KAMAL DATTA: Welcome, Thomas. I'm glad to have you here on the podcast. TOMÁS BLANCO: Hi, good morning, Kamal. How are you? Good to see you. Good to talk with you. KAMAL DATTA: I'm doing great, and I'm really excited to learn about your journey. You have an amazing story to tell, so I'm here to learn more about it. Let's start with a quick introduction. Can you tell a little bit about yourself? TOMÁS BLANCO: Yeah, my name is Thomas Blanco. I am originally from Spain, and then I moved to the Boston area almost 15 years ago in 2008, where I actually live and settled down here with my family. KAMAL DATTA: Oh, great. What do you do for work? TOMÁS BLANCO: Well, I work as a research scientist in a big academic institution in the Boston area. I do research and academic stuff like teaching and mentoring students. KAMAL DATTA: Nice. That's pretty exciting. And you are a runner, and you did the Berlin Marathon along with many other marathons. Can you tell us a little bit about your Berlin Marathon experience this year? TOMÁS BLANCO: Yeah, I will say very quickly it was very, very fast because, you know, I was involved in that. You need to run in the six World Major Marathons. So I have my family here in Boston, my work, so, you know, so many days off. Briefly, I flew to Berlin like the day before the marathon. I ran the marathon, and immediately in the evening, I took a taxi to the new airport and flew back to Boston. So my experience in Berlin was basically around 24 hours. But I have to say that my experience in Berlin started already in 2012 when I first qualified for Boston. I ran my first Berlin marathon, and it was incredible, almost 15 years ago. KAMAL DATTA: That's amazing. And you mentioned that you work as a research scientist. How do you balance your work and your passion for running? TOMÁS BLANCO: Well, my daily routine is very busy. I'm traveling a lot because of my work, so I have different meetings for work. For me, travel is something that I've gotten used to. I adjust very well. My body tries to sleep, to rest as much as I can, and, you know, the most important thing is your training, right? KAMAL DATTA: Absolutely. Now, you did something quite extraordinary. You completed six major marathons in one year. How did you manage to pull that off, and what motivated you to pursue this challenge? TOMÁS BLANCO: Well, this started in 2019 when I got the lottery for Tokyo. I got the lottery for Tokyo, and I was not even thinking about doing the six majors. Maybe one day I will go, but then I got the lottery for Tokyo, and it was COVID. So I deferred for 2022. During the COVID period, you'd have a lot of things to think about. I said, "You know, why not try? I have the lottery for Tokyo. It's the most difficult for me." I have very good qualifying times. So let's try to do the six in one year in 2022. KAMAL DATTA: That's quite a challenge. How do you manage the logistics of traveling and running six major marathons in one year? TOMÁS BLANCO: Well, the most difficult part is not running all of them but getting into all of them, getting a number. Fortunately, I had very good qualifying times for Boston, Chicago, New York, and Berlin. London is also very difficult, but I have to go to a tour operator to get into London. I try in 2022, but unfortunately, for international runners in Tokyo, we couldn't travel in the last minute due to COVID restrictions. So I knew that I missed doing it in 2022, but I still kept running the five. I said, "You know, I will run Tokyo next year and complete it in one year." KAMAL DATTA: That's quite a commitment. And in addition to that, you've achieved impressive times in these marathons, like your personal record in Berlin. What drives you to keep pushing yourself and achieving better times? TOMÁS BLANCO: I always say when people ask me why I run, I am addicted. I don't have any other explanation. I need to run every day, at least for 30 minutes. If I don't run every day, I feel like something is not good with me. If I have a bad day, I go for my running, and everything gets fine. It's like a balance. I need it. I always need to do something else, and running is a perfect excuse. KAMAL DATTA: That's a great perspective. Now, you've been running for 15 years, and you've seen significant improvement in your times. What do you attribute to your improvement over the years? TOMÁS BLANCO: Experience is very important, and you need to build a platform over many years. For example, I am running between 100 to 160 miles per week. To be able to do six marathons, you need to have a big platform. Once you are there, you can increase your mileage or run faster. You need to know your limitations and capacities to optimize your time and stay injury-free. KAMAL DATTA: It's impressive how you've balanced your busy life with running. Can you share more about the running culture in Cambridge, especially around the Charles River area? TOMÁS BLANCO: The Charles River area is like an 8-mile loop, and you can extend it to almost 50 miles. It's a perfect escape from the city. It's an amazing place for running, and during different seasons, it offers unique experiences. The running community in Boston is diverse, with people of all ages and backgrounds running together. It's truly inspiring. KAMAL DATTA: Lastly, who supports you in your running journey? Do you have any sponsors or a support system? TOMÁS BLANCO: No, I don't have any sponsors. I prefer to do this by myself because it's my challenge. I want to be a free person and not tied to obligations. I prioritize my running and reserve extra money for traveling, better shoes, and other essentials. KAMAL DATTA: Thomas, it's been a pleasure talking to you and learning about your incredible journey. Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights. TOMÁS BLANCO: Thank you very much for giving me the opportunity to chat. If anyone needs advice about running or marathons, they can find me on Facebook, Strava, LinkedIn, and wherever. I'm always happy to help. KAMAL DATTA: That's great. Thank you, Thomas, and best of luck in your future endeavors and races. TOMÁS BLANCO: Thank you. Goodbye!