Anthony Famiglietti, Artist of Speed

He’s faster than everyone else in New York, and he knows it

“I’m the fastest man in New York,” says Anthony Famiglietti, leaning over to stretch by the Engineers’ Gate at the Central Park Reservoir. It is a bright Saturday morning and Famiglietti, a resident of the Upper East Side, is standing in a steady stream of weekend joggers, inline skaters, and bikers variously toting iPods and wearing knee braces, all in stages of endorphin flush and exhaustion.

“I’m faster than all of these people,” Famiglietti says, cracking a grin to soften what might be perceived as egotism. But it is clear he means it. He defines himself by that statement, a statement that motivates him and in which he takes pride. He knows it won’t be true forever, and so he savors it all the more.

Successful Around the World
For the moment, though, Famiglietti can say with a good degree of certainty that there isn’t another runner in the city who can match him mile-for-mile. In June he took third in the mile in the Reebok Grand Prix, an international meet on Randall’s Island, running a personal best time of 3:55.71 and finishing ahead of the seven other American runners. Additionally, he is one of America’s best in the 3000-meter steeplechase; he earned a bronze medal in that event at the 2003 Pan Am Games, and he represented the U.S. at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

These days, Famiglietti’s focus has shifted somewhat to longer distances. Since early spring he has been training 10 miles a day, performing interval workouts on various surfaces to condition his body for the summer season. In April he ran his first-ever 10,000 meters on the track at the Payton Jordan Cardinal Invitational in California. His time: a sizzling 27:37.74. He followed that up with a strong 28:40 for third place in the Healthy Kidney 10K in Central Park on May 20.

On occasion, Famiglietti’s training speed can cause problems. When he trains in the park drives, he runs so quickly that he has to go against the flow of traffic. He finds that when he runs in the same direction, most runners get in his way, while others will see him pass and try in vain to catch up.

“When I’m running, I feel like Superman when he goes into light-speed,” Famiglietti says. “It’s a rhythm I’m used to. I can’t slow down so I’m just like everyone else out there.”

The Art of Pushing Yourself
There’s not much danger that “Fam” (as he’s affectionately known on the circuit) will be mistaken for any other runner in Central Park—or anywhere, for that matter. It’s not just his velocity that distinguishes him; he also stands out from the mostly clean-cut jogging crowd with his shaggy Mohawk and the tattoo on his right forearm that reads PLUSH SAFE HE THINK, a quote from 1980s art-star Jean-Michel Basquiat.

The 27-year-old Long Island native may be a runner at the top of his game, but he’s also an artist and, therefore, something of an anomaly. While recovering from an injury two years ago, he focused on creating wild, expressive, abstract paintings that he then sold at a show in Tennessee and via an online gallery. He’s been painting since college, but he says all the free time he had during recovery really focused his energy on his art.

“The two are very similar,” Famiglietti says of his art and running. “They invite you to push yourself and keep going.” Neither involves being part of a crowd. “They’re both very individualistic,” he says. “When I’m running, I run on my own terms and do as much as I feel I need to do on a given day. With painting, I have the same control; I dictate what I’m going to do and how I’m going to do it. The way that you become great at both of them is by being willing to do what’s necessary to take it to the next level when other people aren’t.”

Though he is in training, Famiglietti still focuses on creating art, only now in a different medium. As we talk, he sets up a small video camera, balancing it against the trunk of a tree. He is in the process of creating an independent film, currently titled “Run Like Hell,” about his life as an iconoclastic and unorthodox figure in the running world. (See a trailer at Famiglietti’s website, www.runfam.com.)

He says the film will help dispel a lot of the misconceptions people have about competitive runners, particularly the idea that they don’t have “real” jobs. “People say to me at parties that I don’t really work for a living,” he says. “They don’t understand the effort that goes into being the best and winning prizes and getting endorsement deals.” But in the same breath, he acknowledges that he lives a somewhat charmed life, with the opportunity to really achieve great things.

“I used to think of running as a job, but it’s not even that anymore,” he says. “This is what I live for. Every day when I go out, I ask myself, ‘If I had a heart attack and died after this workout, would I die happy?’ The answer is always yes. The day that it’s ‘no’ is the day that I’ll stop.”

Famiglietti’s fiancée, Karen Underwood, who works in the fashion industry and runs non-competitively, speaks of his running with awe. “He’s got the coolest job in the world,” she says. “To be able to do what you love, and to be in a position to influence the sport… there’s nothing like it.”

Skirting Danger
Famiglietti got into running through the back door. His original obsession, in high school, was skateboarding. His goal was to go pro. But when serious injuries began to mount, his parents pulled the plug. “Because my arm was broken and I couldn’t do any other sports, I just started running,” he says.

He’s found a thrill and challenge similar to skateboarding in the steeplechase, which combines a serious physical challenge with the whiff of excitement and danger. “The truth is, when you’re out there you never know what’s going to happen,” he says. “You’re pushing yourself to the limit while people are falling around you, and you’ve got to be strong in every way.”

During the 2002 USA national steeplechase championships, Famiglietti tore a tendon halfway through the race. Determined to win, he kept going and eventually emerged as the country’s best.

Competitive Drives
Some might look at Famiglietti’s Mohawk, tattoo, and admittedly unhealthy diet (“all junk,” he says) and question his commitment to pursuing the sport at the highest level. But that would be a mistake. “I don’t race to get second place,” he says. “It’s all or nothing. My only choice is to run with reckless abandon. I like running fast, and I like to win.”

Famiglietti claims not to concentrate too much on strategy during races, but he admits that he does try to psyche out other runners with quick accelerations. “I’ve gotten good at knowing when someone’s getting tired,” he says. “You can really win a race by working someone over with a surge right when they’re just starting to hurt.” An extra boost comes from his knowledge of Central Park—Famiglietti knows how long the hills are and where he can push into a sudden downhill. In this way, the park is as much a part of his success as his training. “I know this place like the back of my hand,” he says, looking out on the leafy 90th Street entrance to the park.

And as long as he can keep up the pace, he’s the fastest man here.