How far can the passion of a young marathoner and a champion triathlete coach for running reach? For Hannah and Coach Ani, the horizons are endless
Whether it’s pros chasing personal bests or beginners embracing their “runner era,” locals have increasingly hit the ground running—literally. We now live in a world where sports watches are the new staple, run clubs are the new brunches, and running has become a culture of its own. Athletes Hannah Pangilinan and Coach Ani de Leon-Brown are no strangers to this, having logged countless miles and eventually coming together for a game-changing leap. Here’s how they transformed a humble run club into one of the most dynamic movements for fitness in the country.
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Miles of Social Connection
The name Just One is heavily inspired by Hannah Pangilinan’s fitness journey during the pandemic, where her goal was to achieve one pull-up. “Eventually, it became ‘just one’ because I wanted to do one pull-up, which I can’t do yet,” the content creator laughs. “And in Filipino, it means ‘isa lang,’ which is a cute saying because it means ‘it’s manageable—’ totally kayang-kaya.”
The Just One Run Club wasn’t born from a grand master plan. For the running enthusiast Hannah, it began with a simple idea of connecting with people who share the same passion for the sport. “A lot of people were engaging positively with the content I was posting online about running,” she shares. “I wanted to find an avenue where people could better engage with me and join a little bit of a movement with me to get one percent better every day.”
As skilled a runner as she is, Hannah understands that success is no solo pursuit. Her recent finish at the 2024 Boston Marathon is due in part to her weekly training with the national triathlon team, where she soon found the perfect ally in national coach and local triathlon royalty Ani de Leon-Brown.
With 14 Ironman finishes and three Kona World Championships to her name, Brown now lends her expertise to the club, fostering community-building around the sport. “A wonderful thing happens when you infect the people around you and encourage each other,” she explains. “This is what happens in our run club in particular, and I’m not just talking about fitness; I think it’s becoming a bigger movement than that.”
From Fear to Freedom
In life and sports, taking that first step can feel like a marathon. Beginners often feel intimidated, believing that running is reserved for the fast and fit. Even someone as practiced as Hannah has had her share of nerves, recalling the jitters she felt training among the elites. “At first, I was really nervous,” the 25-year-old admits.
“But once you join, you realize, ‘Ah, it’s actually not as bad, and even elite athletes struggle and have a hard time in training.’ So that was a key component for me– knowing that we’re all running a different course, but at least we’re running together.”
– Hannah Pangilinan
Coach Ani echoes this sentiment as she witnesses how liberating this sense of community has been to her runners and their apprehensions. “I guess that’s a default when you see fast athletes or fast runners, but I think it’s so great that Hannah is trying to humanize all these people,” she shares.
The Successes of Just One
Only three months since its launch, Just One has reached far more people than they expected, evolving into a movement that transcends fitness. “It’s really the whole idea of building a community,” Coach Ani says. “So even if we’re not able to accommodate everyone for a face-to-face session, we’re able to communicate and share tips, not just the program.”
This impact is evident in their open runs, which have seen impressive turnouts that left the athletes in shock. They recall a recent event announced just a day prior, yet nearly 200 runners showed up.
Earlier this month, they also held the long-awaited Just One Fun Run, where more than a thousand participants of all skill levels came together to run distances of 5K, 10K, and 21K. Runners took to social media to showcase their stats, celebrate PRs, and share their experiences, celebrating the spirit of encouragement and camaraderie that Just One aims to foster, no matter where one starts.
Faith in Motion
With their physical grit and mental strength, there’s plenty to learn from these athletes. Coach Ani emphasizes the importance of believing in yourself in the face of adversity. “You may or may not be super healthy, the conditions may not be 100% ideal, but somehow, if you really believe in yourself, it will happen,” she says.
“It’s okay if it feels overwhelming sometimes. Just try to develop that underlying sense of self-belief that you can do it. God gave you this ability.”
– Ani de Leon-Brown
Hannah adds to this philosophy, citing a verse from Ecclesiastes to express the role that her faith played in bringing her vision to life. “It says that God has put eternity in our hearts and that excites me so much,” she says with a smile. “There’s growth in me that I haven’t experienced yet, and that’s what excites me to make bigger goals and embark on these bigger projects.”
It’s no surprise that Just One has evolved into what it is today. More than a run club, it’s become a powerful movement that fosters confidence, grit, and perseverance–regardless of whether or not you run. Guided by two of the most inspirational athletes in the local fitness scene, this movement is not just about crossing finish lines—it’s rewriting the narrative of what’s possible.
