Mancino, a former Fredonia High School runner, completed the New York City Marathon earlier this month. But Mancino didn’t just compete in the race, which he had done twice previously. This time, Mancino performed so well that he qualified for the Berlin Marathon. His time of 2:43:13 was 238th overall out of 51,295 runners.

“It was just amazing. I’ve been trying to get that time for two years now,” Mancino said. “Going up to the finish line, I saw the timer and I was really happy knowing that as long as I crossed the finish line, I would make that time, I had the time in the bag. … It was a really amazing, touching experience.”

Mancino, 29, trained for the marathon in Fredonia in the weeks leading up to the race. He now lives full-time in Michigan, but visited his parents in Fredonia and ran the streets he grew up on to practice for the big race. Mancino credits his training on the streets and hills of Fredonia for his success, especially at the latter portion of the New York City Marathon.

Mancino began running in 2006 on the Fredonia Cross Country team while in middle school. He ran at Fredonia through high school for coaches Mark Fitzgerald and Carol Zirkle. Fredonia’s program has been responsible for many successful runners over the years in addition to Mancino, including Emily Brown, who is currently one of the top runners at the University of Pittsburgh on a Division-I scholarship.

Charles Mancino is pictured running during one of 11 marathons he has completed in his running career.

Pittsburgh also holds a special place in Mancino’s heart, as Mancino ran his first marathon in Pittsburgh in 2018. In doing so, his time qualified him for the Chicago Marathon.

“Then I said, let’s see how much further I can push my body, how many more of these I can qualify for,” Mancino said.

Last Sunday’s marathon was the 11th marathon Mancino competed in, and with it being the third time he ran the New York City Marathon, his prior experience helped improve his time.

“I knew what to expect on the course, I knew where all the crowds were going to be, so I used my energy when I needed it,” Mancino said.

Mancino said the thing he has learned most from his running career is to believe in himself. He also noted “Every stride is practice,” and that “consistency definitely pays off in running.”

Charles Mancino qualified for the Berlin Marathon in Germany with his time of 2:43:13 in the New York City Marathon last Sunday.

Next up: Germany.

The Berlin Marathon is held annually on the final weekend of September on the streets of Berlin, Germany. Like the New York City Marathon, it is one of six events that make up the World Marathon Majors – along with Tokyo, London, Chicago, and Boston.

At this time, Mancino plans to travel to Berlin for next year’s race. His qualifying time is good for three years, so if he is unable to attend next year, he will still have an opportunity at a later date.

Of his latest achievement, Mancino said, “Honestly, it’s probably my biggest success.”

Mancino ranks finishing a marathon under the three-hour mark and winning 5K races in high school among his top achievements, as well.

“I think (Nov. 5) is probably going to go down in my book as the best memory I have,” Mancino said.