Ajijic’s double-pronged Chupinaya mountain run is on track for Sunday, July 17 after the promoters surmounted a stumbling block put in their path by the town’s Comunidad Indigena.
Late last month, members of the indigenous people’s organization voted to deny athletes access to portions of the racing trails situated within the boundaries their communal land, which occupies an extensive area of the steep mountain range overlooking the village. The group reversed the decision at a June 25 assembly after Chupinaya kingpins Ricardo González and Iván Romero capitulated to the demand for a cut of the event’s registration fees.
The Chupinaya challenge wraps in two contests: the grueling 13.8-kilometer “For Savages Only” route that tops out at 2,400 meters (7,875 feet) above sea level and the gentler 6.5-kilometer recreational course peaking at a slightly lower elevation. Both races start at the Ajijic plaza, following a single loop over cobblestone streets, up into the hills and back again. Racers follow markers and trail guides dispersed along the way to navigate narrow, rocky and muddy trails, creek beds, boulders and abundant summer foliage, as well as several steep segments that require highly technical footwork.
La Chupinaya is recognized as a pioneer event for Mexico’s increasingly popular mountain racing circuit, and one of the most daunting contests of its type on the world map. Ajijic was selected as host venue for the 2011 and 2014 North American Central American Caribbean (NACAC) Mountain Championships, bringing in top-ranked mountain runners from the United States and Canada.
This year marks the race’s 20th anniversary, operating as a high-profile national athletic encounter. It has become such a hot-ticket contest that all 750 racing numbers sold out just two weeks after registrations opened. Caught between a rock and a hard place, González and Romero were left with the choice of relocating the race to an alternate place at the last minute or caving to the Comunidad Indigena’s stipulations.
While acknowledging that they have been able to pocket a small profit margin in the last couple of years, the pair argued that the event attracts hundreds of visitors who generate benefits for local business. They pointed out that most of what they collect in registration fees covers costs for the contestants’ commemorative tee-shirts and medals, numbered badges, digital control chips attached to their running shoes, hydration supplies and the traditional post-race comida.
The Comuneros countered that after 19 years of receiving “zero pesos, zero centavos,” it is high time for them to get a fair share. Following some back and forth wrangling, they agreed to back down from an original demand for a 30-percent cut to half that amount, subject to renegotiation for next year.
Similar conditions may be applied to the August 7 Camapanario-Copal Chico-Tecuan triple-header mountain run organized by Club Salvajes Ajijic.
For the meantime, La Chupinaya races are on. Crowds of spectators will gather for the festive atmosphere at the plaza and points along the route to cheers on the contestants, non-registered runners and hikers, some canines and their handlers who tag along at the rear of the pack.
Racers entered in the main event race leave the starting line on the north side of the square at 10 a.m. Those signed up for the short course depart 15 minutes later, with the faster runners expected to cross the finish about 30 minutes afterwards.
The awards ceremony is set to start around 1 p.m. A 2,000-peso cash prize is for grabs for any contestant breaking the long-race record of 1 hour, 16 minutes, 44 second set by U.S. runner Joe Gray in 2011.