In the quiet mountain town of Subiaco, just outside Rome, a race unlike any other unfolded—a test of endurance where the finish line doesn’t exist, and the only prize is survival.
Among the 146 determined runners from around the world stood a familiar figure, calm but focused, with Bib Number 1 pinned to his chest. For Jivee Tolentino, this wasn’t just another ultramarathon. It was a reunion, a reckoning, and a reminder of why he runs.
The 47-year-old Ilonggo, now living in Ireland, is no stranger to pain, persistence, and pushing beyond what most think is possible.
At the Backyard Ultra Livata, held from May 31 to June 2, he ran for 24 hours straight, covering 160.8 kilometers through extreme temperatures and total sleep deprivation—only to be marked, like almost everyone else, with a DNF: Did Not Finish. In this race, only one runner is left standing. Everyone else must eventually stop.
And yet, for Jivee, the magic lies not in the medal, but in the miles.
“I’m grateful to be part of Backyard Ultra Livata,” he shared before the race.
“I had to skip Australia for this, but it’s worth it to be with friends from Germany, the US, and others who share this passion.”
He arrived in Rome barely a day before the race, accompanied by his wife and personal crew, Olga. There was no time to rest, no moment to adjust. The race began, and so did the familiar rhythm of his feet on the trail—each loop a conversation with pain, each hour a dialogue with doubt.
The Backyard Ultra format is deceptively simple: runners must complete a 6.7-kilometer loop every hour, on the hour, until only one runner remains. It is as much a mental game as it is physical. Temperatures soared during the day and dropped to 6°C at night, but Jivee pressed on, just as he always does.
His name is well known in the ultrarunning world. He holds the Philippine and Asian record for the Phidippides Ultra 490K, a legendary race from Athens to Sparta and back. And in 2023, he stunned the world by running 81 loops—543 kilometers—at the Backyard Ultra World Championships, earning him the 13th spot in the global rankings.
But behind the numbers lies a deeper motivation.
Jivee’s story is told in the bestselling biography Run to Live to Run by Maria Elena de Asia-Ner. It’s a journey not just of physical endurance, but of faith, healing, and hope—a reminder that the strongest runners are often the ones carrying the most invisible weight.
In Livata, Jivee wasn’t the only Filipino on the trail. Running alongside him was Jacob How, a 43-year-old overseas worker from Bulacan who now lives in Rome with his family. Jacob managed to complete 14 loops (93.8 km), with help from his friends Randy and Keng Diwa, who served as his crew.
“I was just happy to run beside legends like Jivee,” Jacob said with a smile.
“Their stories inspire me to keep moving, no matter what.”
As Jivee looks ahead to a possible return to the World Championships in Tennessee, he remains grounded. And through it all, Jivee keeps running—not toward a finish line, but toward something deeper.
