Tokyo Marathon Fulfills Runner's Dream

Above photo: Here you see Peter Pochilly running past the iconic Tokyo Radio Tower, built in 1958 and inspired by the Eiffel tower, during the Tokyo Marathon on March 1. 

JEFFERSON  – A JCS graduate recently completed a marathon halfway around the world, crossing the finish line in Tokyo, Japan for a cause that is near and dear to his heart.  It was his lifelong dream to visit Japan, and to do it while doing something he is passionate about, made it that much better.

Peter Pochilly completed the Tokyo Marathon  in 3:17:21 on March 1, running the 26-mile marathon for the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA). It was his 13th marathon. 

Last October he ran in the Berlin Marathon, the fifth of a six - leg Abbott World Marathon Majors event. He has also run Iron Man competitions and has done a lot of running for other organizations.

He signed up for the Chicago Marathon after running the Boston Marathon which  started him on the trail to obtain his six stars, a star for each major race. 

And somewhere along the way, he said he decided to do some charity running. He runs in memory of his mother, Glenda McAvoy, who succumbed to brain cancer in 2020.

That brought him in touch with the ABTA.  He did some research and found the  ABTA, and supports fundraising through running events and the money goes to research, outreach, education and patient care.  "It impacted me and now I'm running for something other than myself. It is nice to have the self-accomplishment and to push myself, but when you are doing it for a cause it is even more impactful," he said.

He ran in Berlin, Germany last fall, but the Tokyo Marathon is difficult to get into. When ABTA emailed him there were two slots open, he didn't hesitate. "I gave them an explanation of why I wanted to run and told them a little bit about myself and why I thought I could raise money." He raised more than $8,000 and "I feel really good about it. I got to represent the charity in Japan."

Pochilly has always been athletic, playing three sports in high school and playing volleyball, softball and basketball after his graduation. He loves sports, but when he hit 40 he said he felt he was getting sluggish and wasn't as active as he wanted to be. So, he ran a mile here and there and then a couple of miles and eventually it took hold and he decided to run a 5K, then he entered the Pitt Run, a 10K race and then a half marathon. "It was a gradual thing. I had no specific reason." He also did some biking. That too was gradual and he entered some Iron Man competitions, which combine running, biking and swimming. He has run races for the American Cancer Society and the ALS Association. 

In 2022 he thought about  running in the Boston Marathon, which he said is iconic. "It is a race that a lot of runners aspire to have a qualifying time to run." He ran the marathon in April of 2023, it was his first and it could  just as well have been his last. "At the time I thought I might not race another marathon."

Then he learned about the Abbott World Majors, six races, three in the U.S. and three international. They included the New York City Marathon, the Boston Marathon and the Chicago Marathon in the U.S., then the Berlin Marathon, the London Marathon and the Tokyo Marathon. So, he signed up for the Chicago Marathon in the fall right after the Boston Marathon. The Tokyo Marathon was his 13th marathon. He said the majors are truly fantastic races bringing together 35,000 to 50,000 runners from all over the world. 

Pochilly, who is vice president and territory sales manager for NBT Investment Services, says it has become a lifestyle for him. "Now I run a lot," he said.

He helps other people get into running. "There is quite a community of fellow runners and cyclers. I know people all over now. It's a great community."

Pochilly sometimes works in the Capital District and gravitates to the running clubs around the Albany area. He also runs along the Catskill Scenic Trail often. "My network is big enough now that if I put a text out to see if anyone wants to run, I usually find someone to run with me."

Running for the ABTA is a way of giving back. He raised $3,000 in the  New York City Marathon.

He had one week to sight see in Japan and described it as a beautiful country.

When asked how he pushes through the pain of running such a long distance, he said things start to hurt or become uncomfortable around mile 18 to 20. "Your brain starts listening to your body, trying to tell you to stop. You have to find a way to convince yourself not to stop and to ignore the intense discomfort and pain. You have to push through the next six to eight more miles. It doesn't matter what level you are running at, everyone  feels it. You have to get through it and when you are done, there is an incredible sense of accomplishment that is not like any other feeling."

He summed it up by saying, “If I can run and help in some way, even in a small way; If one person reads this story and thinks ‘I’ll get up off the couch’;  Even if it is just to be outside, then I am happy."

Pochilly spent two weeks in Japan, the first week used to acclimate himself and the second to see a place he had dreamed about visiting. "I really wanted to see the Japanese culture, their buildings and temples. While the city of Tokyo is very modern, it also has old structures. I was also able to get out into the countryside and see the Cherry blossoms in bloom. Their mountains are very steep and jagged. It was a chance to see the culture,  get a view of the history and the food was phenomenal."

Peter Pochilly gives a thumbs up at the finish line at the Tokyo, Japan marathon on March 1. He earned his sixth Abbott World Majors medal and raised more than $8,000 for the American Brain Tumor Association in memory of his mother.