disabled runners who ran with a companion to guide them during the final major of 2023 on November 5th.
Schulman (left) walks alongside Magisano during a training session in Manhattan's Central Park, preparing for the final major of the year, the New York City Marathon. Photo: NYT
The New York City Marathon presents particular challenges for blind runners and their running partners. The large, cheering crowds and numerous runners—up to 50,000, according to organizers this year—make it difficult for runners to guide blind partners across the 42.195 km distance.
So at Central Park, Magisano and Schulman tried to prepare as best they could. "Which side do you prefer to run on?" Schulman asked Magisano as they stood near the entrance to Central Park. "I brush my teeth with my right hand, so I prefer the runner to be on the right," Magisano replied.
The two walked together with a rope tied around their waists, Magisano's right hand resting on his partner's left shoulder. The 2023 New York City Marathon route began on Staten Island, traversed every borough of the city, and finished in Central Park in Manhattan. "They've already reached the finish line. So there will be grandstands on the left," Schulman said, helping Magisano get a sense of the scenery.
Magisano was diagnosed with retinoblastoma – a rare disease – when he was just 10 months old. He always had poor eyesight, and by the ninth grade, he lost his sight completely for about three weeks. "I walked home from school every day and saw the lines on the street become a little blurry," the 28-year-old runner recounted.
Magisano only started running in 2017, after a chance conversation at a grocery store on Manhattan's Upper West Side. He's standing leaning on his cane in front of the bell pepper display – a useful and favorite food of Magisano's because it can be eaten raw.
Then an older man patted Magisano on the shoulder and said, "Do you run?" Magisano recalled the question he received. The older man then told him about Achilles – a group of disabled athletes who met twice a week to run in Central Park.
"I've always liked trying new things. I'd never run before in my life," Magisano expressed. That same week, Magisano arrived and joined Achilles for a run. Not long after, he registered for his first marathon.
Magisano currently leads the Achilles sub-region of the New York City Metro Zone, and November 5th will mark his sixth appearance at the New York City Marathon. Magisano's goal is to finish under 3:30. Earlier this year, he completed a 517.5km triathlon in Florida, consisting of swimming, running, and cycling.
Visually impaired runners are allowed a maximum of two guides at the New York City Marathon. These accompanying runners are not required to pay an entry fee, do not count towards the points scored, and their finishing times are not included in the official count. They must wear the same bib number as the guide and are not permitted to push or pull the visually impaired runner forward, according to the guidelines of New York Road Runners, the race organizer.
Magisano and a fellow runner from the Achilles Foundation on the course for the 2023 Boston Marathon. Photo: Boston Marathon
Magisano would run with two guides, one of whom would ensure Magisano ate and drank adequately throughout the race. Magisano preferred running with a new guide and a guide he had run with before. "That makes the run more fun," Magisano said, then told Schulman, "You're the new guide, which means you're the fun one."
Schulman is the producer and host of "Catfish" on MTV —an American reality TV show about the truth and lies of online dating. He was chosen as the lead runner for this year's race because he wanted his seventh appearance at the New York City Marathon to be different. He recalled not achieving his desired pace and gradually slowing down during his first marathon.
"I heard a loud yell from behind, 'Blind runner on the right,' and two guides, a woman in her 50s, crossed past me," Schulman recounted, adding that the incident embarrassed him and made him want to become a guide in marathons.
As Schulman recounted the story, a group of runners ahead heard the phrase 'blind runner' and parted to make way for him and Magisano, thinking Schulman was speaking to them.
But a woman, seemingly captivated by the sunlight streaming down the nearby tree, stopped in the middle of the path to take a picture. Schulman gently grasped Magisano's elbow and shifted his body to the right, guiding him around her.
According to Schulman, participating in the final major of the year as a lead runner has been a new experience. He stated that his goal at the 2023 New York City Marathon is simply to navigate successfully, without incident, and bring himself and Magisano to the finish line safely.
The woman taking photos wasn't the only obstacle Schulman and Magisano faced. He needed to figure out how to move around runners who might overtake him or avoid those running toward him. This lead runner also had to be wary of pedestrians and cyclists trying to cross from one side of the track to the other. At one point, Schulman told Magisano to duck to avoid a low branch.
"Sometimes, it's hard to hear the instructions, even for minutes. So there are times when I have to run by feel," Magisano predicted about his journey at the New York City Marathon, adding that he would focus on the feel of the guide's elbows and knees. "You might not see it, but the hairs on our arms are like the hair connecting in 'Avatar'. They synchronize just enough for us to create a connection," Magisano said, half-jokingly.
Magisano (second from the right) and his running partner pose for a photo with two runners before their shakeout run in preparation for the 2022 New York City Marathon. Photo: FBNV
Magisano was also proactive in the race. He didn't want to run on the painted lines on the course, which could make the track uneven. So, he asked the guide to move him away from them. Magisano also wanted the guide to inform him of his current pace and the distance covered. But most importantly, safety for both of them was paramount.
Magisano said that lead runners often forget to eat and drink, which can be dangerous given the pace and distance they cover in marathons. "They are so focused on leading that they might go two hours without eating," he explained.
Magisano has helped hundreds of disabled athletes, and Achilles is always looking for more members. Magisano jokingly says that before running, his training was writing essays on football history. Now he's doing real exercise and building a strong community of friends. And of course, there are life lessons to be learned from running marathons.
"You will face difficulties and feel pain," Magisano said. "That's the constraint of disability, it makes life difficult, but you have to overcome it, otherwise you will fail."
The New York City Marathon, established in 1970, is a member of the world's largest annual marathon series – the World Marathon Majors – and takes place last in the year, after races in Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, and Chicago. The men's record for the New York City Marathon is currently 2 hours 5 minutes and 6 seconds, set by Kenyan runner Geoffrey Mutai in 2011. The women's record is 2 hours 22 minutes and 31 seconds, set by Kenyan runner Margaret Okayo in 2003.
The New York City Marathon 2023 will take place at 8:00 local time, which is 19:00 Hanoi time , on Sunday, November 5th.
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