New York City may have a bad reputation for being mean as hell, but in reality we're only the sixth meanest city on Earth. When push comes to shove, we're basically good people, or maybe it appears we're good Samaritans because we're expected to be such Philistines. 

30 year-old Gianclaudio P. Marengo found out the hard way that if you stick it out long enough, someone in this place will help you. 

The gentleman visiting from Italy, a recovering drug addict, made the trek with a group of compatriots in the name of good health to run the NYC Marathon last weekend, but his journey didn't end in Central Park.

Following 4 hours, 44 minutes and 27 seconds of hustling his way through a foreign city, Marengo realized that he had lost his subway map and hotel key card along the way. Without any English, he didn't know what to do.

Marengo had finished the Marathon at about 3 p.m. on Sunday, and the rest of his group, which had outrun him by a long shot, realized something was wrong after not being able link up with their lost man in the park, and when he didn't appear for a dinner reservation. 

[anad]

After the no-show, Marengo's group called the Italian Consulate, who alerted the NYPD, while he spent the night in Central Park.

Knowing he was due to depart on Monday morning, he made it to Kennedy International Airport and waited for his travel partners, but they weren't able to meet up.

According to the group's medic, Antonio Boschini, airport officials "...thought he looked homeless, so they kicked him out."

Officer Man Yam / via New York Times

 By Tuesday morning, Marengo had nowhere to go, and still in his marathon outfit, was riding the subway again when off-duty NYPD Officer Man Yam recognized the missing person from a Daily News article he'd been reading on his smart phone, sitting directly across from him on the 2 train. 

Seeing that Marengo was distressed, he politely showed his police identification and asked Marengo to come with him. After a doughnut and a coffee, they set off to end Marengo's ordeal. Besides minor dehydration, he was fine, albeit pretty shaken up. Understandably so. 

So here's to Marengo for making it through a much longer marathon than he expected, and also to Officer Yam for showing him the finish line. Nice job, NYC.

Check out 7 Most Amazing Murals You've Ever Seen on the Streets of NYC.

[via New York Times]

[Feature Image Courtesy Travel Channel]