Although three native runners from Chihuahua’s Sierra Tarahumara fell short of taking top honors at the August 13 Ultra Trail Campanaria mountain race, siblings Lorena, Juana and Mario Ramírez were the darlings of the Ajijic sporting event, capturing intense attention from fellow competitors, spectators and media reporters.
All three took on the brutal 43-kilometer Tecuán route, departing with the pack of runners lined up at the Malecón at 6 a.m. on Sunday morning, minutes after a potent pre-dawn storm subsided.
They sloshed through a heavy stream of run-off rushing down the cobblestones of Calle Morelos as they headed for the hills to follow a tortuous, mud-slick trail crossing the mountain range through territory of Chapala, Ixtlahuacán and Jocotepec.
Mario earned second place in the overall standing, finishing with a time of 5 hours, 42 minutes, 56 seconds. He was edged out by Ajijic’s own long-distance running star José “Chabelo” González Valenzuela, who clocked 4:32:22, slicing nearly three minutes off the standing Tecuán record.
First place in the ladies division went to Guadalajara’s Yolanda Rodriguez Briones, repeating her win of last year. Lorena Ramírez loped in 30 minutes later for third, while youngster sister Juana ran close on her heels to take fourth almost eight minutes later.
Both young women stand out for their stamina and the traditional Rarámuri shirt and blouse outfits and plastic sandals they wear in running contests. Notably shy, they barely broke occasional smiles as they were surrounded by a throng of admirers at the end of the race. Since neither has a strong command of Spanish, brother Mario spoke on their behalf.
He told the Reporter that the changes of altitude in their journey to Ajijic and the slippery terrain they encountered here presentedsome challenges. Lorena was also coping with a respiratory ailment, he said. Still, he expressed gratitude for the warm
hospitality the local people showed his family. They hope to come back for next year’s competition.
Campanaría head organizer Daniel Urzua arranged free lodging for the Ramírez clan at the Hotel Estancia. A number of their running rivals and folks in the crowd forked out cash donations to help cover their travel expenses. And local businessman and city councilor Beto Alcántar pledged to buy the sisters real running shoes, which they will most likely take home to sell, swap or give away rather than replace the modest footwear they customarily use in dashing over mountain trails.
Several others runners deserve special mention. Zapopan’s Fernando “Dory “ González easily aced first place in the 14-km Campanaria run, adding to an extensive list of previous champion titles, including the Campanaria and Ajijic’s long-standing 13.8-km Chupinaya race. Chapala homeboy Alberto Arrayga ran a close second to González, while America Romero of Ajijic won in the ladies division of the same contest.