Kenyan runner Joseph Ngetich garnered top honors at Jocotepec’s inaugural Carrera Panorámica, sailing across the finish line in the October 12 race in a time of 41 minutes, 33 seconds. His compatriot Ruth Kimutai nailed first place in the women’s field, clocking in at 46:43.

Plugged with the slogan “Pueblo, Montaña y Lago,” the 12.6-kilometer contest brought together 800 athletes to tackle a challenging course that looped from the waterfront Malecón, through the center of town, along a short stretch of Highway 15, up and over the Jocotepec Libramiento and back to the starting point.

Ngetich ran at the head of the pack from the start, loping along at a strong but relaxed pace before leaving his fellow runners in the dust in the final kilometer.

Ngetich and Kimutai each walked away with individual cash prizes of 4,000 pesos. The rest of the 53,000-peso winners’ purse was divided among the best runners in different age and gender brackets and a special division for runners residing in lakeshore communities.

Among the 108 local contestants, Alberto Arraiga Jiménez, Pedro García Castillo and José Luis Martínez placed for awards in the men’s category, while Mariá Elizabeth Venar Loma,  Giselda Guzmán Guzmán and Olga Cantalón Tero took prizes in the ladies division.

A full program of ancillary activities included the Festival Atlético Infantil races for children aged five to 14 (held on the previous day) and the Jalisco invitational five-kilometer track race that took place along the Malecón immediately prior to the main event. 

The 5K event was split into back-to-back contests between six male runners and four women. First place winners Victor Santana Marín and Ursula Patricia Sánchez qualified to compete in the 21-kilometer Medio Maratón de Mundo Cuervo, slated for November 16 in Tequila, Jalisco.

In a remarkable twist, Sanchez and second place runner María Guadalupe Santana went straight away from the state contest to enter the longer race, crossing the finish line less than four minutes behind Kimutai to earn fourth and third place respectively in the women’s open division.  And Omar Velazquez Jimenez, who placed third in the 5K race, went on to take fourth in the men’s open category.

For a first-time event, the Jocotepec Panoramic stood out for the huge turnout of competitors and spectators, excellent organization and logistics involving scores of volunteers, and the extremely favorable weather that prevailed throughout the morning.

Dale Hoyt Palfrey