The start of the Mexico City Marathon this Sunday at the Olímpico Universitario Stadium. Isaac Esquivel (EFE)
The Runners are a tribe that arouses suspicion with every step. Why are you running? What are they running from? Why push the body to its limits in a test that is as tough as it is satisfying? If you don’t put on your sneakers and hit the sidewalk every morning, you don’t realize the benefits of belonging to this group of people who swim against the tide to overcome their own physical or mental barriers. It’s not about running. It’s a constant struggle to prove they can do it. And when they manage to finish a marathon, it’s like winning a world championship, a grand prix, an Olympic medal. A small triumph for the others, a great glory for every competitor of this Mexican marathon celebrating its 40th anniversary. The competition was won by Celestine Chepchirchir from Kenya and Héctor Garibay from Bolivia.
The Mexican capital dedicated itself entirely to the marathon. The 42-kilometer test is one of the hallmarks of the city, which tries to find something new every year. The organizers are happy to be the best competition in Latin America and to be part of the marathon group, which includes groups of top athletes. For the pros, the stopover in Mexico is an important try and even helps them qualify for the Boston Marathon. For this reason it is a party for Mexicans who decide to get up early to support their relatives, friends or strangers who, as the kilometers go by, see an urge to persevere in the cheering.
The runners had their first test when they picked up their jersey and race number. The organizers invited them to Mexico City’s largest exhibition center, the World Trade Center. There the participants encountered the great temptation: an exhibition of the world of baking. The smell of bread and coffee is causing trouble for those athletes who have been watching their diet in the last 12 months.
At this year’s marathon, the runners had to get up an hour earlier. After the end of the time change in Mexico, the usual start of the race was at seven in the morning. The problem was that without that extra hour, the sun was able to shine in full earlier than planned. The 6:00 a.m. start was guarded by the Olympic Stadium of UNAM University and the eternal fire from the cauldron that soared the athletes at the 1968 Olympics. However, the idyllic setting was torture for those who still didn’t arrive. those who were still trapped in the subway.
Bolivian runner Héctor Garibay broke the historic Mexico City Marathon record in 2:08:22 on Sunday, beating Kenyan Titus Ekiru’s 2:10:38.Mexico City Marathon
The wave of pink runners, the color the capital has embraced, swept the streets that belonged to them. The most touristy (and perhaps safest) places in Mexico City were his background on visibility issues. At the top, the Kenyan and Ethiopian elite were hit by the Bolivian surprise. Héctor Garibay (Oruro, Bolivia, 35 years old) defeated everyone including Edwin Kiprop Kiptoo. The Latin American beat the Mexican record with a time of 2:08:23 (the previous value was 2:10:35 in 2018). He experienced his good moment with his triumph at the Seville marathon (2:07:44). Garibay dedicated the victory to his country, but dropped an arrow: he could not compete in the World Championships in Athletics due to lack of support and had to look for competitions. His success in Mexico earned him half a million pesos (about $33,000) in prize money. “It will help me to prepare as best I can in a camp in Kenya,” he said after the race. “We’re getting motivated little by little. I would ask them in my country to support us. There is a lot of talent in Bolivia, but it’s a long-term struggle,” he added.
Celestine Chepchirchir clocked a time of 2:27:17 in a run that treated runners to ideal running weather: no sun and a chilly feeling. The height of the capital, 2,240 meters above sea level, is one of the great challenges in this competition for Mexicans and foreigners. But the marathon ends in two parts: when the top athletes arrive and when the enthusiasts arrive who have broken the wall, tiredness and laziness to face their challenge, their petty glory.
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