Marco Gumabao Crushes His HYROX Personal Record in Bangkok—But His Next Goal Is Even More Ambitious

Marco Gumabao gave himself quite a birthday present.

The actor and fitness enthusiast has achieved a major milestone at HYROX Bangkok 2026, clocking a new personal best of 1 hour and 13 minutes—seven minutes faster than his previous 1:20 mark.

And despite the breakthrough performance, Gumabao says he still has unfinished business.

His next target? Breaking the 70-minute barrier.

According to PEP.ph, Gumabao competed at HYROX Bangkok at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 13, just one day before his 32nd birthday. He had specifically set improving his personal record as one of his birthday goals.

“I was able to beat my previous record [1:20] by seven mins [1:13]!”

Gumabao said he had been aiming for a sub-70-minute finish, but ultimately came away pleased with how he performed.

“I’m very happy with my performance,” he said, adding that he completed the race without injuries or cramps. He also acknowledged that he felt he could have pushed his running pace harder.

That admission may be what makes the result even more intriguing: a seven-minute improvement still wasn't enough to convince Gumabao that he had reached his ceiling.

THREE MONTHS OF TRAINING PAID OFF

The Bangkok race marked Gumabao's third international HYROX competition.

Before the event, he told PEP that he had spent approximately three months preparing for the demanding fitness race, which combines endurance running with functional exercises.

HYROX consists of eight 1-kilometer runs paired with eight workout stations, including sled pushes and pulls, burpee broad jumps, rowing, farmer's carries, sandbag lunges and wall balls.

For Gumabao, preparation did not stop at simply increasing his training volume.

In the days before the Bangkok event, he said he tapered his workouts to allow his body to recover. He also increased his carbohydrate intake and paid particular attention to hydration and electrolytes because he tends to sweat heavily during workouts.

He also credited physical therapy sessions as part of his pre-race preparation.

The approach appears to have worked.

His previous HYROX benchmark was 1:20, recorded in Hong Kong earlier in 2026. A HYROX results tracker lists his Hong Kong Open result at 1:20:03, providing independent context for the improvement reported by PEP.

HYROX FEVER IS SPREADING AMONG FILIPINO CELEBRITIES

Gumabao is far from the only Filipino celebrity getting hooked on HYROX.

GMA Entertainment has documented the growing participation of Filipino stars in the international fitness competition, including David Licauco, Vince Maristela, Aiai delas Alas, Aubrey Miles, Troy Montero and Nico Bolzico.

Licauco, in particular, made headlines after his HYROX Taipei debut in February. He finished in 1:07:48 in the Men's Open Division, placing 55th overall and 19th in his age group, according to PEP.

The growing celebrity participation reflects how HYROX has moved beyond a niche fitness competition and into a broader lifestyle trend among Filipino athletes, entertainers and fitness enthusiasts.

Gumabao himself previously spoke about the changing fitness culture, noting that more people—including celebrities—are becoming interested in healthier and more active lifestyles.

FROM BANGKOK TO SINGAPORE

Gumabao isn't taking a long break after his Bangkok achievement.

Instead, he has already turned his attention to his next challenge: HYROX Singapore on November 27, 2026.

This time, he plans to compete in the mixed doubles category and says his training will focus more heavily on running.

That means the 1:13 performance may be less of a finish line than another checkpoint.

Gumabao's own stated goal remains a sub-70-minute HYROX time—a mark he narrowly missed in Bangkok but now appears increasingly within reach.

And if his seven-minute improvement is any indication, the next race could be where the actor finally makes his biggest jump yet.

For now, though, one thing is already clear: Marco Gumabao went to Bangkok chasing a birthday goal—and came home with a new personal best.

The bigger question is whether Singapore will finally be the race where he breaks 70 minutes.