An article by Casey Yamazaki and Kim Oishi:
Many of us remember what ultramarathon star Dean Karnazes achieved in 2006. Project 50/50—running 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 days—was phenomenal, incredible, and looked extremely hard to replicate, especially for the rest of us with day jobs. Now, though, an amazing CPTC member has made a new legend with his own 50/50.
Hiroyuki Nishide, 47, who is a CPTC master runner and a full-time banker, finished the Honolulu Marathon in 3:58:35 on December 14th, 2008. As an experienced marathoner, crossing a finish line is a relatively ordinary ritual. But this time, coming back to Waikiki beach after 26.2 miles in hard rain was an unforgettable one, because it meant Hiroyuki had successfully completed 50 marathons in 50 states in 11 years. What is more amazing is that he accomplished this demanding achievement in his 25th-anniversary year together with his wife, Yukiko, of the Westchester Track Club, who is a breast cancer survivor.
According to Hiroyuki, the couple decided on their own 50/50 project in August 2004 after they ran their fourth marathon, and aimed to complete it by their 25th-anniversary year, 2008. “It was just our own personal plan and we were just hoping that it could be accomplished someday. But as we finished more marathons, it became more realistic that we would be able to complete it,” he said. However, their voyage was not as easy and peaceful as they first thought. In 2005, Yukiko was diagnosed with breast cancer and had to undergo multiple regimens of radiation therapy. “It was very hard to accept and overcome this tough situation, but going out to the Rockefeller State Park and running with our fellow runners encouraged us a lot. Without running, we could not have been able to fight against the cancer.” Since Yukiko’s recovery, they have had to run marathons with incredible frequency (a pace of one marathon per month), which may not be advisable according to Coach Tony’s weekly words of wisdom…. Although it was a grueling path, the couple kept encouraging each other and carried out the achievement of their goal with their strong spirit and even stronger love for running.
We’re not sure if the Nishide 50/50 is the first 50/50 by a couple in the U.S., but it is at least the first in their home country, Japan, and in the history of CPTC. What an amazing accomplishment by one of our fellow members!
Although it is just one month since the completion of their long-term project, the minds of the Nishides are not wandering. Their ambition never ends. They said, “We’ll keep challenging. Now we have set a new goal, a quest to complete seven marathons in seven continents by our 50th anniversary!!” They literally mean all seven continents–including Antarctica, of course! We don’t know how the current rate of global warming will help them with running all over that shivering cold continent, but we’re sure that there will be another big celebration in 2033!!
Hiroyuki Yukiko
| 1 | NY | 11/02/1997 | New York | 4:28:43 | 4:05:09 |
