Coach Al Gonzales from the Philippines is a triathlon and swimming coach and instructor, and a Hammer Nutrition Philippines coach. He is also an Army reservist and a rescue diver. He has fueled with Hammer Nutrition since 2017, years before Hammer Nutrition Philippines opened in October 2023. (Not to be confused with Al Gonzales, the Hammer Nutrition USA athlete.) Follow him on Instagram at @algonzales96.
Teaching adults to swim
Coach Al is a Total Immersion certified swim instructor who specializes in teaching adults. Many of his swimmers have gone on to open water races and IRONMAN events, including the IRONMAN World Championships.
Service in and out of the water
- Army Reservist.
- Auxiliary member of the Philippine Air Force 505th Search and Rescue Group and of the Philippine Coast Guard Auxiliary.
- Certified Divemaster.
- President of STET-VIP, a humanitarian and disaster response group.
- Two-time recipient of the Gawad Kaunlaran Medal.
- Raced in the inaugural Subic International Triathlon Legends event.
On deck with his swimmers
Coach Al is at the pool with his athletes from early morning, rain or shine, and at races to support them. His swimmers show up for 6am sessions even in bad weather, so he makes sure every workout is worth the trip.
His swim squads, the Alipores, Alligators and Alikaboks, race together at aquathlons, open water swims and triathlons. His Friday swims in Vermosa have taken beginners to their first open water races, and one of his swimmers, who started with him in a 25 m pool, crossed the 3.8 km Maricaban Strait three years later.
In July 2026 Team Alipores raced the Super Series Aquathlon at the Vermosa Sports Hub. In his words: "Some people will watch this and see a race. I see the stories behind every finish."
Coach and athlete
Coach Al still trains and races himself.
- Tokyo Marathon 2025 finisher (see below).
- Has been putting in more miles on the bike lately.
- Recently raced his first triathlon relay.
- In June 2026 he went to Subic to support his athletes on race week and ended up racing too. As he put it, the view is definitely better from the race course.
Road to Tokyo, fueled by Hammer
Coach Al ran his first 42 km during a triathlon back in 2002. In 2024 he went back to the marathon with a clear goal: his first World Marathon Majors star in Tokyo.
- Selected on his first try in the Tokyo Marathon 2025 draw.
- Taipei Marathon, December 2024: his dress rehearsal for Tokyo's cold. Afterwards he thanked Hammer Nutrition Philippines, saying his nutrition plan was on point.
- Long runs: paced 27 km as Pacer 089 at The Bull Runner Dream Marathon, and ran 32 km at the midnight 7-Eleven Run in Manila.
- Tokyo Marathon 2025: finished, then shared the experience on ANC.
Through the whole build his training posts carried the #hammernutritionph tag, and his fuel shelf holds Hammer Gel, Fully Charged, Endurolytes Extreme, Anti-Fatigue Caps, Recoverite and Xobaline.
Sharing what he knows
- Speaks at running and triathlon talks, including "The Marathon Mentality" and The Bull Runner's Bull Circle session on gearing up for the marathon.
- Described on national TV as a seasoned triathlon coach who has conducted workshops worldwide.
- A podcast guest in July 2026, where he explained that it is often your mind, not your body, that tells you to stop first.
- Helped us show Hammer's third Secret of Success, proper hydration, the simple way: count mouthfuls instead of milliliters. His own mouthful measured about 120 ml, and a mouthful every 15 minutes keeps hydration steady.
Looking after his swimmers
Swimmers train in chlorinated pools week in, week out, and Coach Al keeps an eye on how his athletes feel after sessions as well as during them. Read our note on Clear Day for swimmers, which we shared with Coach Al and his team.
Watch Coach Al
Racing triathlon? See our Sprint, Olympic-Distance and Open Water Swimming fuel guides.