How my 'different ability' prepared me for one of the world's toughest races
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Running has been a part of Evan Mansfield’s life for as long as he can remember, starting in early childhood. Around the same time, he was diagnosed with autism.
Diagnosed at two with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Mansfield underwent years of intensive speech and language therapy to build HIS communication and social skills.
Now,, at 23, his journey has brought him to New York City, where he will run the TCS New York City Marathon for the first time 26.2 miles on roads that wind through all five boroughs and corners of the city.
The marathon is just another addition to Mansfield's already-busy schedule. The first person in his family to attend college, he studied accounting and finance, and is now working toward an MBA at Fairfield University in Connecticut.
Amid all this, running allows him to turn his brain off for a while and calm down from stressors like loud noises, large crowds and the pile of school work that comes with getting his degree.
He told the Daily Mail: ‘Running and fitness is the only constant that is present from my childhood to now and is a way for me to escape the chaos.
‘Being able to lace up my runners, throw on an audiobook and forget all of my other problems is a huge privilege.’
The TCS New York City Marathon often has more than 50,000 finishers every year, making it the largest marathon in the world.
Though new to marathons, Evan Mansfield (pictured here) told the Daily Mail his passion for long-distance running ignited just last year after his first half-marathon
Mansfield, who grew up in the southeast of Ireland, said: ‘My mother was a marathon runner, so during my childhood I knew all about what it took to be a runner, from the Sunday long runs to the recovery, to attending and partaking in local 5k races with my mom and my brothers.’
In his household, athleticism was a family tradition. HIS youngest brother, Ronan, IS A professional soccer player, while HIS middle brother, Aidan, is studying sports coaching in college.
Their childhood was a whirlwind of competition, with all three brothers not only playing but also excelling at a high level across a range of sports.
Mansfield is new to marathons, though, telling the Daily Mail that he only got into long-distance running last year, when he completed his first half-marathon.
He said: ‘From there I got the bug, and have gone on to do three more official half marathons.
‘Crossing the line will be an incredibly proud moment for me, I never thought I would run a marathon, never mind the biggest marathon in the world.’
Mansfield has always found solace in structure, a trait shared by many children with ASD, viewing a steadfast routine as a shield from the chaos of the world.
This inclination toward disciplined order has become the through line of his academic and physical pursuits.
Athleticism runs in the family. Mansfield's youngest brother, Ronan [front], is a professional soccer player, while his middle brother, Aidan [far left], is studying sports coaching in college
Growing up in Ireland, Mansfield was immersed in the world of running from a young age by his mother, a marathon runner
He discovered that the world of athletics, with its emphasis on good training habits, was a natural fit for his mindset. Now, he is channeling that same preference for hard work and consistency into the ultimate test of routine: marathon training.
The path to the marathon start line is often paved with a near-scientific devotion to a grueling, months-long routine.
He said he considers himself fortunate, in a way, that very little of life has come easily for him, forcing him to identify the pathways to success at an early age.
Mansfield said: ‘In school, I used to set myself goals that if I completed X amount of work in Y time, I would buy myself something as a reward.
‘Physical challenges lend perfectly to routine, as performing at a high level in sports is always about having a good training routine.’
Mansfield told the Daily Mail that he is most looking forward to running up and down the Queensboro Bridge, which spills out into upper Manhattan.
‘I ran a half-marathon over the Queensboro Bridge as part of my training, and that downhill followed by the madness of the Manhattan crowds will be a surreal moment,' he said.
A lifetime of navigating a neurotypical world has prepared Evan for this latest challenge. Far from ever proving to be a disability, Evan has come to call his ASD 'a different ability.'
Mansfield told the Daily Mail: 'Autism is never going to be some mountain that I am going to climb, it is a journey of understanding myself and taking each days challenges as they arise'
Mansfield told the Daily Mail that his preference for structure and routine has helped with marathon training
He said: ‘I have my own unique challenges that I face day to day, and I have been facing challenges my entire life. When I overcome some challenges, new ones arrive.
‘Autism is never going to be some mountain that I am going to climb, it is a journey of understanding myself and taking each days challenges as they arise.
‘I have had some major achievements, from making it to University, to earning my scholarship and many in between, but these aren’t breakthroughs. They are markers on a long journey of self-improvement and self-discovery which I am excited to continue down.’
The TCS New York City Marathon is produced by New York Road Runners.
Daily Mail
