Despite not being able to achieve his target, Dennis Retardo, a Paris-based Filipino runner still managed to finish the Paris Marathon 2024 for the seventh time.
Retardo is a 37-year-old Overseas Filipino Worker (OFW) from Bulacan who is currently working as a restaurant employee in Paris. He is a dedicated runner who has garnered achievements from marathons and ultra-marathons. Recently, he joined the Paris Marathon 2024.
With a positive mindset, diligence, passion, and agility in action, Retardo was able to finish the race in 2 hours and 51 minutes. Although he was not able to reach his target, Retardo was still optimistic with the results.
“The not-so-good performance and tough conditions did not let me achieve my target. I could not find the time to train but I still ran because I also wanted to check if I could finish the race in less than 3 hours and it was okay.”
“I’m happy that I finished it and most importantly… I’m not injured,” he added.
His running achievements include the Semi de Paris where he finished in 1 hour and 25 minutes; Eco Trail Paris 2024 – ran 82.3 km where he finished the race in 7 hours, 26 minutes, and 14 seconds; A two- time finish at the UTMB TDS (Traces des Duca de Savoie) 2021 and 2022; the Ultra Trail des Montagnes du Jure where he got the 2nd place in age category and 7th place overall; and many more.
As of now, Retardo has been committed in doing his trainings and everyone is looking forward to his participation at the Trail 100K in Grenoble, France, on July 2024.
Retardo’s journey as a runner continues to inspire others to pursue their passions with resilience and determination.
(This story was written with the contributions of Alona Cochon.)
