Comedian Terence Hartnett aims to achieve a Guinness World Record

Terrence Hartnett Aims for World Record at NYC Marathon

While many participants in the New York City Marathon simply aim for that coveted finish line, Terrence Hartnett is setting his sights much higher. This 35-year-old comedian, a two-time cancer survivor, is determined to claim a Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon run by someone with one lung.

“As far as I know, only a couple of people have done this. I even checked online, and it turns out there are more men who’ve walked on the moon than have run a marathon on one lung,” the Brooklyn native shared ahead of his ambitious effort on Sunday.

“I thought it was so rare that establishing a world record would be a fantastic idea,” he added.

Although there have been other athletes with one lung who have technically completed marathons, Hartnett’s initiative to create a new category with Guinness means that if he completes the 46.2 miles in under four hours, he would be the first to hold the title.

It’s not going to be easy. Hartnett has completed just one marathon before, back in 2017 in Chicago, where he finished in 3 hours and 49 minutes while still contending with issues in both lungs.

His target time is about twice what the previous year’s winner managed. “If they can do it in two hours on both lungs and I can finish in four hours on just one, I’ve essentially won my race,” Hartnett joked, playfully challenging the winner to consider tackling two marathons in the time it takes him to finish one.

This challenge is incredibly personal for Hartnett, who has been dreaming of this moment ever since a life-saving surgery removed his left lung in April 2023 after he was diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer, just 18 months after being declared cancer-free.

Earlier, he had lost a testicle in 2021 to avoid chemotherapy and radiation treatments, and though he was optimistic, a more aggressive lung tumor required extensive treatment, leading to a lot of uncertainty. “At that time, it felt chaotic. They were really just guessing how effective the treatment would be,” he reflected. “There were many ups and downs.”

However, comedy provided him relief; he even found a way to incorporate his experiences into gigs named “The 1 Ball Show” and “The 1 Lung Marathon.” “In tricky situations, humor is vital,” he noted. “If you can laugh, it eases the tension for everyone around you.”

Hartnett acknowledged having to rebuild his training from scratch, starting out with just 5-minute runs and gradually working his way up. Last month, he logged a personal best, running 20 miles in 3.5 hours.

“This race is different,” he said about the marathon that’ll take him through New York’s five boroughs. “It feels like we are entering a new category this year.” He emphasized that achieving this goal post-surgery would mean a great deal to him.

Initially, he wasn’t sure what to expect. Everyday tasks like climbing stairs seemed daunting, let alone running. “But when I discovered I could actually run, my excitement soared,” he recalled.

Hartnett is also running to support FRED’s Team, a program affiliated with Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center that focuses on advancing cancer research. Family and friends will be there to cheer him on from the sidelines, capturing the moment for a documentary on his journey, titled “Cancer Free.”