Whether or not HOKA Athlete Ambassador Gabriel Jarquin of Toronto is racing marathons on the worldwide stage, advocating for HIV consciousness or serving the 2SLGBTQ+ neighborhood, his authenticity and drive set him aside. For Jarquin, 2024 was a 12 months of studying, progress and relentless pursuit—in each his operating and his advocacy work. As he enters 2025 with huge ambitions and a dedication to creating an influence, Jarquin continues to encourage others to embrace their true selves and run—each actually and metaphorically—towards their desires.
Rising up in Kitchener, Ont., because the son of refugees from Nicaragua, Jarquin discovered energy in operating from a younger age, however his relationship with the game has additionally confronted challenges. After stepping away from operating throughout a troublesome interval in his 20s, he rediscovered his love for operating and reworked his life. “Once I began operating once more as an grownup, I swore I’d by no means run a marathon,” Jarquin remembers. “I believed the gap was loopy and pointless. But right here I’m—nonetheless operating them.”
2024: a 12 months of progress
In 2024, Jarquin tackled two key marathons: Boston and Valencia. Boston, with its iconic course, didn’t go as deliberate. “I swung and missed,” he says. Valencia offered its personal challenges. “I gave in to my fears,” he displays. “Whereas I nonetheless ran an honest race, it jogged my memory that I must work on confidence and overcoming my worry of failure.” Regardless of the struggles, these experiences have fuelled his drive for progress and set the stage for his 2025 objectives.
Advocacy and neighborhood consciousness
Jarquin’s influence goes far past the operating world. Since sharing his HIV standing publicly in 2021, he has turn out to be a strong advocate for destigmatizing HIV/AIDS. “Being open and weak helped me heal whereas additionally educating others,” he explains. His journey led to his position as a nationwide ambassador for the Canadian Basis for AIDS Analysis (CANFAR), a corporation devoted to ending the HIV epidemic in Canada.
However Jarquin’s activism doesn’t cease there. As a former president of the Pleasure and Remembrance Affiliation, he performed a pivotal position in Toronto’s annual Pleasure & Remembrance Day Run, one in every of Canada’s most celebrated 2SLGBTQ+ occasions. “In my closing 12 months, we surpassed $3 million in complete fundraising for charities—an enormous accomplishment and a second I’m extremely happy with,” he shares.
In 2025, Jarquin’s affect will broaden additional as he joins the Pleasure Toronto board of administrators. “Volunteerism has given me objective, a method to give again and a possibility to develop,” he says. He seems ahead to serving to form one of many world’s largest Pleasure celebrations whereas persevering with to champion inclusivity and consciousness.
Consistency and confidence in 2025
Wanting forward, Jarquin’s operating objectives for 2025 centre on two iconic programs: Boston and Berlin. “Boston can be my first main race of the 12 months—my fifth time on that course,” he says. “The problem of Boston retains pulling me again. There’s actually nothing like crossing the end line on Boylston Road, even when you’ve hit the wall within the Newton Hills and crawled your method to the tip.”
For Berlin, a well-recognized favorite, Jarquin is raring to capitalize on his expertise. “I’m a repeat offender with these two programs,” he jokes. “That familiarity is one thing I plan to make use of to my benefit.” Past particular person races, Jarquin plans to deal with consistency and mileage. “I’ve at all times been a low-mileage runner, however I feel to get the place I wish to go, I must run extra. Plus, it’s an excellent excuse to do extra of what I like.”
Flying excessive with HOKA
As a HOKA Athlete Ambassador, Jarquin finds deep alignment between his values and the model’s ethos. “HOKA has been an enormous supporter of my journey,” he says. “We’ve been storytellers collectively and collaborated on community-focused occasions. We share a perception in encouraging folks to maneuver—no matter that appears like for them—and displaying up as their genuine selves.”
For Jarquin, representing HOKA is about greater than efficiency. “HOKA takes satisfaction in celebrating individuality, which resonates with me deeply. With the ability to put on the model whereas coaching and as a part of my self-expression is a big plus. It even helps me pack lighter, which, as somebody always on the go, is not any small factor!”
He additionally embraces HOKA’s slogan, “Fly Human Fly,” as a private mantra. “It’s a reminder that our potential is limitless. Each time I lace up my HOKAs, I carry that mindset with me.” The partnership with HOKA has been instrumental in supporting Jarquin’s mission. “With a shared imaginative and prescient of pushing boundaries and innovation,” he says, “HOKA has been clear from the start that they wish to come alongside for the journey.”
This story is a collaboration between Canadian Operating and HOKA Canada.