CINCINNATI — Ask almost any distance runner and they’ll tell say that they learned new things about their bodies after hitting the pavement for hours on end, but nobody expects marathon training to uncover a life-changing diagnosis.

What You Need To Know

  • Mason native Xander Wells, 23, discovered he had Type 1 diabetes while training for his first marathon

  • He relies on multiple daily insulin injections and wears a continuous glucose monitor

  • He scaled back his first marathon to running the half marathon, but now he's running in the New York City Marathon with charity partner Beyond Type 1

  • Wells will be running with a team and has a fundraising goal

For Xander Wells, the journey to run his first marathon has been a series of ups and downs in more ways than one.

Less than a year ago, the 23-year-old Mason, Ohio native, learned something very shocking about himself.

“I was actually training for one of our local favorites, the Flying Pig marathon, and was really enjoying the training. I had never been a runner before, but was diving into the full gauntlet, adding up miles, going through everything it takes to prepare,” Wells said.

While tiredness and increased hunger can come with the territory of marathon training, extreme thirst, losing 30 pounds and experiencing fatigue so strong that you can barely make it to class does not.

“I went to my doctor and got lots of lab work done and found that I had Type 1 diabetes and was greeted with the statement that, the only reason I wasn’t in a coma was because I was a runner,” said Wells.

He scaled back and ran the half marathon at the Flying Pig.

He didn’t let his newly found Type 1 diabetes ruin months of training, but it’s changed his life.

He relies on multiple daily insulin injections.

“Injecting based on how many carbohydrates I’m consuming at each meal to compensate and keep my blood sugar steady around mealtimes. I also wear what’s considered a continuous glucose monitor which sends blood sugar readings to my phone about every five minutes,” Wells said.

Nine months after his diagnosis, he’ll be racing in the world’s largest marathon in November.

Runners train for years to qualify for the New York City Marathon, but by raising awareness and funding, Wells and 14,000 others are running for charities.

He’s supporting official charity partner "Beyond Type 1."

The global nonprofit works to change what it means to live with chronic illness.

Wells is running with a team of more than 50 other runners diagnosed with diabetes.

The team has given him insight and advice on how to eat, pack and snack during the race.

“I feel like New York is a tremendous place to start my marathon journey. It’s one of the most prestigious races in the world and really, really grateful for the opportunity to do it for such an amazing cause,” he said.

Wells has logged more than a thousand miles this year.

“I try to approach my diagnosis and my new normal as less of a battle to overcome and more of like a dance partner that I don’t really get along with,” he said.

While there’s nothing easy about marathon training or living with Type 1 diabetes, he’s not going to sit on the sidelines.

“The world is spinning. There’s music playing and I’ve got a lot of dancing left to do. We all do and we are incredibly strong with some really beautiful stories to tell,” Wells said.

This will be his first time in New York City.

Wells said his goal is to stay below 10-minute miles, but he really wants to soak in the experience, take pictures during the race, and see loved ones along the route.

The New York City Marathon is Nov. 3.

If you’d like to learn more about Beyond Type 1, click here.