The Maestro
During the latter part of his stay in UP, he was smart enough to realize that he needed a diploma as his back-up plan in case things don’t work out for him as an athlete. So he decided to focus on finishing his degree in Physical Education at the College of Human Kinetics. After he finally graduated, he stumbled into race directing and organizing when rose up to his girlfriend’s challenge, saying that he could not successful stage the race he was planning to do. With nothing but his race experiences, a motor scooter, and his go-getter attitude, his first-ever attempt at race organizing was The Great UP Run in August of 2007. He practically did everything himself – from producing registration materials, to delivering supplies and receiving registration payments, and transporting bundles of singlets on his tiny motorbike until he could see what was infront of him. He experienced a lot of birth pains as a young race organizer and entrepreneur but his eagerness to learn and perfect his craft got him through the tough times. And now, “RunRio” is considered a household name in the running community. A client has even dubbed him as the country’s “maestro” of running events, with his events organizing company being one of the most sought-after when it comes to world-class run races here in the Philippines.
The Running Guru
His venture into coaching was quite a serendipitous one. By this time, Coach Rio was already handling the UP Varsity Track Team as their running coach in distance events. Realizing that the salary of a running coach was purely a labor of love for his alma mater and would not put food on the table, he accepted a desk job at Maynilad. Being locked up in an office and sitting behind a desk all was very alien to him and definitely not his cup of tea. So when a call came from Kaye Lopez, the infamous “Sarah” and half of the John Lloyd and Sarah running love team, offering him to be the running coach of Team David’s Salon, with no further ado, he packed up his things and left his job on his first day at work. And the rest, as they say, is history. Coach Rio is now known as the “running guru,” sharing his science-based approach to training, backed by two decades worth of experience as a competitive athlete. He offers one-on-one coaching sessions and organized run clinics that cater to runners of all ages, shapes, sizes, and fitness levels.
Coach Rio’s Students
Some of is celebrity and high-profile clients include:
- Fernando Zobel de Ayala
- Isa Calsado
- Karel Marquez
- Marcia Gokongwei
- Tracey Gokongwei
- Frederick Go
- Anthony Pangilinan
- Karen Davila
- Nina Hererra Huang
- Tricia Chiongbian
His Coaching Staff
- Coach Joar Calvadores
- Coach Obet Fresnido
- Coach John Lozada
- Coach Jordan Oberez
- Coach Roel Ano
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