Derlis Ramón Ayala Sanchez (born 7 January 1990), also known as Derlys Ayala, is a
Paraguay
Paraguay, officially the Republic of Paraguay, is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the Argentina–Paraguay border, south and southwest, Brazil to the Brazil–Paraguay border, east and northeast, and Boli ...
an
long-distance runner
Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength.
Within endurance ru ...
.
Career
Born in
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este (, Spanish for Eastern City; often shortened as CDE) is the second-largest city in Paraguay and capital of the Alto Paraná Department, situated on the Paraná River. It is located 327 km east of Asunción, the capital, and i ...
, he represented Paraguay at the
South American Cross Country Championships
The South American Cross Country Championships is an annual continental cross country running competition for athletes from South America or, more specifically, member countries of CONSUDATLE. It was first held in 1986,
making it the oldest of ...
2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The 2009 Pan American Junior Championships were held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on July 31 to August 2, 2009.
A report on the
results was given.
Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can ...
mile run
The mile run (1,760 yards, 5,280 Foot (unit), feet, or exactly 1,609.344 metres) is a middle-distance running, middle-distance foot race.
The history of the mile run event began in England, where it was used as a distance for gambling ...
,
5000 metres
The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a sta ...
,
10,000 metres
The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The ...
and several
road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain.
These events are usually classified as long-distance ru ...
distances.
He represented Paraguay at the
2009 Pan American Junior Athletics Championships
The 2009 Pan American Junior Championships were held in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago at the Hasely Crawford Stadium on July 31 to August 2, 2009.
A report on the
results was given.
Participation (unofficial)
Detailed result lists can ...
in the
3000 m steeplechase
The 3000 metres steeplechase or 3000-meter steeplechase (usually abbreviated as ) is the most common distance for the steeplechase in track and field. It is an obstacle race over the distance of the 3000 metres, which derives its name from the h ...
, winning a bonze medal with a time of 9:14.77.
He won the 2014 San Blas International Run in Ciudad del Este in 26:10 minutes.
At the
2014 South American Cross Country Championships
The 2014 South American Cross Country Championships took place on February 23, 2014. The races were held on a 2000 metres circuit at the Botanical Garden and Zoo of Asunción, Jardín Botánico y Zoológico in Asunción, Paraguay.
A detailed rep ...
, he finished in 22nd position of the Senior men's 12 km race event in a time of 42:02.61.
At the South American Athletics Grand Prix on 25 March 2015, he set a 10,000 m national record of 29:48.27 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Ayala then states "Athletics is my life. It's what takes me to many places, meet wonderful people. It does not matter the mode, the young people must practice any sport because that will maintain them far away from addictions, they'll be the best persons and they'll feel good and fill with pride their families."
2016 Olympic Games
In April 2016, Ayala achieved his qualification for the 2016 Olympic Games in a marathon in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
. Ayala recorded a time of 2:17:27s to reach qualification. Ayala signalled that he worked for more than ten years just to achieve it and clarified that it was not easy. During the marathon at the Games, Ayala protagonized an emotive moment and gesture. Ayala stopped to help his friend from infancy
Federico Bruno
Federico Bruno (born 18 June 1993) is an Argentine middle- and long-distance runner. He is and weighs .
Ayala was placed as 136 in the world after completing the marathon in 2:39:40s.
Luque
Luque () is a city in Central Department of Paraguay, part of the Gran Asunción metropolitan area. Both 1635 and 1750 have been recorded as dates of its founding. It was temporarily the capital of Paraguay in 1868 during the Paraguayan War ...
, Ayala, who did not finish the 10, 000 metres, intended to earn a medal in the 5, 000 metres event, in which he concluded in 11th position, signalling that he was unhappy in an interview with Paraguayan news paper
ABC Color
''ABC Color'' is a Paraguayan daily newspaper that is part of Editorial Azeta S.A., a subsidiary of Grupo Azeta. It was established in 1967 by Aldo Zuccolillo. Founded in August 1967, it is often regarded as Paraguay's newspaper of record.
Histor ...
. Ayala finished with a time of 15.00.30, in the event which
Chile
Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in western South America. It is the southernmost country in the world and the closest to Antarctica, stretching along a narrow strip of land between the Andes, Andes Mountains and the Paci ...
2020 Summer Olympics
The officially the and officially branded as were an international multi-sport event that was held from 23 July to 8 August 2021 in Tokyo, Japan, with some of the preliminary sporting events beginning on 21 July 2021. Tokyo ...
with an A result time of 02.10.31s in the
Buenos Aires Marathon
The Maratón de Buenos Aires is an annual marathon (sport), marathon foot-race which takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, during the Southern Hemisphere's Spring, usually in October.
The 21st edition of the Buenos Aires Marathon started on Octo ...
, achieving a new national record for Paraguay and converting himself into South American champion. In the same month, Ayala visited Paraguay's president
Mario Abdo Benítez
Mario Abdo Benítez (; born 10
November 1971) is a Paraguayan politician who served as the 51st president of Paraguay from 2018 to 2023. He was previously a Senate of Paraguay, senator and served as List of presidents of the Senate of Paraguay, ...
, who promised Ayala help in his preparation for the Games in
Tokyo
Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...