CEBUANO ophthalmologist Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III will try to become the first Filipino male runner to complete the six world major marathons.
The president and chairman of the board of Cebu Doctors’ Group of Hospitals will suit up in the 2018 Boston Marathon on April 16 and the London Marathon on April 21.
Larrazabal has run the Tokyo Marathon, Chicago Marathon, New York Marathon and Berlin Marathon, which means he only needs to run the Boston and London Marathons to complete the majors.
Larrazabal said that if he completes the six world major marathons, he would be the first Filipino male runner to do so.
The Boston Marathon will also be the 52nd Marathon for Larrazabal, who started running in 2006 and joined his first marathon in 2007.
“This is my first Boston Marathon. I never expected to get here because when I started running, my time was over 5 hours,” said Larrazabal, who qualified for Boston in the Revel Mt. Charleston Marathon in Las Vegas, where he clocked 3 hours, 14 minutes, and 33 seconds.
Larrazabal said he will dedicate this run to his father, the late Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal Jr., who died last year.
“The Boston Marathon is my dream race and the Holy Grail of all marathons. I will give my best and enjoy but I’ll make sure not to overexert myself because I have another marathon in six days,” he said.
Preparing for two big marathons, Larrazabal said, has been challenging, especially in balancing his time for work and training.
“There’s a saying that if there’s a will, there’s a way. That’s what I’m doing. I train at 11 p.m. until midnight. I make sure also that I can spend quality time with my family. I start my training when my children are already asleep,” he said. “There are a lot of responsibilities. Aside from my clinic, I’m running six hospitals as well. I make sure I just balance my time well.”
To prepare for the Boston and London Marathons, Larrazabal joined the Dallas Marathon last December and the 7-Eleven Marathon last February in Cebu and finished both in under four hours.
Larrazabal said that running is the same as dealing with the daily life and goals.
“Running has made me a better and a stronger person not only physically and mentally. In every marathon, there’s an end goal and a strategy on how to achieve it. It’s like life. There’s a strategy, planning, working hard, and getting there,” he said.
Larrazabal encouraged busy professionals who are aspiring to get into sports that anything can be achieved.
“Just focus and apply good training. Spend hours. Always have a goal and never lose focus. Physical fitness is important. If you want a longer life, do it for your family and choose a sport that will match your lifestyle,” he said.