Joe Amabile plans to run the New York City Marathon on November 1, less than three months after brain surgery. The 40-year-old “Bachelor in Paradise” alum says his oncologist has cleared him to take part.
Amabile has two previous finishes over the 26.2-mile course, most recently in 3 hours, 49 minutes and 53 seconds last November, according to New York Road Runners.
Amabile discussed his plans in an October 22 interview with E! News while promoting a partnership with financial services company Northwestern Mutual. The campaign connects preparing for a marathon with setting financial goals.
Organizers have listed him as running in support of Release Recovery. Their announcement, republished by Running USA, also names Bachelor Nation participants Tayshia Adams, Zac Clark and Matt James.
He Registered Before Knowing Whether He Could Race
Before his diagnosis, Amabile had considered giving up marathons. He reversed that decision while waiting for his operation, posting his registration confirmation even though he was unsure whether he would be able to participate.
In the July 28 update covered by Bachelor Nation, he also explained that switching hospitals had delayed his procedure by a week. He described struggling between wanting the wait to end and questioning why he was eager to undergo such a serious operation.
Speaking to E!, Amabile said thoughts of surgery had occupied much of his attention. He described the marathon as “something that I can control,” giving him a positive focus while medical decisions were largely out of his hands.
An Elective MRI Revealed a Tumor Before He Had Symptoms
Amabile and his wife, Serena Pitt, had been offered whole-body MRI scans and decided to have them despite his feeling healthy. The examination identified an abnormality in his left frontal lobe, prompting a dedicated brain MRI and consultations with specialists.
NYU Langone Health identified his diagnosis as a grade 2 IDH-mutant diffuse astrocytoma, a slow-growing brain tumor roughly the size of a blueberry. Neurosurgeon Dr. John Golfinos removed it on August 5.
Amabile estimated that his speech was about 90 percent restored after two weeks. His continuing care under neuro-oncologist Dr. Alexandra Miller includes MRI scans every three months for several years and long-term medication to reduce the risk of regrowth.
His First Run Came 15 Days After Surgery
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In an August 20 Instagram video, Amabile reported completing 3½ miles. Entertainment Weekly revisited that update in its October 23 coverage of his marathon plans.
Amabile told E! he was running twice a week, limiting each outing to around five miles or less and allowing more rest than in previous training cycles.
Amabile said he could resume most activities after two months, although lifting anything heavier than 70 pounds had to wait until the three-month mark. Some evenings still bring fatigue or a feeling that he is slightly off.
For race day, he wants to spend more time appreciating the crowds and atmosphere.
Serena Pitt Helped Him Through the Hardest Week
Relatives traveled to New York to help the couple during Amabile’s recovery. Pitt told NYU Langone that the week of surgery was especially difficult, crediting the nurses with allowing her to concentrate on supporting her husband while they handled his medical care.
Amabile recalled feeling calm until he said goodbye to Pitt and changed into his hospital gown. That was when the reality of the operation settled in.
He said he was proud of how Pitt had navigated the experience, telling E!, “I feel like we’re unbreakable at this point.”