Decades ago, when Michael Lo Presti first began his running career, he started seeing the usual positive results that come with this healthy habit… but one troubling symptom persisted. His blood pressure was consistently measuring high. It turned out he was living with an undiagnosed congenital heart defect. A heart ultrasound revealed the cause of the high blood pressure readings: a bicuspid aortic valve and an aortic aneurysm.
With careful monitoring, his heart remained in stable condition, but after a big race in 2022, the aneurysm grew to the point where surgery was recommended. By this time, Michael had run 105 races of marathon distance or longer, and he was determined to continue his running career. He underwent surgery to repair his valve and remove the aneurysm, and took some time away from work and race training to recover. His driving motivation throughout the recovery was getting to race number 106.
His triumphant return happened four and a half months later at Connecticut’s Hartford Marathon, and the good news continued soon after; doctors told him he could continue training for even longer races with no restrictions. While he may need another valve replacement surgery in the coming years, Michael is taking full advantage of his freedom to run.
This April, Michael put his running endurance to the test, traveling to New Jersey for The Old Six Day race, a weeklong running event where the objective is to run as much distance as possible on a quarter-mile outdoor track over the span of 144 hours. Michael’s results: 327 miles total, good enough for second place overall.
Michael’s 2026 race calendar is filled with many more marathons and ultramarathons, where he’ll continue to compete for distance and endurance. His advice for fellow athletes: “Schedule your checkup. Work with your doctors before undertaking your own personal health or fitness journey, because everyone’s health situation is unique. Ask questions. Pay attention to the signals. When you have the information you need, use it.”
As the Assistant Vice President, Communications Programs at Claritev, Michael leads internal and executive communications. This year, in honor of Heart Month, he shared his story on the company blog. You can read more about his journey, in his own words, here.