CEBU, Philippines — Esteemed Cebuano businessman-sportsman Afshin Ghassemi relishes another wonderful experience of finishing a marathon at the famed Windy City in the United States.
The president of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu Alumni Association was among those who successfully conquered the 2024 Bank of America Chicago Marathon held in Chicago, Illinois just recently.
“The crowd of almost two million lined up the streets to cheer us as we ran 42.2 kilometers throughout the city,” shared Ghassemi. “It was great! Chicago is very beautiful. It is not a surprise that it is one of the best cities in the Unites States.”
It was Ghassemi’s second marathon in 28 days having completed also the Sydney Marathon in Australia last September 15.
Looking forward, what excites Ghassemi most is that he is only two races away from claiming marathon running’s greatest prize - the Six Star Medal.
Introduced by the Abbott World Marathon Majors in 2016, the prestigious Six Star program honors runners who complete all six Major marathons in Tokyo, London, Berlin, Chicago, New York, and Boston.
“Honestly, I feel really humbled that I am just two medals away from the Six Star Medal. Just 13 months ago, I started my world marathon majors journey in Berlin and then in New York, London and lately, Chicago. And here I am, ready to face the challenge in Tokyo and Boston,” said the President and CEO of Core Pacific Money Exchange Corporation.
Ghassemi, an accomplished multi-sport athlete who is currently the chairman of Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association (SHAABAA), hopes to accomplish his mission in two year’s time, barring any hitches.
“I’ll complete the six majors either in 2025 or 2026. I hope to finish my journey in Boston, which holds a special place in my heart as I spent some time there taking the Owners/President Management Program of Harvard Business School from 2021 to 2023,” Ghassemi added.
Ghassemi will wrap up his racing season of the year with the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in New Zealand this December.