Hi! My name is Sofia Deleon. I’m originally from Guatemala City, Guatemala, and I moved to Philadelphia almost a decade ago. Not long after arriving, I found my passion for running.

I’m the founder of El Merkury, a Central American street food and churro concept in Center City, with locations in Rittenhouse, Reading Terminal Market, and the Mann Center. While growing my business has been one of the great joys of my life, it was through catering for Students Run Philly Style that I found a new source of inspiration.

Watching their students train for and complete marathons completely changed me. Their discipline, resilience, and belief in themselves pushed me to ask, “Why not me?” I ran my first marathon in Philadelphia, and from that moment on, I caught the marathon bug.

I’ve since made it a personal mission to run a marathon on every continent. So far, I’ve completed races in Rome (Europe) and Samarkand (Asia), and this May I’ll be running in Cape Town (Africa). Each race reminds me how powerful this sport can be — not just physically, but mentally and emotionally.

The New York City Marathon has always been a dream. I’m incredibly excited to make it happen this year, but even more meaningful is the opportunity to raise funds for Students Run Philly Style. Their mission to empower young people through running doesn’t just transform students’ lives — it inspires people like me to believe that we, too, can do hard and extraordinary things.

Running has given me community, confidence, and courage. Supporting SRPS feels like coming full circle.