Whether you know him as a runner, filmmaker, or YouTuber, one thing’s for sure: Casey Neistat is a force to be reckoned with. On top of being a successful entrepreneur, posting creative vlogs consistently for the past 13 years, and being an involved husband and father of three, Neistat also makes time to run 60 to 80 miles a week. The Casey Neistat marathon journey has been one of twists and turns.
“I’ve got an addictive personality… I focus on the things in life I can let myself get addicted to. That’s family, that’s work, and that’s running,” Neistat shared in a vlog from 2017. “But running is a unique part of my personality, of my brain, of who I am. I run almost every single day. I don’t end my runs when I’m tired. I end my runs when I run out of time.”
Since the start of his running journey, Neistat has had one mission – to run a sub-3-hour marathon. After running 24 marathons over the past 17 years, Neistat’s hard work has finally paid off.
The Casey Neistat Marathon Run in 2023
On December 10, 2023, Neistat achieved his goal at the Holualoa Tucson Marathon. Running alongside his coach, Roberto Mandje, Nesitat finished in 2:57:34 with an average pace of 6:46 min/mile (with a finishing time of 1:28 with that half marathon pace).
To celebrate his incredible feat, we’re taking a look at some remarkable moments in Neistat’s running journey. Prepare to feel inspired.
The Casey Neistat Marathon Journey
The Leg Break
2006. While riding a Vespa, Neistat was hit by a car. He broke his femur in 27 places and had to have his right leg replaced with titanium. At this time, the doctor told Neistat he would never run again. Devastated but not discouraged, Neistat made it his goal to defy his prognosis and run a marathon in less than three hours.
2009. Two years after his accident, Neistat ran his first marathon in Richmond, Virginia. In a vlog titled Intensity, Neistat claimed that this marathon was “an unmitigated disaster.” He completed the race in 4:19 but was extremely disheartened by his time and performance.
“I hate doing something and not being great at it,” Neistat shared.
Getting Serious About Marathon Running
November 2009. Despite being disappointed by his first marathon, it served as the perfect motivation to keep training. A few months later, he ran his second marathon, the New York City Marathon one of the most popular Abbott World Marathon Majors. During his first attempt at the NYC Marathon, Neistat finished in 3:09:48 with a 7:15 min/mile pace. “I really got it together,” Neistat expressed, feeling optimistic after his first marathon performance.
November 2010. Just one year later, Neistat gave the New York City Marathon another go and finished in 3:05:57, shaving nearly four minutes off his previous time. Running the race at an average pace of 7:06 min/mile, Neistat continued inching toward his goal.
April 2011. Neistat completed the iconic Boston Marathon in 3:09:31 with an average pace of 7:14 min/mile. This was his only time running the Boston Marathon so far. The Boston Marathon’s course is notably more difficult than the New York City Marathon course.
November 2013. During his third New York City Marathon, Neistat completed the race in 3:03:17 with a 7:00 min/mile pace. “New York City Marathon 3 hrs 3min. No big deal,” Neistat captioned his celebratory race pic on Instagram.
Around this time, Neistat also started competing in Ironman races. And, he’s completed four full distance Ironmans to date.
The full distance Ironman is: a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run.
November 2014. Neistat completed his fourth New York City Marathon in 3:03:34 with an average pace of 7:01 min/mile.
November 2015. Neistat completed his fifth New York City Marathon. Pre-race, he shared an Instagram post captioned, “I’ve never felt so unprepared for something that demands so much preparation.”
Neistat vlogged his 2015 NYCM experience in a video titled ULTiMATE NYC MARATHON SECRETS. He completed the race in 3:48:19, adding about 45 minutes to the previous year’s race time. Nonetheless, Neistat seemed satisfied with his performance and as in love with the marathon as ever. “That felt great! If you have any curiosity about running, add the New York City Marathon to your bucket list. It’s incredible,” he shared in the vlog.
The Knee Injury Scare
September 2017. Just months after sharing a video titled my addiction about his obsession with running, Neistat faced a knee injury. He brought viewers along during this stressful time, sharing the cracking sound of his left knee and tense visits to the doctor in a vlog titled finding out i can never run again.
Luckily, a few weeks later, his MRI scans came back clean and Neistat was okayed to keep running. He expressed his relief in a video titled learning the prognosis.
If you’re feeling the same way, consider reading up on how to prevent runner’s knee.
The Return to Running
August 2018. Although Neistat took a break from racing, his training didn’t stop. At 37 years old, he wanted to challenge himself to see how far he could push his body. In a vlog titled DOING THE IMPOSSIBLE.. running 4 marathons in 7 days, Neistat set out to run 104.8 miles in a week.
After successfully completing the challenge, Neistat shared that his next goal is to run a marathon a day for a week.
November 2022. After a seven year hiatus from the NYCM, Neistat was back at it in 2022. He completed the race in 3:54:28 with an average pace of 8:57 min/mile. “Got my ass handed to me today in the New York City Marathon. Nothing like 26.2 miles to put you in your place. Still the greatest damn day of the year,” Neistat exclaimed in his post-race Instagram.
The Year Casey Neistat Marathon Time Broke The 3-Hour Barrier
November 2023. Neistat hit a PR during his seventh New York City Marathon and finished in 3:01:27 while racing in support of Project Healthy Minds. With an average pace of 6:56 min/mile, his goal marathon time was closer than ever.
“NYC is undefeated and no more so than on Marathon day. 50k people all with the same mission; GOING THE DISTANCE,” Neistat beamed on Instagram. Named “The fastest celebrity running the New York City Marathon this year” by Vulture, Neistat’s incredible performance did not go unnoticed.
December 2023. A month later, Neistat was still fired up from his NYCM success and ready to give it another go. Alongside his coach, Mandje, Neistat headed to the Tucson Marathon, determined to conquer its net downhill course.
“@nycmarathon resulted in a gutsy effort, and a lifetime best of 3:01 for Casey. Alas… if you know Casey, ya know he’s driven and not one to celebrate mediocrity (by his standards) or be complacent. Sub 3 was the goal, the 🔥 still burned and thus we weren’t DONE!” Mandje shared on Instagram.
Mandje went on to explain that he found the race and Neistat assembled a crew of runners who also had unfinished business. Mandje paced for Neistat, making sure he’d finally knock out the sub-3-hour marathon of his dreams.
Coming in at 2:57:34 with an average pace of 6:46 min/mile, Neistat crushed his goal with about 2.5 minutes to spare.
“Mission accomplished! 17 years ago i set a goal of breaking 3 hours in a marathon, i failed my first 24 attempts. today i did it. thanks @robertomandje for being the best coach and yelling at me at mile 24 to go faster,” Neistat triumphantly announced on Instagram.
Why We Love Casey Neistat Marathon Running
What started as an impossible goal after a terrible accident has turned into so much more for Neistat.
Running has become such a substantial part of his life and it seems like he uses running as a celebration of his identity and an expression of life, as opposed to being burdened by it.
Like us all, Neistat’s running journey has been through countless twists and turns but, persistence over seventeen years pays off.
We hope that Neistat is savoring this moment, and we can’t wait to see what’s next from him.
Other Races Casey Ran
In May 2009, Casey ran the NYRR Half Marathon with a finishing time of 1:26:36. Years later in January 2017, Casey hadn’t raced in 3 years so confronting that with a 10-mile race. In May 2019, Casey ran the Brooklyn Half Marathon with a finish time of 1:24:15.
In 2019, he ran the Rock ‘n’ Roll Philadelphia Half Marathon with a time of 1:28. And in May 2023, he ran the RBC Brooklyn Half with his fastest pace of 1:23:44.
