Maricel Laxa Pangilinan has conquered more than just miles on the pavement. With the support of her family and knowing she was just one big step closer to her ultimate goal, she recently crossed the finish line of the Boston Marathon, completing her six-star world marathon majors. 

"For seven years, I avoided the Boston Marathon, even if it was my last of the six” Maricel admits. "But crossing that finish line was liberating. It's the toughest of the world majors, and completing it was exhilarating.  You know, when you fear something for so long, and this time, it was seven years of avoiding Boston. I realized, wow, ang sarap nito. "

Maricel’s husband, Anthony Pangilinan himself faced his own struggles during the Boston Marathon when his finished his in 2019.

“When I finished my Boston, I could barely walk in the last 50 meters," he said. "Kasi talagang every step people were saying, Go! You can do it! You can do it! I was cramping.  I had an injury there. I pushed it because it was also my 6th World Marathon Major. Yeah, last na eh. Diba? Tapos na to eh.”

Anthony shared that during Marice’s run in Boston, halfway around the world, he could barely sleep trying to monitor her progress via an online tracker and he would panic when he would see her not moving. 

He recounted being scared seeing her location not move for lenghty periods  

“I was so scared. Really? I was, I mean, tracking it online . Sabi ko, oh my gosh, lalo nun, pag hindi gumagalaw sa online, nakikiita mo, di ba, why aren't you moving? Why weren't you moving with those moments? “ he said.

It was only then when Maricel explained to her husband why she took it easy “No, because, you know, there was a point in the race when I realized, I'm really gonna finish it. There was no doubt. So ako, in-enjoy ko every single moment and every single person (I interacted with in the race.”

Anthony jokingly quipped, he wished he as informed “Yeah, you could have messaged me, Hon, chill, relax. I mean, meron kayong mga pictures ni Hannah, you could have said, Han, I know it's 2 o 'clock in the morning, sleep already, wala.”

Maricel ran and finished the race with her daughter Hanna, who she says went ahead of her after kilometers 15.

Lessons from the Long Run

But for the couple, the marathon is more than a physical feat—it's a metaphor for life's journey, encapsulated in their newly released book, "Marriage is a Marathon” which they recently launched at a press event in Los Angeles, California with the Filipino community,

Their marathon journey parallels their married life—a series of ups and downs, twists and turns. 

"Marriage is a marathon," Anthony affirms, "run it one step at a time. It's not a sprint. You know, it's a marathon. Marriage is a marathon. Ups and downs. Different routes. You know, you need a community. It's life. So for us, it mirrors life."

"And in our past days, just talking to some people here, not just marathons, not just life, not just marriage. Whatever journey, whether it's even business, it's making a difference in community. So the principles are applicable to any area of life."

Maricel adds that the most important thing is the make the big decision “when you make a decision to run it, you have to pay the price. For the prize. The price for the prize. Because you are signing up for something that you know is gonna take a lot from you. You better be ready for the journey”

The decision to write "Marriage is a Marathon" was born out of their shared experiences. "So before we celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary, we were already thinking, oh, it would be nice to come up with a book, sana, to journey with us for all the marathons we've ran around the world."

Anthony adds, "The book's theme, 'run it one step at a time,' reflects our belief that life, like a marathon, is about taking things one day at a time. It's about persistence, resilience, and having a supportive community."

Navigating Parenthood and Family Stardom

As parents to Donny Pangilinan, the rising star in the entertainment industry and love-team partner of Belle Mariano, Maricel and Anthony find themselves balancing family life with the demands of showbiz and talent management. 

“For me, I'm really very proud of my son. And the way that he carries himself with so much responsibility for the people supporting him is something I love him for. Kasi, you know, these things can get in your head.” 

Maricel shares “Pero for him, he sees himself as someone who has a responsibility to move a generation towards something that's positive, something that's good, and something that can give back to the community.”

Anthony adds, "Managing Donny's career alongside Star Magic was a big decision, but seeing him thrive and remain grounded is rewarding."

The proud parents share that when Donny is home with them on weekends, he’s just Donny. 

Having dinner with them, doing his chores, washing the dishes. It’s like he steps out of his showbiz world and back to being their son and an integral part of the Pangilinan family. 

They’re proud to share that they’ve set boundaries. If they need to meet for his work, they do so, but it does not mix with family time.

Message to DonBelle fans

To the legions of fans who support Donny and the Pangilinan family, Anthony and Maricel express their gratitude. 

They’ve heard that many DonBelle fans have already secured their VIP tickets to see them at ASAP in California in August. As excited as the fans are, the proud parents say the feeling are mutual. 

Donny even made sure to tell his parents / managers to make it happen 

“Donnie is just as excited. Pagdating sa ASAP, diba? Dad, huwag na tayo mag-nego (ng talent fee). Diba? Mga how long, how much? I wanna do it. And he's going with Belle, of course. That's something that I think is mutually exciting."

"And that's what makes it special. It's not just the fans who want to meet up with the supporters, it's the talents like Donnie and Bel saying, come on, let's do this.” Anthony shared.

In the marathon of life, Maricel Laxa Pangilinan and Anthony Pangilinan have crossed many finish lines, but their journey continues, fueled by love, resilience, and the unwavering support of family and fans alike.