Catfish star Nev Schulman talks running 2019 New York City Marathon

Nev Schulman is participating in the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon, and the Catfish host told Hidden Remote about his history with the storied event.

TV fans recognize Nev Schulman as the host of MTV‘s Catfish: The TV Show. But on Sunday, he’s going to show off another talent as a marathon runner. Nev is one of several celebrities who are participating in this year’s TCS New York City Marathon.

He took time out of his busy schedule to discuss why the NYC Marathon means something to him, how he’s preparing for the big day, fitting marathon training into the hectic schedule of Catfish and the charity he’s supporting that’s close to his heart.

Learn more of Nev’s NYC Marathon story in our interview below, then you can support him and the rest of the field on Marathon Day—Sunday, Nov. 3.

Hidden Remote: You have a history with the New York City Marathon. How far back does your connection to the marathon go?

Nev Schulman: I grew up in New York City, in Manhattan and more specifically on the Upper West Side. And for those of you who don’t know, the Marathon for a long time now has ended at a restaurant in Central Park called Tavern on the Green which is on 67th and Central Park West. I lived for many, many years on 68th and Central Park West when I was a kid, so every fall when the Marathon would start to set up, I would see all the scaffolds.

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And as my dad had run the marathon when he was in his early thirties, he would every year take me to the finish line to watch the first finishers come across. He would tell me stories about his days as a runner, and always point out that he only ran one marathon and did it in under than three hours, which I didn’t know at the time but [that] was quite an accomplishment. So the marathon has always been a part of my life from early childhood.

But I never got into running until about five years ago, when I decided it was a cool idea to run the New York City Marathon myself and start a little bit of a family tradition. So this will be my fourth one, and last year I trained particularly hard and broke the three-hour mark myself.

HR: Have you learned anything over the previous years that you’ll take into the 2019 New York City Marathon?

NS: I think the first time you run any large-scale marathon, but certainly New York City being the biggest in the world, you learn a lot. People will tell you to make sure you start slow and don’t get too excited, make sure you stay hydrated and get your nutrition up, that mile 22 you’re going to hit a wall. But you do kind of have to experience it yourself to really understand what it feels like.

Every time you run, especially such a long distance, you just learn more about yourself as a runner in terms of what you put in going into the race as [much as] what you get out of it. The first two years, I trained I was pretty casual about it. I assumed my general fitness level would carry me into the sub-three territory with relative ease and I was wrong. I did okay—I think I did a 3:30-something and then a 3:20-something—but I didn’t understand till those first two that I would have to put in a lot more work.

The third time I ran it [I] really trained with one of the New York Road Runners’ head coaches, Roberto Mandje, and saw incredible results. That’s what was so fun for me, was doing the workouts, doing the routines and week by week seeing and feeling myself getting stronger and faster. Doing races I’d previously done that New York Road Runners puts on, way faster than I had before and way easier. I did that, it was a lot of work…Now I’m going to run the marathon for fun.

HR: You travel all over the country shooting Catfish, and you’ve got a family at home, too. How do you work preparing for the New York City Marathon into your schedule?

NS: There are a few days of the year I black out for things and one of them has become the Marathon. So production knows that first Sunday of November, I’m always going to be doing a day or two outside of that, and then I’ve got my kids’ birthdays which I’ve asked to be home for.

I think part of the reason for that is also because I’ve become really involved at New York Road Runners and [with] their teams for kids. I’m excited to continue to support them and their work throughout the year, but particularly when it comes to the Marathon.

HR: You’re running this year’s Marathon in support of NYRR Teams for Kids. What is it about that cause that resonates with you?

NS: Like I said, I grew up in New York City [as] the son of an athlete/runner, so I always appreciated athletics. I was very fortunate; I got to go to summer camp and play sports throughout my childhood. I know how much athletics has meant to me as a person and I know there’s a lot of kids, who don’t have the privilege of organized sports and abilities.

I think it’s awesome that New York Road Runners bring athletics to so many kids. They get them running sneakers, which often are not in a family’s budget as a specific item. And for kids to improve their self-esteem and support physical and mental health by getting outside and running, it’s so simple and easy, that’s what I love about it.

You don’t really think that running can take you places, but it can. They really work on getting kids into running, so they can use it for scholarship programs and that’s just awesome. I think a lot of people could be great runners, whether it be competitive or just for themselves if they knew it was something they could get into or were encouraged to.

HR: Has running the New York City Marathon inspired you to consider other marathons or athletic pursuits?

NS: I’ve been talking about signing up for other marathons throughout the year. I’d love to do some international races; Berlin is on the list. I did qualify for the Boston Marathon for 2020; that’s a legendary race to be able to run in. I’ve dabbled with the idea of getting into triathlons, but swimming is so freaking hard and not as easy to access, especially with my schedule and living in New York City where pools are harder to come by. So I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to shoot someday for an Iron Man or something like that, but it would be fun.

HR: Anything you’d want to say to Catfish fans who want to support you in the marathon?

NS: If anyone sees this and they’re in New York City and they plan to get out and cheer for marathoners on Sunday, I don’t know if I’ve ever had a sign. If someone wants to have a sign out for me that would be great. I plan on running between a 3:15 and a 3:30 so you can factor that in to your time showing up for me. I’d love to have you out there and having you cheer for me and NYRR Teams for Kids.

I’ve also got a fun new Facebook Watch show that just started airing for Vanity Fair called Hoaxes and Cons, so people can check that out.

The TCS New York City Marathon takes place Nov. 3, 2019. Fans can follow Nev’s progress by downloading the official marathon app; learn more at the official website.