Across the country and throughout the vibrant streets of Cebu, running culture has experienced an unprecedented surge. What began as a niche discipline has grown into a roaring movement of fun runs, marathon clubs, and health-conscious communities. Yet, long before running became the widespread lifestyle phenomenon it is today, one man was quietly laying the tracks, pounding the pavement mile after grueling mile.
In life, this is not the finish line, it is just the starting line of discovering new roads, new friends, new opportunities, and new ways to inspire other people.
— Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III
To honor an unprecedented benchmark of human endurance, family, friends, and medical colleagues gathered at Seda Hotel on August 1, 2026, to look back on an extraordinary athletic and personal legacy. Under the theme “Running Beyond Borders,” the evening celebrated Dr. Potenciano “Yong” Larrazabal III on the completion of his monumental 100th full marathon.
Beyond his credentials as a world-class eye surgeon, Dr. Yong was celebrated as a visionary, mentor, leader, and philanthropist whose relentless drive and deep compassion have left a mark across generations.
From a surgical risk to the first finish line
Dr. Yong’s running story was actually born out of a near-career-ending setback. Originally a passionate basketball player, an unexpected hand injury during a recreational game threatened the very foundation of his life’s calling: his precision work as an ophthalmologist. Realizing that he needed a safer outlet to burn off the intense pressures of medical practice, a fellow doctor encouraged him to lace up a pair of running shoes.
What began as a modest 13-kilometer run across Cebu in 2006 quickly evolved into a lifelong calling. In 2007, Dr. Yong crossed his very first 42.195-kilometer finish line at the Pasig International Marathon, clocking in at 4 hours and 45 minutes, just shy of the strict cut-off time. He was instantly hooked, setting off on a decades-long pursuit of human potential.
Through every stage of his journey, Dr. Yong transformed his personal passion into community empowerment. Recognizing a lack of organized events in Cebu, he launched local races, which eventually evolved into the Run for Sight Foundation co-founded with his wife, Donna Cruz-Larrazabal. Together, they raised millions of pesos to fund charitable eye care and sight-saving surgeries for underserved patients.
Conquering the globe: A pioneer in endurance
Dr. Yong’s quest for growth quickly took him beyond national borders, building a resume that places him among the world’s most elite distance runners:
- Abbott World Marathon Majors (6-Star Finisher): Completed all six world major marathons (Tokyo, Boston, London, Berlin, Chicago, and New York).
- Boston Marathon Qualifier: Mastered heart-rate-based training to smash the sub-4-hour barrier over 40 times, eventually setting a personal record of 3 hours, 14 minutes to earn entry into the prestigious Boston Marathon.
- World Marathon Challenge Finisher: Successfully completed 7 marathons on 7 continents in 7 consecutive days, pushing his physical and mental boundaries from the scorching heat of Cape Town to the -40°C whiteout conditions of Antarctica.
A road paved with grit, sacrifice, and faith
His story was never an easy road. Behind every medal hanging around his neck lies a narrative of sacrifice: pre-dawn training sessions before surgery hours, severe muscle tears requiring zero-gravity rehabilitation, brutal slanting sandstorms in Denmark, and near-freezing hands in Antarctica. During his 99th marathon at the Great Wall of China, severe leg cramps on the high stone steps nearly forced a DNF (Did Not Finish), but sheer willpower, and the kindness of strangers, carried him through.
During the event, his wife Donna delivered a touching tribute, sharing the quiet anxieties, prayers, and steadfast faith that sustained their family through every distant finish line. For Dr. Yong, consistency and spiritual grounding were the ultimate fuels.
“You have to respect the distance. Motivation alone will not let you finish the race safely, you need the mileage, the discipline, and the mindset. You cannot be successful if you don’t show up to what you’ve set out to accomplish,” Dr. Yong Larrazabal III emphasized.
The journey continues
Dr. Yong chose to run his historic 100th marathon right at home during the Cebu International Marathon back in July, so that his family and lifelong friends could cross the final kilometers by his side.
Though 100 marathons represent a rare lifetime peak, Dr. Yong made it clear that he is nowhere near finished. “In life, this is not the finish line, it is just the starting line of discovering new roads, new friends, new opportunities, and new ways to inspire other people,” he said.
During the celebration, he teased his next major endeavor: an upcoming book five years in the making, titled There’s Always Another Finish Line: Leadership Lessons from 100 Marathons.
Dr. Yong has proven that success is never measured merely by speed, but by consistency, humility, and the lives raised along the way. His journey stands as a powerful reminder to all: no matter how tough the road gets, keep taking one more step forward.
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