The Words That Set My Time in Motion Again　A Story of Connection with Sara Hall

Interview Relay 2nd Run: Stories of “Connections Between People” Born Through the Tokyo Marathon

This time, we introduce a story of Nicole Belnap. Her life was profoundly changed by a message posted on Facebook by Sara Hall, an elite athlete who competed in the Tokyo Marathon 2026.

A Message Carrying the True Power of the Tokyo Marathon

Her Facebook post resonated and changed me! Two simple paragraphs and the power of the Tokyo Marathon resided there.

From Sara Hall’s post: “I was thinking the other day that I want to intentionally choose what image I remember a memory by. When I think of the Tokyo Marathon 2026, I think of the hamstring cramp so strong it brought me to a stop. The awkward walk to the med tent. The never ending sag wagon journey back to the finish line. Or I can remember the miles where I was in total flow state, clicking off PR pace. Looking around at the skyscrapers, the perfectly manicured roads, the smiling faces urging us on, thinking how lucky I was to get to do this, to feel like this, at this very moment. Throwing this up on the grid to cement that image in my mind— and encourage you to do the same. 🩵”

As I watched the Tokyo Marathon and followed it on social media, I felt a deep connection to Sara. I saw a mother, a runner, a trained elite athlete… a runner with dreams and hopes. It stirred something deep inside me. It connected me to Tokyo, to runners, to success and failure all at once.

I Want to Intentionally Choose the Image I Remember

Why did this story resonate so deeply with my soul? On February 25, 2018, I lost my husband, Trevor—my life’s greatest confidant and my loudest cheerleader—to a brain aneurysm. At that devastating moment, my entire world “cramped” and came to a complete stop.

I was left trying to figure out how to carry the story of my life forward. Sara’s words taught me what it means to “intentionally choose” my memories and what it truly means to “finish.” Her message was the spark that set my frozen time in motion again.

What truly changed me was the power of that race—the inherent strength of the Tokyo Marathon. For me, the greatest saving grace was seeing how Sara Hall viewed her run as an opportunity to be grateful. Even though she had to withdraw, she looked back on it as a beautiful, wonderful experience. She chose to focus on “the perfectly manicured roads, the smiling faces urging us on, and thinking how lucky I was to get to do this.”

It was the energy and spirit of the Tokyo Marathon that allowed her to feel that way. It was the pure joy she felt while preparing for and running through those streets.

More than anything, I want to run while carrying all my grief, my moments of disappointment, my stress, and my struggles. And just as she said, I want to “intentionally choose what image I remember a memory by.” There is such incredible power in those words.

We are the ones who acknowledge the pain, yet bravely choose to focus on the joy. I want to share that experience with the world—to keep placing one foot in front of the other, all the way to the finish line.

Cherishing Every Second and Sharing the Moment

Even this opportunity to ”connect” and “share” with all of you right now—this is the true message of the Tokyo Marathon. It is the very manifestation of “Intentionally CHOOSING” what kind of future I want to create and what image I want to hold.

It was March 3, 2018. After the funeral, I snuck up to the cemetery alone. I just wanted to be alone with my person. I remember so clearly thinking that when I was buried next to Trevor someday, everyone at my funeral would talk about how much I loved him—how all I did from that day forward was wait to be reunited with him.

But I realized: This is not the intentional picture he would want for me. Nor the one I want for my children.

Fast forward eight years to March 3, 2026. I am “intentionally” moving and honoring him. I have learned that living a life full of intentional moments takes nothing away from our love. I know that those who have gone on before us would not want their death to bring about a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual separation from life for those left behind.

Although I ache every day, I can show my love by living and enjoying every single moment I am blessed with. Sharing that life and those moments… that is what connects us.

I have learned that suffering is not the way to show those we have lost our love. Nor is being miserable any way to appreciate the days we each have. We can still travel, laugh, be happy—and “run”!

Life is a gift. I am grateful for the blessing of every day, “intentionally choosing the memories” as I go. Thank you, Tokyo Marathon, for providing a stage for Sara Hall to shine, and thank you, Sara, for sharing your simple yet powerful words with me.