Nassau doctor runs NYC Marathon after getting second chance at life

A 63-year-old doctor from NASA who got a second chance at life is gearing up for today's New York City Marathon, and it will be his 26th one. I've been dreaming about this experience literally for the last two years. from Laurel Hollow. He was just three weeks away from running the marathon in 2024 when he had what's known as widowmaker heart attack. Doctors say this type of heart attack has a 92 percent mortality rate if not treated within 90 minutes. Schlussinger got a life-saving stent at minute 81 but he was told he would never run again. But I made it my mission when I was told that I would never run again, you know, to prove the doctors wrong. There has not been a day over the last two years that I have not thought anything other than this, you know, experience. And it starts from the cannon going off on the Verrazano Bridge, you know, with 50,000 plus runners, you know, yelling, cheering and screaming. Dr. Schlesinger will take off in the 26th marathon at 9:10 a.m. today. He'll join about 60,000 other runners as they look to conquer the 26.2 mile course throughout the five boroughs. Two million spectators are expected to cheer on the runners throughout the race. New York Road Runners revealed that a record breaking 240,000 people from 160 countries applied to run earlier this year.