Coach Rio’s First Marathon

His first dabble into marathons was in the Enduraman Triathlon in Subic, where he joined as the runner of his relay team. It was a painfully hilly course. Despite having to pass this wretched hill several time, the sight of his aspiration gave him strength, finishing the 42km distance in 2 hours 52 minutes on his first attempt and winning the relay category for his teammates.

Making UAAP History

Backed by all his intense training and racing experience, he returned to the UAAP the following year and broke the 10km record that held since 1997, with a time of 33 mnutes, 19 seconds and bringing home the gold for the UP Maroons – a monumental event that has not occurred in years. And he capped off his victory with a silver medal for the 5km event.

His crowning glory in UAAP came on his junior year, as a result of training with strong runners like national marathon champion Buenavista. He made his mark in UP Maroon history with a triple UAAP Championship by winning the 10000-, 5000-, and 1500-meter events, and shattering the 1500-meter record with a time of 4 minutes and 4 seconds. Butthe irony of it all was that a year later, he experienced the lowest point in his athletic career. During his 4th and last UAAP competition, he shocked everyone when he dropped out of the 10km event, finished 2nd for the 5km, and missed a podium finish for the 1500 meters.

From Mighty Kid to Nike Ambassador

He admits that he lost focus and drive at some point in time. This caused him to degrade in performance. The personal disappointment did not hinder him and soon enough he was back at his feet doing what loves to do. He joined the national team again and soon after that, he was offered to be a Nike Endorser, which was another major turning point in his life. For the first time, he can wear a different pair of shoes every day for at least three months! A far cry from his barefoot running days and making do with makeshift road shoes from undersized Mighty Kid shoes and second-hand spike shoes slapped on with alpombra soles.

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