When Michael Sayih and Max Fink cross marathon finish lines together, they aren’t just making time, they’re making history.
The South Florida duo shares a dream that’s both bold and beautiful: to become one of the first Duo Teams, an athlete pushing another in a wheelchair, to complete all six Abbott World Marathon Majors. So far, they’ve conquered Chicago, New York, Boston, London, and Berlin. Only one remains: Tokyo. And in March 2025, they’ll become one of just three teams racing there as part of the marathon’s first-ever duo trial.
But before they became teammates, their journeys to the starting line began with deeply personal reasons.
Max met Michael through a nonprofit called Special Compass, founded by Michael’s dad, Jim Sayih. Jim started the organization after years of running races with Michael, who was born with cerebral palsy. Michael competed in his first race at five years old, inspired by others he saw running.
“I saw other people doing all these races,” Michael said. “And I told my dad, ‘I want to do it too.’ So my first race was at the age of 5 years old.”
Jim was told when Michael was born that he should be institutionalized. He never even considered it.
“I just knew that institutionalizing him was not an option,” Jim told CBS News. “I just really knew, there was no doubt, that he was going to live a life of fulfillment and a life of abundance.”
Their early races weren’t always smooth, literally. “We wrecked a few times during the 30K bike ride, and I thought for sure he was never going to want to do this ever again,” Jim laughed. But when Michael’s brother asked if they wanted to try a 5K next, Michael “instantly said yes.”
That unstoppable spirit? It stuck. Now, medals hang like confetti in Michael’s bedroom.
Jim’s experience led him to create Special Compass, where he pairs athletes with people who use wheelchairs so they can race as one. “Over the years, parents that have kids with disabilities would ask me if I would push their kids in races,” he said. But rather than leave Michael on the sidelines, Jim grew the operation. Today, it’s a full-blown nonprofit with 132 volunteers, running clinics and events all across South Florida.
It was at one of those events that Max, training for the New York City Marathon in honor of his mom, who passed away from breast cancer in 2017, met Michael.
“They had a [Special Compass] 5K in Coral Gables and I went there and just got paired with Michael by happenstance,” Max said. “And I did the 5K and I was hooked like a drug immediately. It was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve done in my life.”
Something about Michael’s spirit reminded Max of his mom. “I definitely think it was a sign from my mom. She brought Michael and Jim and I together,” he said. “She was this energetic, bubbly woman who only cared about other people… and that’s exactly how Michael and Jim live their lives.”
From that first race, the pair clicked, and never stopped. Together, they’ve tackled race after race, with Max biking or running while pushing or pulling Michael. And yes, Michael keeps him in check.
“Michael is always smiling, but then he starts to ask me if I’m doing OK,” Max said. “As soon as he says ‘Max, are you doing OK?’ it means I’ve substantially slowed down.”
The bond is more than just athletic. After finishing the Chicago Marathon, Michael helped Max propose to his now-wife, and stood proudly as a groomsman at their wedding.
When asked how it feels to race with Max, Michael lit up:
“It feels amazing… It feels like my wheelchair is gone and I’m doing the running myself.”
To which Max responded:
“You’re going to make me cry.”
Michael and Max are chasing marathons, yes, but they’re also chasing a vision: one of joy, inclusion, and wild, unapologetic possibility. Whether they’re racing toward Tokyo or lifting each other through life, one thing’s clear:
This duo doesn’t just run races.
They run with heart.
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