Running Through the City

Last Sunday Alejandro and I woke up at 6 A.M., quickly got dressed, and headed out a couple blocks from the apartment to Insurgentes Avenue.  Why in the world were we up and about at such an early hour?  It was the day of the Mexico City Marathon, and the runners' route took them down Insurgentes, passing the World Trade Center at kilometer 7 (4.35 miles) of the 42.2 kilometer course (26.22 miles).

This was the 41st annual marathon in Mexico City, and there were 30,000 participants this year.  The race began at 6, and by the time we reached the avenue, the first runners had already passed by.  We stood along the avenue, cheering the runners on for over two hours.  There were men and women, young and old, all levels of athletic ability.  There were even people in wheelchairs.  The last stragglers, who were jogging or walking, passed us at 8:40.  I give them all kudos.  As much as I like to walk, I don't think I would be able to go 26 miles even at a leisurely stroll!

A few of the runners wore costumes.  There were some mariachis and Aztec warriors.

This fellow was the only one I was quick enough to photograph.

The morning began cloudy and chilly.  It wasn't until eight o'clock that the sun began to break through the clouds.

In these videos you can hear the spectators cheering, applauding, using noisemakers, beating drums, and blowing horns.  You can hear Alejandro shouting "¡Bravo!", "¡Vamos!" (Let's go) and "¡Animo!" (Don't give up!).

The course took the runners past many of Mexico City's landmarks... Chapultepec Park, the monument studded Paseo de la Reforma, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Historic Center... and ended at Mexico City's main plaza, the Zócalo.

First, second and third place in the men's division were won by runners from Kenya.  In the women's division, first and third place were won by Kenyans and second place was won by a woman from Bahrain.

First prize in each division was 550,000 pesos (almost 28,000 dollars).  Second prize was 245,000 pesos (over 12,000 dollars), and third prize was 180,000 pesos (over 9,000 dollars).