Start Line Stories: Catching up with Pacer Tom

For this week’s Start Line Story, we’d like to introduce you to one of our 2023 pacers: Thomas Perri – nickname “Pacer Tom” aka “The Human Metronome.”

Running is all about the people and the numbers for the lifelong Minnesota runner and self-described “stat guy.” So when he misplaced his running logs (this was in the time before Excel spreadsheets) it took some time to recover. He lost a lot of his personal race history on that day, but he pieced it back together over the years and currently has the following numbers tallied since he began running in high school nearly 45 years ago. Here are just a handful of the stats he shared with us:

·      118,732 Lifetime Miles (as of February 28, 2023)

·      3,100 Career Races (not including races ran on the same day in the same state)

·      636 completed races over 26.2 miles long (632 marathons and 4 ultras)

·      1,000+ races as a pacer

·      27.3% of his races are 26.2 miles or longer

Another stat that Tom shared was when his racing journey hit a speed bump in July of 2019, when a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis blindsided him and put him through eight months of treatments and three different surgeries.

And while the cancer slowed Tom down for a bit, it didn’t keep him off the roads or out of races, and he’s proud to still be strong enough to run through his cancer treatments and still able to travel to races and do his favorite thing: pace others to reach their goals. Here’s a little bit about Pacer Tom and his story and what motivates him to be on the start line of so many marathons across the globe:

Where is home right now? 

Maple Grove, Minnesota

Why did you choose to sign up for Eugene in 2023? 

I did the inaugural marathon in 2007 and it was a sub-4 marathon. At that time of my life, I was going for the 50 States at Sub-4 Challenge and I needed Oregon on my list. Eugene was the place! This time around (in 2023), it looks like Eugene will be right around my 644th total marathon or ultra.

What is currently motivating you to get to the start line on April 30, 2023? 

When I got diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer, I was just shy of finishing my 500th marathon. At the time of my diagnosis, I shifted my goals: I thought I could still try to get to 500; then I hit 500 and thought why not 550? I did that, and then I got to 600 and now my new goal is 650. I’m just biding time until my clock expires and trying to get as many states as possible. My original goal was to get 14 times through the 50 States in marathons, but with my advanced cancer diagnosis that is highly unlikely. Eugene Marathon should hopefully be my 7th time certified 50 State for Oregon and then I just need the states of Massachusetts and Pennsylvania… and an eight-time finish is definitely possible.

What type of training plan are you following and do you have a specific goal for the race? 

I’ve never followed a training plan. It’s just not my style. When I did my first marathon in 1993, I had never done a training run longer than nine miles. Races serve as my training; they help me prepare for other races. My real race total is about 3,100 total races, but not counting if I do both the 5K and 10K on the same day at the same race in the same state. Since I’m a stat guy, I try to make sure my marathons and ultras are at least 25% of my career races. I’m at just over 27% right now. The most races I have is in the 5K – about 800 5K total. Sometimes I’ll do five 5Ks in one day. When I was in grad school, that’s all I would do. In Minneapolis, I’d put in a quarter for parking for 30 minutes and make sure I was back to my car before the meter was up. My goal was to run fast enough not to get a parking ticket.

How many marathons and half marathons have you completed? 

·      Marathons = 638

·      Half Marathons = I’d guess about 340

·      Ultras = 4

Why run and why choose to race marathons? 

My first race was only a mile around the track, I stopped at Dairy Queen and had to puke three laps into the race. Now when I throw up in a race, it’s because I’m sick with cancer, but it’s kind of full circle. Running has been quite the life experience. It’s where I have my friends, people I’ve known for 30 or 40 years, and it’s where I get to pace and help others achieve their goals. There’s nothing better than helping a first-time marathoner get to the finish line.

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On April 30, you’ll be able to recognize Tom and his significant other Amie as our 6-hour group pacers. Make sure to say hi as Tom embarks on what will be his 644th marathon!