For Giovanni Kyle Sabio, crossing the finish line of the TCS New York City Marathon is more than completing 26.2 miles. It will mean looking back at a life shaped by uncertainty, recognizing how far he has come and proving to himself that the future he could only dream of is now within reach.

Sabio, a Buswick resident born in Manila, Philippines, and grew up unhoused, will take on his first NYC Marathon this November as a member of New York Road Runners’ Team Inspire, a group of runners whose personal journeys reflect the perseverance behind the race.

The 26-year-old said running has become a form of therapy, a source of confidence and a way to build the independent life he once struggled to imagine.

“I know what it’s like to have nothing or come from nothing, and I think being where I am today, I’m so amazed. Like, I didn’t even think it was possible to be where I am today,” Sabio said. “If little Gio were to see me today, that would eat him up.”

Sabio’s journey took him from the Philippines to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Diego before he eventually settled in New York about five years ago. Running became a particularly important outlet around 2020, when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and he struggled to find ways to cope.

He added that running offers a rare opportunity to quiet his mind and be present.

“There’s this moment when I’m on a long run or just running in general where the world goes blank and I am so present,” he said.  “Nothing else in the world matters,” he said.

Sabio regularly runs through Brooklyn neighborhoods including Bushwick, Bed-Stuy, Williamsburg and Greenpoint.Photo courtesy of Team Inspire

What began as an outlet eventually became a way to find friendship and belonging, too.

After living in different parts of New York City, Sabio has spent the past three years in Brooklyn, where he said he has found a sense of home unlike anywhere else. He regularly runs through Bed-Stuy, Downtown Brooklyn, Williamsburg and Greenpoint. Domino and McCarren Parks are among his favorite spots.

“In Brooklyn, I feel so at home and this sense of peace,” he said.

Having moved frequently through his life, Sabio said the friendships and community he has built in the borough have transformed his experience of New York.

“I always tell everyone it’s like experiencing adult college where you get to just see your friends who live down the street,” he said.

Now, those streets are part of the route toward a dream he has held since moving to the city: running the New York City Marathon during the 50th anniversary of its five-borough course.

Sabio found running to be a form of therapy and a source of confidence as he navigated difficult moments in his life.Photo courtesy of Team Inspire

Sabio has spent months training and visualizing race day. His phone’s home screen is a map of the marathon route, a constant reminder of what’s ahead.

“I know that the New York City Marathon is going to be the best day of the year in the best city in the world,” he said.

The race also carries a family connection. Sabio’s late uncle, who was from Queens, regularly ran the marathon, and his aunt plans to be there to watch him continue that tradition.

The number 26 even holds special meaning for Sabio.

“I have this 26 tattoo on me, so it represents 26 miles [of the marathon]. I’m 26 right now. It’s 2026, and my mom’s birthday’s on the 26th,” he said. “All the references to the number 26 in my life is crazy.” 

Sabio will honor his journey, his family and the younger version of himself when he takes on the NYC Marathon this November.Photo courtesy of Team Inspire

Sabio hopes his participation in Team Inspire will remind others that they are not alone in their struggles and that their circumstances do not have to define their futures.

“For so long, I always felt so alone in my struggles and all the sacrifices and things I had to go through,” he said. “But dwelling on that — I actually was never really alone, you know? There’s so many people who are going through their own struggles.”

Sabio said he sometimes has difficulty seeing his own story as inspiring, but hopes sharing it will encourage others to pursue goals that once seemed impossible.

As he prepares to take on 26.2 miles, he is thinking about more than the physical challenge. He is thinking about his family, the community he has found in Brooklyn and the younger version of himself who could not have imagined reaching this point.

“It doesn’t matter where you start,” he said. “It just matters where you keep going, and I feel like I keep proving that to myself.”