Sal Pellegrino, prepares to run 27th NYC Marathon on his 75th birthday

Sal Pellegrino will be celebrating his 75th birthday, with some 50,000 people on the streets of New York City, and more than a million more lending their support. The longtime Pearl River resident will be running in the New York City Marathon, the 27th time he's tackled the challenging course that starts in Staten Island and traverses all five boroughs before ending in Central Park. Pellegrino ran his first NYC Marathon at age 48 and has returned every year except 2012 when the event was canceled in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, and one year when he had surgery. He ran solo for the first 15 marathons but for the past dozen years has acted as a volunteer guide with Achilles International, which aids disabled participants in completing the grueling course. Over the years, he has guided people who are blind and deaf, amputees, and those with multiple sclerosis, vertigo, and Lou Gehrig's disease. This year, he'll run the course with a woman who suffers from dizziness and seizures. "It's quite an inspiration that they have the courage to do this," Pellegrino said. He has no plans to stop running or to retire from his job as an electronics salesman.

posted Wednesday October 17th