The Long Game: From the 2012 Olympics to LA 2028 While Working Full-Time with Ruben Sança

From immigrating to the U.S. at 12 years old to representing Cape Verde at the Olympics, Ruben Sança’s story is one of consistency, patience, and staying in it long after most people step away.

Ruben Sança is a Cape Verdean Olympian and elite distance runner who competed in the 5,000 meters at the 2012 Olympic Games in London after previously representing Cape Verde at the 2011 World Championships. He is a former standout at UMass Lowell, earning multiple All-America honors and helping lead the program to conference championships during his collegiate career. Sança holds multiple Cape Verdean national records and has run personal bests of 1:05 in the half marathon and 2:18 in the marathon while competing internationally and across the U.S. road racing circuit. In addition to competing, he coaches athletes and works professionally in leadership roles focused on education and opportunity for students.

Ruben talks about how his relationship with running has evolved over time, from thinking he was “running across the country” in middle school to building the kind of durability that allows him to train at a high level for decades. 

There’s also a constant theme of balance. Balancing training with a career. Knowing when to push and when to back off. Building a life that supports running, not one that’s consumed by it.

Jon and Ruben get into:
• growing up in Boston as an immigrant and finding running by accident
• why he never wanted to think of himself as “gifted”
• building durability and handling high mileage over time
• transitioning from track to the marathon
• representing Cape Verde at the 2012 Olympics
• why he’s going after LA 2028 at age 41
• managing 100+ mile weeks with a full-time job
• what sustainable excellence actually looks like
• confidence, belonging, and showing up to races differently
• the growth of running culture in Dorchester and Roxbury
• why community matters more than pace

This is a conversation for anyone trying to figure out how to do both, pursue something meaningful while building a full life around it.

Stay connected:

Follow Ruben: https://www.instagram.com/rubenpsanca/

This episode is supported by:

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