| 2 | VT | 05/25/2003 | Vermont City | 3:21:55 | 3:03:42 |
| 3 | PA | 11/23/2003 | Philadelphia | 3:19:33 | 3:19:34 |
| 4 | MA | 04/19/2004 | Boston | 3:32:24 | 3:08:28 |
| 5 | DE | 05/16/2004 | Delaware | 3:49:08 | 3:05:00 |
| 6 | CA | 08/01/2004 | San Francisco | 3:26:41 | 3:10:30 |
| 7 | NH | 09/26/2004 | Clarance DeMar | 3:20:47 | 3:02:04 |
| 8 | CT | 10/09/2004 | Hartford | 3:25:59 | 3:06:24 |
| 9 | TX | 12/12/2004 | Dallas White Rock | 3:15:22 | 3:07:13 |
| 10 | AZ | 01/16/2005 | Lost Dutchman | 3:36:39 | 3:10:29 |
| 11 | GA | 02/05/2005 | Tybee | 3:31:42 | 3:25:38 |
| 12 | MD | 02/20/2005 | Washington’s Birthday | 3:45:32 | 3:21:15 |
| 13 | TN | 03/20/2005 | Knoxville | 3:37:56 | 3:20:04 |
| 14 | WI | 05/22/2005 | Green Bay | 3:41:36 | 3:07:06 |
| 15 | SD | 06/05/2005 | Deadwood-Mickelson Trail | 4:06:01 | 3:19:45 |
| 16 | NC | 07/09/2005 | Grandfather Mountain | 3:51:55 | 3:24:56 |
| 17 | OR | 08/13/2005 | Crater Lake Rim | 4:16:21 | 3:34:21 |
| 18 | MO | 09/05/2005 | Heart of America | 3:54:02 | 3:25:22 |
| 19 | OH | 10/09/2005 | Towpath | 3:42:03 | 3:17:42 |
| 20 | FL | 01/29/2006 | Miami | 3:41:32 | 3:17:50 |
| 21 | AR | 02/12/2006 | Mercedes | 3:34:40 | 3:17:52 |
| 22 | AK | 03/05/2006 | Little Rock | 3:19:26 | 3:10:24 |
| 23 | VA | 05/07/2006 | Potomac River | 3:33:56 | 3:20:11 |
| 24 | IA | 05/14/2006 | Central States | 3:52:12 | 3:42:35 |
| 25 | WY | 05/28/2006 | Wyoming | 5:22:16 | 4:14:37 |
| 26 | WA | 06/11/2006 | North Olympic Discovery | 3:31:23 | 3:19:27 |
| 27 | AK | 06/17/2006 | Mayor’s | 3:31:39 | 3:25:16 |
| 28 | NV | 07/15/2006 | Tahoe Rim Trail 50K | 8:25:11 | 7:11:02 |
| 29 | MI | 07/29/2006 | Grand Island Trail | 4:06:48 | 3:42:15 |
| 30 | CO | 08/20/2006 | Pikes Peak | 9:13:44 | 7:20:01 |
| 31 | UT | 09/09/2006 | Mid Mountain | 5:39:19 | 4:20:53 |
| 32 | RI | 10/21/2006 | Breakers | 3:50:09 | 3:21:55 |
| 33 | KS | 11/19/2006 | Gobbler Grind | 3:28:43 | 3:24:18 |
| 34 | SC | 12/09/2006 | Kiawah Island | 3:29:42 | 3:22:42 |
| 35 | MS | 01/13/2007 | Mississippi | 3:48:19 | 3:30:01 |
| 36 | KY | 02/17/2007 | Louisville’s Lovin’ The Hills 50K | 8:35:40 | 8:35:48 |
| 36+ | DC | 03/24/2007 | National | 3:55:33 | 3:53:22 |
| 37 | NJ | 03/25/2007 | Ocean Drive | 4:47:46 | 3:43:00 |
| 38 | OK | 04/29/2007 | Oklahoma City Memorial | 3:46:51 | 3:23:03 |
| 39 | NE | 05/16/2007 | Lincoln | 3:45:04 | 3:22:31 |
| 40 | ND | 05/19/2007 | Fargo | 3:28:04 | 3:18:17 |
| 41 | WV | 06/16/2007 | Highland Sky Trail 40 Mile | 9:48:09 | 9:37:16 |
| 42 | MN | 07/07/2007 | Afton Trail Run 50K | 6:27:16 | 6:25:29 |
| 43 | MT | 08/18/2007 | Grizzly | 3:59:16 | 3:44:31 |
| 44 | ID | 08/25/2007 | Mesa Falls | 3:48:03 | 3:28:01 |
| 45 | IL | 09/23/2007 | Quad Cities | 3:25:34 | 3:18:49 |
| 46 | ME | 10/04/2007 | Mt. Desert Island | 3:28:55 | 3:27:33 |
| 47 | LA | 11/17/2007 | Louisiana Trail | 3:59:29 | 3:59:28 |
| 48 | IN | 12/01/2007 | Tecumseh Trail | 4:42:45 | 4:41:34 |
| 49 | NM | 05/17/2008 | Jemez Mountain Trail 50K | 9:53:44 | 8:54:40 |
| 50 | HI | 12/14/2008 | Honolulu | 3:58:35 | 3:58:35 |