German Deaf man completes 6 world marathon majors title
Renca Dunn, Daily Moth Reporter: There are many marathons in the world, but there is a top marathon series that many runners dream of accomplishing. It is called the “Abbott World Marathon Majors,” and it is a lineup of six locations: Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York City. When someone finishes all six, that person gets a “Six Star Medal,” and it is considered a big accomplishment. Tom Eller, a Deaf man from Germany, recently accomplished that title.
[photos credit to Tom Eller]
For a full marathon, a person will need to run 26.2 miles. To be able to run in the world marathon majors, there are strict criteria and have to be qualified to get in. We contacted Tom to share his experience and how he feels about getting the “Six Star Medal” finisher title. We want to let you know that both of us are communicating with a mixture of ASL and International Sign. Here is the interview.
[Begin interview]
Renca: Wow! All six. That’s a big achievement. Congratulations.
Tom Eller: Thank you.
Renca: I want to ask you if you were an avid runner growing up or later in life? At what age did you start?
Tom: I started running late. Before running, I played tennis for 30 years. Then I went to a university and I started to have no time for tennis. So I started running when I was 38 years old. In 2018, I started running in 5k and 10k events. I didn’t run farther than that.
Renca: Why did you want to get the six stars?
Tom: I didn’t think about it. One day I finished my coffee and was sitting reading something and then a hearing person saw that I was reading a book about running. They asked me if I finished a marathon before. I said no. They offered for me to join a marathon. I thought it was a joke. We kept in touch and I found out they had booked a spot for me to run a marathon! I told them, “No. I’m not ready.” I started training for a marathon. The first time was in 2018 in Jordan. It was very hot. That was my first marathon. I finished in fourth place. Hearing people were impressed with how fast I ran. That’s when I really got into marathons.
My first major was in London. When I finished running, I was shocked and was like “No way” because I got the sub3, in under three hours!! That was the qualifying time for Boston. So I could go to Boston. I was also able to go to Berlin and to Chicago. It all went by fast, from one marathon to the next one. There were two left, the Boston and Tokyo events. I wanted to finish them by 2021. Tokyo came before Boston and I was excited about Boston because I love America. But the coronavirus pandemic brought cancellations. That changed my plans. Boston would come first and Tokyo last.
Renca: You completed the Tokyo race recently?
Tom: In March, about four months ago.
Renca: Wow. What is your normal training routine? What does it look like during the week? Do you run daily?
Tom: Everyday. I get up at 4 a.m. to run because when it is dark outside, I can see the lights from cars or bicycles. I can see them and I feel safe while running on the street by myself. There are no problems. When there is sunlight, I have to do more work with my eyes to scan the area. So I stick with 4 a.m. After running, I work as a teacher of the deaf and then I go home. On Wednesdays and Fridays, I do speed work on track. I train 7 to 9 times a week.
Renca: Of the six world marathons, which one was the hardest?
Tom: Good question. I think there are two difficult ones. Boston was tough because it had rolling hills. There were many elevations and valleys. The “Heartbreak Hill” was very tough and steep. New York was also tough because of all the bridges. I had to run over each one of them. Also on Fifth Avenue, it felt so long to run on it, I felt I could never reach the end. It was hard.
I want to say that age is just a number. As you can see, I was 38 when I started running. I’m on the national team for the Deaflympics. I achieved the Six Stars medal. I’m now 42. So never stop dreaming. Run and show the world that we are a part of the community. Deaf people can’t hear and I want to show the world that I'm here and I achieved the Six Stars. I want to build a bridge between both communities. I want to show hearing people that I can communicate with them and I use sign language and at the same time I want to show deaf people the marathon world is there and people are friendly. It’s important.
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Renca: Thank you Tom for your time. We asked him what his next step was. He said his goal is to finish the six world marathon majors again, but all within one year and wants to make history. You can follow his journey on his Instagram @deafworldrunnertom- link in transcript, and perhaps cheer him on in one of those major cities this year! We wish Tom the best of luck.
Tom Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deafworldrunnertom/