UTMB World Series visits Chihuahua, Mexico
Whilst the Raramuri, the indigenous people of the Chihuahua region of Mexico, have a long tradition of running as a way of life, be it persistence hunting or travel, it was Christopher McDougall’s book, Born To Run, that brought them to the attention of runners around the world.
Honouring the cultural heritage of the Raramuri people, ‘those with light feet’, they have inspired the world with their ability to run long distances in mountainous terrain. Their colourful traditional dress and Huarache sandals fashioned from car tyres and leather straps make the people of the region instantly recognisable.
Retreating to the high sierras and Copper Canyon to escape the Spanish influence in the 16th century, the Raramuri is the self-given name of the people, with the name Tarahumara being used by outsiders (including McDougall) to refer to them. With running being a way of life for the Raramuri, it was perhaps inevitable that events and races would eventually develop in the region.
Michel Poletti, co-founder of the UTMB event, is someone with deep roots in trail running and felt inspired by Born To Run, so with the expansion of the UTMB World Series, UTMB Chihuahua was born.
The region of Chihuahua is one of the thirty-one states that, along with Mexico City, make up the beautiful country of Mexico. Its capital is the vibrant city of Chihuahua. Located in the northwest region of Mexico, Chihuahua borders the states of New Mexico and Texas in the United States to the north. Founded on July 6, 1824, this state is divided into 67 municipalities. Chihuahua is the largest state in the Mexican Republic, representing 13% of the country’s surface area. Nestled in the centre of the continent and surrounded by majestic mountain ranges, its climate is mostly dry with scarce rainfall. The rich history of Chihuahua is marked by the presence of various indigenous groups, including the ‘running tribe’, the Tarahumara or Raramuri.
This leg of the tour’s global calendar of events brought over 2000 runners from 38 countries and five continents to Mexico as the UTMB rolled into the quiet town of Creel. With races ranging from 8k to 100 miles, the UTMB now spreads its attraction beyond hard-core ultra enthusiasts, but all the races feature tough, technical routes with plenty of elevation gain thrown into the mix to test even the most seasoned trail athletes.
Throughout each of the courses, you pass by the Divisadero Station of the Chepe Train, cross through the communities of Huerachi and Mogotavo, and venture into a breathtaking trail where you’ll marvel at the towering copper-coloured rock walls and the incredible depths of the Sierra Madre Occidental canyons.
The weekend’s big event, the Raramuri 100-mile, included almost 8000 metres of vertical gain and was the event that came closest to a Raramuri victory and demonstrated the lifestyle of the local runner, Mauro Martin Quimare. Dressed in the traditional attire of the Raramuri and thin-soled sandals, the local man almost secured legendary status. Quimare ran 30 miles to the start line of the race before setting the pace for more than half the distance.
It was eventually Canadian Victor Larocque who claimed the victory in what was his first race over the 100-mile distance after taking the lead with the marathon distance remaining.
Over 130 Raramuri runners took part in the various races across the weekend of events.
Full results of all the Chihuahua by UTMB events can be found here.
While taking part in any of the events gives you a chance to experience the Copper Canyon up close, its enormity requires a little more time to explore it and the surrounding area.
I was able to spend a few days taking in the vast splendour of the Chihuahua region, along with its out-of-this-world vistas, and it didn’t disappoint. The vast expanse could easily be a backdrop for a movie, with extraordinary, lunar-esque landscape and prehistoric stone structures.
I visited the valleys named after frogs, mushrooms and monks, each named due to their resemblance of massive stone structures; each dropped into place thousands of years ago.
The Copper Canyon, or Barrancas del Cobre, is a group of six canyons in the state of Chihuahua, Mexico, formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago and spanning 25,000 square miles and over a mile deep!
The Basaseachic Falls stand at over 240m high and are the tallest year-round waterfalls in Mexico, and if you feel up to it, an easily accessible, although not for the faint-hearted, due to its steepness, path will take you to the foot of the falls! Another worthwhile stop-off is the Cusarare Falls. Although ‘only’ 30m high and around 30m wide, they are nonetheless as spectacular as the larger falls and again allow you to get up close to both the top and bottom of the falls. The hike takes you through dramatic waterfalls, ancient stone formations and ruins as well as cave dwellings and jaw-dropping scenery.
To conclude my trip, I took the Chepe Express, a train journey from Creel to Los Mochis, trundling through the Copper Canyon and across the Tarahumara Sierra to the Pacific coast, with scenery that is simply a feast for the eyes. The journey really is a chance to soak up the scenery and witness the scale of the surroundings from deep within the valleys.
Chihuahua by UTMB was not just a race; it’s a celebration of the landscape and culture of Chihuahua, attracting runners from around the world to witness the spectacular terrain and challenge themselves within it.
Find out more about Chihuahua here.
