Ruperto Romero Interview – 100 Mile Champ at 53 Years Old

Ruperto Romero Interview

Ruperto Romero breaks the mold for the modern day ultramarathon stud. No sponsor, no GPS, no shoe contract, no Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Strava. He’s never heard of URP and doesn’t pay attention to most ultra news. But damn….Rupert can throw down when he hits his favorite trails.

Ruperto Romero
1 Ruperto Romero 50 Huntington Park, CA 19:28:01
2014 AC100 finish line portraits. Loma Alta Park, Altadena CA. Pic by Larry Gassan.

In this interview, we hear about how he grew up in Mexico without enough money for shoes, then came to America with a pair of pants, shoes, and had to be given a jacket.  From there he started running marathons out of a machismo challenge (and no training), found them awful, and didn’t run again for 15 years.

Ruperto Romero
Ruperto and his kids.

Fast fowrard to his foray into the trails, and he fell in love. Through massive amounts of trial and error, Team Romero (his wife, kids, and grandkids and close friends), figured out how to use nutrition and training to find success while running.  50ks turned into 50milers, which turned into a string of strong performances at iconic southern California race Angeles Crest 100, including a win in 2014.

Ruperto Romero
Ruperto Romero training in the San Gabriel Mountains.

Ruperto Romero details his training plan with us, how he manages time with family, his views on gear, and what races he wants to add to his calendar. We hear about Kodiak 100 this past weekend, and what he did to ensure his win. Protip: Have a strong finish.

Ruperto Romero
Ruperto at finish line of Kodiak 100 with friend and pacer Oswaldo Hurtado.

 

Ruperto Romero Episode Sponsor: Bay Ridge Endurance Runs

Bay Ridge Endurance Runs stand on the shoulders of giants. This race inherits the grand legacy of the Dick Collins Firetrails 50, following the classic 50 mile course and adding to it a signature 100k race and a new out-and-back marathon. Bay Ridge is a new event on the traditional date and we still run in Dick’s memory and respect both the traditions and records of the Dick Collins Firetrails 50.

Registration is right this way.

 

 

Ruperto Romero Episode Notes

Here’s the site for Kodiak 100.

Ruperto’s weekly workout schedule for 100 mile training:

Mon:   10M flat
Tue:     Speed/Tempo at 6:50mpm
Wed:   10M easy
Thurs: 15M of hills in Griffith Park
Fri:       Run/Rest
Sat:     ~30 miles
Sun     ~30 miles

Outro music by AJ LeGrand.

Ruperto Romero
Ruperto Romero and grandkids

Wanna help? Share this episode online and/or tell a friend!

Subscribe to the site or leave us an honest review on iTunes.

Visit us on Stitcher, or join the Patreon crew right here for exclusive content.

Interested in advertising on the site? Email me here and let’s talk.| Here’s our media kit.

THANK YOU!

###

 

Please use real name. Anonymous comments will be deleted. Thanks.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.