Joe Amabile had brain surgery to remove a tumor on Aug. 5. The “Bachelor in Paradise” alum is documenting his recovery on social media, and that includes practicing for the New York City Marathon. Amabile, 40, explained when he decided to run and how it’s helping him mentally.
Joe Amabile Says Serena Pitt Questions His Marathon Plan
The “Dancing with the Stars” alum spoke to E! News about his fitness goal. “Once I had decided to have the surgery […], it was all kind of like I can think about,” Amabile said. “I wanted to focus on something positive. It helped me so much to put my mindset not just on focusing on the surgery because a lot of it was out of my hands.”
Amabile currently runs up to five miles twice a week. He feels like he’ll perform better this year than before because he’s resting more instead of overexercising. Amabile ran last year with Zac Clark from “The Bachelorette.” That was his second marathon ever.
His doctors told him that he’ll have a healthy life after the procedure. He said his wife, Serena Pitt, constantly asks him if he’s sure about doing the marathon. But there is no turning back for him.
“I’ve committed,” the content creator said. “And I’m going to do my best to achieve it.” The 2026 TCS NYC Marathon’s course is 26.2 miles long.
Why Joe Amabile Struggled with Socializing after Surgery
Amabile revealed his recovery process to his fans on social media. He made an Instagram video to update his fans on his health four and a half weeks post-surgery.
“If I’m scrolling too much on social media, if I have a big TV in this room, if I watch it for too long, like, I do get a little lightheaded. I have to go into my bedroom, turn the lights off,” he said.
He said beyond the overstimulation, he had to ease back into socializing and be cautious. Amabile had anxiety his whole life, and it spiked after the surgery. His main trigger is when he reads about the tumor that he had.
The podcast host had a grade 2 IDH-mutant diffuse astrocytoma, according to NYU Langone Health. The tumor was found after an elective whole-body MRI scan and before it caused any serious neurological symptoms.
Amabile and Pitt currently co-host the “Not Married to This” podcast, where they talk about pop culture and their married life.
Katie Thurston, the star of “The Bachelorette” season 17, was a guest to talk about undergoing a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer in 2025. She is still navigating treatment.
The marathon takes place on Nov. 1. Amabile seems excited about his third marathon. On Oct. 22, he shared a video on his Instagram Story running with Clark, who accompanied him last year.
“Last longest run, six miles,” he told the camera. Amabile shared a picture of croissants in a bakery afterward.
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Joe Amabile Says NYC Marathon Plan Helps Him Stay ‘Positive’ after Brain Surgery