Pinoy ultramarathoner Cesar Guarin to conquer the Middle East next

The Filipino father of ultramarathon Cesar Guarin is now set to conquer 1,265 kilometers of the Middle East and its sandy dunes for his Global Run.

 

The Middle East is the seventh leg of Guarin's 15-stage worldwide run, according to his Global Run site.  

 

He will be running eight hours a day for 30 days passing by the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and finally finishing in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

 

Running the Middle East leg will be one of the toughest tests for Guarin not only as he is already halfway through his goal but also because of the harsh weather conditions. 

 

Guarin also adds that the more challenging part of the run is the emotional side of not having anyone to talk to because it is a solo run.

 

“Often, the roads always seem to stretch forever. The emotional loneliness or boredom makes me feel more weary and tired,” he admitted. 

 

However, he said that he will carry on with his inspiration -- the overseas Filipinos to whom he pays a personal tribute to with the Global Run.

 

“They have sacrificed a lot to give their families a better way of life and they have made a great contribution to our economy,” Guarin said.

 

“Going on this global run is a way to let them know that their efforts are appreciated,” he added.

 

The Global Run spans 42,000 kilometers in 47 countries and has only been completed by three people. This will make Guarin the first Filipino and the fourth person to have ran all over the world.

 

Rising above failure

 

Guarin first dreamt of being the first Filipino to bring home an Olympic gold for marathon running but fate has not been kind to him for circumstances deterred his participation in the Olympics.

 

During the 1980 Moscow Olympics Guarin failed to qualify due to an injury. 

To channel his frustration, he ran the Trans Pilipinas Run covering 2,251 kilometers in 1983 and the Trans USA Run spanning 14 states in 48 days in 1985.

 

He then joined the 1988 Seoul Olympics but history repeats itself as Guarin was struck with another injury which disqualified him from continuing.

 

Despite the repeated crushing failure of achieving his dream, he bounced back in 1992 when he set out for the Trans Europe Run which covered 3,756 kilometers in 67 days from Barcelona to Rome.

 

At 57 years old, Guarin believes that it's never too late to reach for your dream. He continues to challenge himself and conquer the rest of the world one step at a time. - VVP, GMA News