The Incredible Tale Of A Destitute Ultra Winner

He was the last to sign up and the first to cross the finish line.

The story of 21-year-old ultra runner Aivan Villalon of Sipalay, Negros Occidental in the Philippines sounds like something out of a movie. He won the Coast-to-Coast Run, a 65-kilometer race from Toledo City to Cebu City Capitol, which took place over the weekend.

He did it while wearing a pair of broken shoes that he’s had for three years. According to a report on the Sun Star Web site, Villalon was a last-minute entry to the race. He showed up for it on Friday,which made him the last person to register.  He then spent the night in a building across from the Toledo City Hall, sleeping on a bed fashioned out of a cardboard box.

Apparently, he took the lead from the start and set a new personal record for 65K at 6:22:52. The Web site noted that he sustained no injuries during the race.

For More: Sun Star