Five M2M Athletes Earn Six Star Medals in Tokyo

Tammy joined M2M in the summer of 2015 training for her first marathon with coach Kevin Coffey on our personal coaching plan.  After running Boston in 2017, Tammy shares she “found out more about World Majors and Six-Star Challenge, and after I looked into it, I realized I had a qualification for Chicago 2018. Then my goal began.”

What does it mean for you to earn your 6-star medal?

It is a huge accomplishment. A lot of sacrifices, hard training, blood, sweat and tears. Many, many emotions. 

What’s been your most memorable world marathon major?

I loved every major, all for different reasons, but Boston was my first, and my family was there. It was before I knew about this challenge, but my memory of running Boston puts a huge smile on my face. I am thinking Tokyo might be similar because of the completion of this challenge. It will be very emotional.

Any advice for others looking to achieve their 6th Star?

The best advice is to research and plan ahead. Research each one. Find out all possible ways to get into each marathon. Reserve hotel rooms with free cancellation. Apply to the lotteries. Email charities and tell them why you want to run for them. Find out what tour operators in your country offer for majors. Save money too. It’s a very expensive goal. But I never thought I would ever be doing this. Running all over the globe. I’ve even met some international friends along the way. It’s amazing. 

Tokyo Marathon – 4:00:17

Mark and Sue’s journey with M2M began in Sept 2021, joining a Burnaby group workout at Empire Fields. After a few sessions, they were hooked and have been consistent members ever since. Sue shares that “joining M2M has really reinvigorated running for us.”

What does it mean for you to earn your 6-star medal? 

Sue: It is bittersweet. It means the conclusion of a wonderful long quest. We have so enjoyed travelling to the most amazing cities and meeting wonderful people.

Mark: The best thing about the Six Star was being able to complete it with Sue. It’s been great fun to travel around the World and run together. I could not have done it without her. 

When you look back at your 6 majors, is there one that is most memorable? Do you have a favourite moment that stands out? 

 Sue: That is a hard question. Probably New York, and the iconic start with Frank Sinatra’s New York, New York playing and then running across the Verrazano Bridge on a beautiful sunny day with NYC fire boats blasting water. Then there was finishing London in front of Buckingham Palace with all the British flags.

Mark: Boston was my first Major in 2009. Abbott and the Six Stars were not an idea at that time, so crossing the finish line in Boston meant a lot. 

Completing this feat is a testament to a lot of hard work, consistency and dedication — any advice for others looking to achieve their 6th Star?

Sue: My strong advice is don’t rush the experience. You can get all six marathons done in two or three years. But revel in the experience, take your time, turn these events into a vacation and explore the city, area, and country.   Same advice for the running part, don’t rush the preparation; prepare, prepare, prepare. 

Mark:  For others who are interested in doing the 6 Star runs, go for it. Obviously, you do the training, with a great M2M plan, but reward yourself afterwards with a good tour of the areas you visit. Make a great pre- and post-race plan for each leg, and don’t worry if it takes a few extra years to get it done. There are a lot of other great Marathons around the World that are worth visiting. 

Tokyo Marathon – 3:54:04

Nanette’s journey with M2M began in 2021, training for the London Marathon with Matthew Travaglini on our personal coaching plan. After a second marathon build, Nanette crushed her marathon, running a 5-min personal best.

When did your six-star journey begin? Has this always been one of your goals?

This was not always a goal – I didn’t even know the world majors until after my first marathon. I have only been running seriously since 2014 or so. My first half marathon was at the Rock and Roll Las Vegas in 2016. The following January, my best friend asked me to go with her to run the New York Marathon.  I said no. She finally convinced me, and we ran it in 2017. I loved that marathon – probably because I had no idea what I was doing, had no expectations, and didn’t overthink it….

It turns out that I ran a BQ in New York by more than 10 minutes and qualified to run Chicago.  I saw the sign-up for Chicago shortly after running NY and decided, “why not” this time had to convince my friend to come with me. After some googling, I came to know more about the world majors, and the two of us decided we were going to do them all.  My motto was always, “I am only ever running 6 marathons”. I ran Chicago in 2018 (a 5-minute PR from NY), Boston and Berlin in 2019 and then was slated to run Tokyo and London in the spring of 2020. 6 days before our flight was scheduled to leave for Tokyo, the marathon, and our trip were cancelled.

During Covid, I ran a virtual New York Marathon and, in 2021, ran London. My friend has not yet qualified for Boston so we ran the Tunnel Marathon last June. We both PR’d (her by 16 minutes). It’s been quite the journey. The best part had been the 2 of us (mostly) doing it together – training for the same goals, the same races and travelling the world together.

What’s been your most memorable world marathon major?

So far, my favourite marathon has been New York followed closely by London – the crowds at both were incredible. Even though London was a bust, I still loved it!! 

Any advice for others looking to achieve their 6th Star?

Keep at it. Some of these are so hard to get in to, so it can be frustrating. Plus, everything is getting more and more expensive, so I get that it isn’t as accessible for everyone. If you can, make a trip out of each one. I have amazing memories of each – not just the marathon but the times with my friends that were also there and the friends I have made because of running.

I always said just 6, but after Tokyo it is 8 (if you count a virtual)…what a journey it has been! From the girl who said she would never run a marathon – I am trying to figure out which one to run next!

To add one thing, it has been a real pleasure to train with Matthew. He’s been great through the ups and downs. He is encouraging, listens, and adjusts to my crazy life and busy work schedule. He has kept the training interesting, and I feel like we have been a great team getting to this point over the last few years.

Tokyo Marathon – 3:36:50

Sydney joined M2M in 2019 on our personal plan and has been working with Dylan Wykes for over four years now. After initially never thinking she’d run a marathon, Sydney went on to qualify for Boston, sparking a dream to complete the rest of the stars.

What will it mean for you to earn your 6-star medal? 

 It means using port-a-loos in 3 of the 4 countries this has brought me to, haha, just not in the USA. Real talk, means combining 2 things I love, running and travel. I’ve had the fortune of having friends and, or family coming with me to every major, so that’s been awesome. 

What’s been your most memorable world marathon major?

NYC 2019 has been my most memorable. I’d already run Berlin that fall, and I was a few minutes off my time goal. Dylan said if I had a good day, I could shoot for 3:15, which was slower than I’d run in Berlin. Stubborn as ever and dialled in AF, I decided to go for 3:10. I smashed perfectly even splits, down to the second, which is insane to me. A close friend who I’ve known since I was 11 lives in Williamsburg, and I knew she’d be out cheering but had no idea where. By some chance, I turned my head right at the perfect moment, and we locked eyes even though the crowd was deep. As soon as I crossed, I saw Joan Benoit and then Shalane Flannagan, and drank pints of champagne at Tavern on the green. An unforgettable day in every way.

Any advice for others looking to achieve their 6th Star? 

Listen to your coach and apply to Tokyo every year.

Tokyo Marathon –  3:29:46