ROME, Nov. 26 -- Filipino ultrarunner Rex Brillantes etched his name into endurance sports history after completing one of the world's most brutal ultramarathons-The Authentic Pheidippides Run, a 490-kilometer race from Athens to Sparta and back, with a punishing 98-hour cutoff.

Held from Nov. 20 to 24, the 9th edition of the event tested 68 elite ultrarunners from across the globe, with less than half of them reaching the finish line.

Among them was Brillantes, the 49-year-old and proud son of Negros Occidental who crossed the finish line after 94 hours, 57 minutes, and 38 seconds, securing 22nd place in one of the harshest events in global ultrarunning.

Completing this race is considered a milestone even among seasoned ultrarunners a...