The Tokyo Marathon was an overall great experience, especially for a US resident’s first time visiting this city. The city has a ton to offer in the way of culture, food, wonderful people and unique experiences. It is amazingly clean as well! As for the race, I would offer the following:
I secured my entry through Marathon Tours and they were stellar with all their plans as usual. We stayed at the Hilton near the start line which was super convenient and I would highly recommend this hotel. Breakfast was great and was included as part of our Marathon Tour reservation. The expo was a bit crazy with many vendors pushing their brochures and took too long to get through. Picking up the bib and other race items was well organized though. I much prefer Boston, Chicago and some US based expos. The race start line with corals was well organized. No bagels there and race started at 9:10am, so get your breakfast/snacks on your own before you get there. I was in the B coral toward front and it took me one minute to cross the start line - not too bad. Unfortunately, it was very slow going for the first mile as tough to navigate all the people. I was actually weaving through a thick crowd all the way through the first 10k. This may be because they had a 10k race mixed in with marathon? Either way, the crowd loosened up greatly after 10k. I had a couple issues on the course: 1) they had no mile markers, only kilometers. That’s understandable but 2) My GPS didn’t work well through whole course so I had no feedback on how well I was doing. The water stops were every 2 to 3k which was fine, but plan for not being every mile. The fans and volunteers were amazing and throughout the course. I liked the course as there are a couple out and backs mixed in, allowing you to see the leaders and your friends a few times - very different. The course is fast and definitely set up for a PR. Just know your goal splits in kilometers and wear a pace band to remind you. After the finish the volunteers were again very gracious and helpful. It’s a super long walk to get out of the finish area so be ready. Marathon Tours had set up a shuttle bus to take us back to hotel which was very helpful. It is important to know that there are mostly Japanese runners in this race so not a lot is set up for Americans in terms of mile markers, reliable English runner tracking etc. That’s fine but just good to know. One major bummer for me was that my chip malfunctioned and I didn’t receive a chip time, only gun time. That’s unusual and not expected for a World Marathon Major race. Speaking of World Marathon Majors, this was my sixth and final race so I got the coveted Six Star medal at the finish line which is very cool. Overall, I had a great experience in the city and for the race despite some issues.

Well, I finally am getting around to reviewing my 2017 Leadville 100. I reviewed my first Leadville in 2015 and had an overall great experience. With that experience, I improved my time in 2016 but still suffered through some pretty bad nausea starting about the 55 mile mark. In both 2015 and 2016, I was able to finish under 30 hours and earned the small belt buckle. In 2016 and 2017, I utilized an amazing coach, Ian Sharman. Ian, of course, has won Leadville the last three years and has a terrific coaching program. This year, we set out to improve my time again and earn that elusive big belt buckle. His training plan, bi-weekly calls on everything from nutrition to adapting my plan for injury/soreness to proper equipment etc. were invaluable. I did the Camp again as in 2015 and think that is a must for anyone looking to have a great Leadville. The experience from the last two years definitely helped. My mantra (coached by Ian) was to stay at 100 mile effort and listen to what my body was telling me at every moment. If I am on a flat and not feeling well, slow down or walk until I feel better. Giving up a little time to feel better will pay off big time as the race goes on. Race day started with great weather again, mid-40's and a beautiful day for running. The start was great and me and my buddies, Steve and Tim as we kept our pace in check and made our way to Mayqueen. Everything felt smooth all the way to Twin Lakes and my pace was well ahead of schedule. Me and my buddies split up along the way, which was ok. We had different needs at different times and didn't plan on waiting for each other. Unfortunately for me again this year, nausea set in just after Winfield. The steep hike back up Hope Pass was brutal. It didn't help that they added a couple miles to the course in that stretch this year. When I finally crested Hope, I thought I had completely blown my chance at the big belt buckle. I was already thinking of what I was going to tell everyone who were rooting for me to make it. I felt horrible but was able to get down Hope and made it back to Twin Lakes slowly. As it turned out, the better than expected pace in my first 50 miles allowed me to get through the slow grind up and over Hope and back, still ahead of schedule! My pacers quickly pointed that out and kept me going. This year, I was able to move through the last 40 miles with a lot less nausea. My pacers, John, Kyle and Dan were unbelievable! Long story short, when I got back to Mayqueen I had a good amount of time in the bank and was able to run/walk it in for a Big Belt Buckle - 24:21! What a thrill to cross the finish line holding my mom and dad's hands along with my sister, Maureen, Pacers Dan and Kyle. Thanks to an amazing crew including my crew chief, Jess, mom, dad, Maureen and all the amazing pacers family and friends! Running mates Tim and Steve made the whole experience including the motel together for Camp and Pre-race Breck stay the most amazing Leadville experience yet. A big thank you to all the great Leadville race staff and volunteers. They are second to none. On to the next experience! Matt

Go Beyond Racing Team and Todd organized a great race as usual. Volunteers and aid stations were awesome. Parking was super easy and you just check-in and get bib morning of the race. For the 50 miler, you go two out and backs. During the first out and back you see an amazing view of Mt Hood! Lots of aid stations so don't need to carry a whole lot. The trail is beautiful and is very smooth with limited roots and rocks. The elevation gain is minimal really and you can run most of the course. The biggest climb is on the return but it's not too bad, and you get to finish the last several miles with a fast downhill. The cotton t-shirt was great, as was the free beer at the finish! Loved this one!

