Rubuta ci gaba don wannan sakin layi - De Lima ya lashe tseren tserensa na farko a shekarar 1996, inda ya dauki taken Tokyo International Marathon. Ya halarci wasannin Olympics na bazara na farko a wannan shekarar, yana gudu a tseren marathon a Wasannin Atlanta na 1996
kuma ya gama a matsayi na 47. Farkon bayyanarsa a duniya ya biyo bayan shekara guda daga baya a Gasar Cin Kofin Duniya a Wasanni ta 1997, inda ya gama na 23. Ya kafa mafi kyawun lokaci na 2:08:31 a 1998 Tokyo Marathon, ya gama na biyu a bayan Alberto Juzdado.