Spanish
More than 600 international long-distance runners will seek to surpass themselves between October 18 and 19 in the Gran Carrera del Desierto in the Mexican State of Sonora, one of the most emblematic of its kind in the western hemisphere.
"Sonora is an emerging tourist destination and this race is one of our main proposals. It has mountains, marshes and dunes, to finish on the beach," said Roberto Gradillas, Secretary of Economy and Tourism of the state, at the presentation of the event this Tuesday.
The competition will have 10 and 25-kilometer races, scheduled for Sunday the 19th; and 35, 50 and 75, which will take place between Saturday and Sunday.
In the first three editions, the contest was well-received because it was, especially in the 50 and 75 events, a challenge for professional and recreational competitors who aimed to reach the finish line in distances longer than the Olympic marathon event.
The main competition, 75 kilometers, will start from the middle of the Altar Desert, with a 50-kilometer stretch on Saturday and a 25-kilometer stretch on Sunday. In that competition, the competitors will face a demanding route with varied landscapes ranging from the desert to the beaches of the upper Gulf of California.
"Many times we invest and get to know the Sahara and other places in the world, but in Mexico we have a lot of wealth; running in the Sonora desert has been one of my best experiences," said Pablo Gil, winner of the competition in 2022.
Sonora, which has eight original towns, will receive athletes from various indigenous communities of Mexico, including the Rarámuri, whose athlete Silvino Cubesari, one of their most well-known sportsmen, was the winner in the over 45 category last year.
Bronze medalist at the 2015 Indigenous Peoples World Championships and champion of the Costa Rica Ruta Run Ultramarathon, the farmer Cubesari won the 75-kilometer category at the age of 47 with a time of 8 hours, 58 minutes and 40 seconds.
In last year's competition, the absolute champions of the main event were José Miguel Romero, with 6h56:43; and Chloe Brennan, who with her time of 8h07:43 was only surpassed by three men.
Brenda Córdoba, Undersecretary of Promotion and Tourism Development of the state of Sonora, highlighted the benefits of the territory and welcomed the runners willing to live an experience of emotion and personal improvement.
"Visit Sonora because life is different," he said.
The Great Desert Race is a breeding ground for stories of personal achievement among professionals and also recreational runners, determined to test the limits of their bodies.