For my first ultra I ran the Leadville 100 this year. What an amazing experience! I am typically a road racer running marathons but have been enjoying getting out in the trails when possible. Being a flat-lander living in Chicago, that's easier said than done. I love Colorado and even more so I love a challenge. Why not go for one of the most legendary, challenging 100's right out of the gate?! I signed up originally to run the 2014 race but suffered an injury and had to defer. For 2015, the race entry was determined through a lottery but luckily I had a spot reserved from the prior year.

To get started with my training, I did a lot of research online and talked to friends who have completed ultras. One of the recommendations was to attend the Leadville 100 Run Training Camp in the summer. I believe this is a MUST for any first time Leadville racers. The race oraganizers are super helpful (Abby, Josh etc.) and there are multiple coaches on hand to share Leadville wisdom over the three days of training. During the camp, you cover the entire course (not in both directions) including going up and over Hope Pass each way. I ran with a coach and previous year's Leadman the first day who gave me a ton of information about: the course, race strategy, nutrition, gear, pacing etc. They had a expert panel one night with a ton of great information and Q&A. On top of all that, it was a blast! I met a ton of great people and went back to Leadville three different weekends to train with a few buddies I met at camp. This was also important to get back up in the elevation and increase my familiararity of the course.

The next thing I did in preparation of the race was to organize my crew/pacers. This is critical. I chose the most awesome group that included two great friends who compete in road and trail races. I chose one to be the leader and she was the best. We organized all the gear/nutrition to be carried by the crew with a very specific plan as to what I (or my pacer) would be wearing, carrying, eating, drinking throughout the race. Organization is the key! My parents were part of my crew team which made the race even more memorable. One other thing I did for the race was I rented a house for all of us from Wednesday to Monday. This worked out great!

When I got in town for the race weekend, the excitement was building for sure. Leadville is an old mountain town sitting at 10,200 feet. The race HQ is right in the middle of the quaint town. I checked in for the race and got a nice racing shirt. It's pretty typical but anything that says Leadville and 100 miles I think is cool. The race itself starts at 4am on Saturday morning. TIP - grab shop excellent pizza at High Mountain Pies in the days leading up to the race! There is a pre-racemeeting for all racers and of course the highlight is Ken and Merilee's talk.

When I got to the start line for the race, it was a cool 45 degrees, perfect weather. I wore shorts, short sleeve shirt, arm sleeves, buff headband, hat and headlamp. That worked great. My crew skipped the first aid station and we met up at Outward Bound. That also was a good call. I have to say all the race volunteers and organizers were completely amazing. The aid stations were very well supplied with great food, drink, toilets, first aid etc. As I made my way through the course, my crew met me at most of the rest of the aid stations and everything was going ahead of plan. Then the dreaded nausea set in at mile 45. Bummer! This really punched me in the gut and it took every ounce of determination to grind it out to finish the race. Thankfully I was able to do so with the support of a great team and all the wonderful volunteers and fans cheering me on. The best hug you will ever get is from Merilee when you cross that finish line! At noon on Sunday is the race awards ceremony when it's time to pick up the hardware - the race coveted buckles! They also print your name and time on a zip up sweatshirt which is pretty sweet.

Some random thoughts on the adventure... The scenery is breathtaking. I love the mountains and the trails are first rate. I picked up my super lightweight trekking poles at the 50 mile mark and used/carried them the rest of the way. They are extremely helpful on the climbs and I will do that next time for sure. During this last 50 mile stretch I wore my SJ Ultra Vest (even though my pacer carried all my water and food) and will also do that again next year. The nutrition thing I need to improve on for sure. I practiced and trained with a certain strategy incorporating lots of real food but something didn't agree with me. The course is challenging because of: 1) the elevation, 2) the elevation change and for sure 3) nutrition. I think what knocks most people out is nutrition (getting sick). Less than 1/2 of the racers finished the race in 2015 under 30 hours which I think is pretty typical.

Well, that's it. It was one of the most memorable things I have done in my life and a real test of character. I can't wait to do it again in 2016 and plan on crushing it.

Historic course running by all the top sites in London. The fans were incredible cheering the runners on during most of the race and especially loud/supportive in many sections. The course itself I thought was very flat if not downhill much of the time, especially in first half of the race. The biggest uphill was running up the Tower Bridge but the incline was so gradual it was a piece of cake. This should be a PR kind of course for you. The water they handed out was in little bottles which I thought was odd. I was worried about tripping over them but it wasn't an issue. The race start was a bit slow for the first mile+ even though I was in a coral toward the front. If you are further back, be ready I am sure to zig zag for a while through runners. You might want to be at the front of your goal time corral. I would highly recommend this race for the flat elevation, great fans and awesome city to have a pint in post race!