Ajijic’s 18th annual Carrera de Montaña La Chupinaya, scheduled for Sunday, July 20, will be in the international limelight as top competitors from Canada, the United States and Mexico vie for honors in the race selected for a second time as the host event for the North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Championships.
La Chupinaya was the venue for the 2011 NACAC contest. Organized under the auspices of the local Club Ajijic runners association, the event has been branded as one of the most popular mountain races on Mexico’s Solo para Salvajes (for savages only) circuit.
It’s a rough and tumble contest that challenges runners to scramble from the central plaza and back again, following a grueling 13.8 kilometer loop over cobblestone streets and a narrow, rocky and mud-slick path into the mountain range overlooking Lake Chapala. The turn-around point at the summit lies at 2,400 meters (7,875 feet) above sea level.
According to Club Ajijic head honcho Ricardo González, Mexican competitors will be looking for a win at this year’s Chupinaya in order to qualify for the last slot on the team that will represent the country in the World Mountain Running Championships to be held next September in Casette di Massa, Italy. The other five spots will be filled at the Cuarto Dinamo Race set for May 25 in Mexico City.Standings in the NACAC championships are also taken into account in the selection process for runners from Canada and the U.S.
Among the competitors just named to run the Chupinaya for Team USA are Maria Dalzot, Christine Lundy and Amber Moran Reece-Young, the fleet-footed gals who landed a 1-2-3 punch in the 2011 women’s field. Companion Brandy Erhotlz will be taking her first stab at the Ajijic course.
Dalzot will also be here to defend her title as all-time Chupinaya female champion, gained with a record time of one hour, 47 minutes and four seconds.
Men chosen to run for Team USA are Eric Blake, Ryan Woods, Jordan Chavez and Danny Martinez, all first-timers at La Chupinaya.
“I’m excited to bring the U.S. team back to Ajijic,” says Richard Bolt, who will once again accompany the runners as team leader. “Our hosts and race organizers presented us with a challenging course and overwhelming hospitality in 2011. I’m confident our athletes will have a first-class international racing experience again this summer.”
La Chupinaya also wraps in a parallel and less demanding 6.5 kilometer recreational race. Registration for the side-by-side races is limited to a maximum of 700 competitors, with this year’s enrollment fee set at 300 pesos per person. The sign-up cost includes a commemorative tee-shirt, drinking water and the traditional post-race lunch.
González is already busy with the tasks of handling registrations, rustling up sponsors and building public enthusiasm for the event. He hopes that the expat community will take a strong interest in the event, by lending support, competing, or simply showing up to cheer on the runners.
The Lake Chapala Society, a steadfast sponsor since 2011, will again be involved in providing water for the runners, as well as assisting in transportation and hospitality for the foreign athletes. Local businesses and individual supporters interested in getting on board are encouraged to contact González or Isabel Pedroza for full details. Find them at their glass and picture frame shop at Guadalupe Victoria 38, phone 766-1356 or cell 333- 476-6856.