A new face emerged as overall champion of the 2019 Chupinaya Carrera de Montaña, while a contestant with two previous titles nailed first place in the women’s division.
Top honors in the 13.8-kilometer race, dubbed Mexico’s Queen of the West challenge, went to Jeff Rosas and Karina Carsolio, both of whom hail from Valle de Bravo in Estado de México.
Running La Chupinaya for the first time, Rosas, 25, crossed the finish line in one hour, 26 minutes and 34 seconds, coming in 47 seconds ahead of local long-distance runner Chabelo González.
Carsolio, who was ranked the best female runner in 2015 and 2017, claimed victory this year with a record time of 1:34:15, slicing a bit more than ten minutes off her performance two years ago.
Heavy overnight rainfall created slippery conditions for the 350 men and 152 women who tackled the long route, as well as the 296 individuals running the 6.5-kilometer recreational course.
Juan Ernesto Villalobos won first place in the short race with a time of 31 minutes and 46 seconds. Martha Yuliana Mereno won in the female division, clocking in at 45:26.
Other standout competitors spanning age extremes included 10-year-old Ulises González, the youngest runner in the 13.8-km. field, and elder recreational contestants Bob Golly, 84, and Jane Dods, 83.