775 Marathons and Counting: The Inspiring Journey of Pacer Tom Perri

In this deeply moving episode of Friends in Training: Life is a Marathon, Marcela sits down with Pacer Tom Perri, an extraordinary runner and pacer whose story redefines resilience, service, and the power of forward motion. With 775 marathons and ultras to his name, Pacer Tom has completed the 50 state marathon tour nine times, including once with all sub four hour finishes. He's earned his World Marathon Majors six star medal twice and has paced nearly 1,200 races over five decades, helping runners of all abilities cross finish lines from the fastest to the back of the pack. But the most remarkable chapter of his running journey began in 2019, when he was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer. Since that day, he has run 280 marathons and ultras, and he's now chasing a goal that seemed impossible: becoming the first person ever to complete 300 marathons with stage 4 cancer. Every race is a victory. Every mile is borrowed time. And every finish line is a testament to hope. Throughout their conversation, Marcela and Pacer Tom explore the world of marathon pacing, the evolution of the running community, the untold history of women at the Boston Marathon, and what it means to keep moving forward when life hands you the toughest miles. He also shares details about his two books, Running My Salvation from Stage 4 Cancer and Boston Marathon Triumphs, with all proceeds benefiting the American Red Cross. This episode is a powerful reminder that life, like a marathon, will bring both joyful miles and painful ones, but with community, courage, and faith, we can keep going one step at a time. 00:00 Welcome and Meet Pacer Tom 01:15 775 Marathons and Ultras: The Numbers 02:30 Nine Time 50 State Finisher and World Marathon Majors 04:10 What Is a Pacer? The Heart Behind the Role 06:45 Pacing Nearly 1,200 Races Over 50 Years 08:20 Favorite and Least Favorite Marathons 11:40 International Racing: Rome, Tokyo, Berlin, and Beyond 14:50 The Most Inspiring Stories from the Pacer's Perspective 16:35 Running My Salvation from Stage 4 Cancer: The Book 19:20 Boston Marathon Triumphs: Honoring Legends and History 22:10 Women and the Boston Marathon: Bobby Gibb and Kathrine Switzer 26:00 How Running Has Changed from the 1970s to Today 30:15 Stage 4 Cancer Diagnosis in 2019 32:40 280 Marathons After Stage 4: Chasing 300 35:50 Life Is a Marathon: The Happy Miles and the Hard Ones 38:25 Advice for Anyone Facing Tough Times 40:10 Looking Ahead to Cape Town Marathon and Beyond Learn more about Marcela, and the FIT community, at https://friendsintraining.net/ Find Pacer Tom's books on Amazon: Running My Salvation from Stage 4 Cancer and Boston Marathon Triumphs. All proceeds benefit the American Red Cross.