Scrappy runners signed up for Ajijic’s July 19 Chupinaya mountain race will take home stunning commemorative t-shirts from what has become one of the nation’s most popular athletic challenges. 

The image for the 19th annual Chupinaya run was selected from 12 among entries in a design contest run by the Club Ajijic organizing committee. The winner was Guadalajara graphic designer Abril Rangel, who has also enrolled for her first attempt to tackle the event’s grueling long trail.

Rangel’s artistic rendering of the mountain range overlooking Lake Chapala includes a sketch of the ironwork cross implanted at the summit and a runner charging out of the scenery.  Meshing photographic images, photo-shopped to look like a watercolor painting, her work met all of the essential judging criteria: visual context, clear messaging and marketing quality to promote the contest. She nailed bonus points with a style that subtly tied in with Ajijic’s identification as an artists’ hub. 

The Chupinaya contest features two races: the brutal 13.8-kilometer course that peaks at 2,400 meters (7,875 feet) above sea level and a parallel 6.5-kilometer recreational route at slightly lower altitudes. Both contests start at the central plaza, following a single loop over cobblestone streets, up into the hills and back again. Runners have to navigate narrow, rocky and muddy trails, along with some extremely steep segments that require highly technical footwork.  

The contestants entered in the long race will leave the starting line at 10 a.m., while those taking the easier course depart 15 minutes later.  The combined enrollment for all age and gender divisions is limited to 700 runners.