Meet the 2025 SWM Athletes: Mario Garcia Romo

Mario Garcia Romo | Men’s Elite Mile

Social Media: Instagram (and Threads) | Facebook

Sponsor: On Athletics Club
College: Ole Miss
Mile PR: 3:47.69

I’m from a very small town of only 200 people in the Spanish countryside, where I grew up and started my running career.
Since I went to school with only four kids, team sports weren’t really an option. I started running after my older brother (who was also one of my classmates) began participating in races.
I’ve always been very curious—especially about science—so I decided to study biotechnology and chemistry in college. I love understanding the science behind running.
One of my dreams is to have a self-sustainable farm someday and be able to work on it.
I’ve been living in the U.S. since 2018—first in Oxford, Mississippi, and now in Boulder, Colorado.

What is your song of the Summer? Love Me Not – Ravyn Lenae & Tieduprightnow – Parcels
What’s one place you’ve run that you wish everyone could grab a few miles on? The trails around my hometown during sunset on a hot summer day.
What’s your favorite way to hydrate to beat the heat of the Summer? Outshine Lime Popsicles—if that counts!
What’s something you do for fun in your “offseason?” I love going on holidays to places I haven’t been, especially somewhere with amazing food.
Do you have any connections to Raleigh and/or North Carolina? I’ve lived in the U.S. for 7 years, and many of my teammates and my coach at Ole Miss, Ryan Vanhoy, are from North Carolina—but I’ve never been myself!