Marathon News

The life and times of UltraDon

Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year

Perhaps the longest race report - but that’s all I do!  Hope to see you in the new year and have a great one!

Don Winkley

Why “No Sunmart ” UltraDon Race Report

Half Marathon Nuevo Laredo 12/9/07 Ricky Garza sent an e-mail reference races he would be at - sort of calender of races in South Texas area. Listed was a half marathon in Nuevo Laredo. Half marathons in Mexico have an atmosphere which is so exciting - they feed my addiction to that which is foreign, slightly dangerous, uncertain and really competitive.

So with the hook half buried it was only to find info on the race. After multiple attempts to locate information on the internet - two or more hours later on Friday night I finally found the race. All web sites were in Spanish but the machine language translation worked. I found details of the race including where to register in Nuevo Laredo at Reynosa Avenue between Herca de Nacataz and Maclovia Herrera. Google maps worked finding the streets in Nuevo Laredo.

So I packed the car for the usual weekend road trip to the next race. I arrived in Laredo and got in a real mess of pedestrians and cars while I attempted to cross the downtown area. It was Russian roulette but somehow I survived and didn’t hit anyone. Walked across the bridge and was meet by the usual greeters who would help me with any legal or illegal activity. Brushing them off I walked to the race registration location. It was about 15 streets from the bridge and the streets were crowded with street stalls lining the walkways. I lived : eventually found the listed registration location. There was no evidence that there was any race or race registration. Well, I walked around the block, investigated the square with little success. But I am not easy to give up. Finally I saw someone who looked to be a runner enter a small doorway I had not noticed.

Entering the doorway I was immediately greeted by the most friendly professional registration staff - one of whom spoke English. The reception of Americans entering a foreign race never fails to surprise me. I had no peso’s but they took my $5 - yes only $5 - no need to convert currency and in return I got a number and a really nice t- shirt with only the city of Nuevo Laredo as the sponsor. No walking bill board on the back of the shirt.

Now the real gauntlet was about to begin. The return across the border. The mass of humanity wanting to go across the bridge to America was unbelievable. After an hour of so I arrived at an immigration officer - always good to return to home soil. Hotel was next with wake up call at 5AM.

Early up for my favorite prerace breakfast of donuts and coffee : drove without incident to the parking lot - walked across the bridge and down the now deserted streets of Nuevo Laredo to arrive at the race start without any incident.

Meet several runners I knew from the old days of racing in Laredo. Ricky Garza introduced me to his Kenyan runners of Beach to Bay fame.

There were at least 8 elite Kenyan runners including one female. I got a rare chance to talk to Liza Hunter Galvan who chose this race over the White Rock Marathon. Liza has won the San Antonio marathon 4 times and is currently coming off a personal best 2:30 marathon performance in Amsterdam.

Race start was possibly 7:40 but that was Mexican time. Actual start was perhaps 8:10. The field was much smaller than I expected at 200 or so entrants. The gun start and onto a tour of Nuevo Laredo. Wow! what a great job of guarding intersections. There had to be 100-200 police stationed along the race route. There was never a question of safety of the runners. Some police were very friendly to me following by bike, car or motorcycle beside me offering encouragement and probably impressed there was gray haired America who had entered and could run.

Actually my hip hurt and bothered me a bit. It hurt no matter what speed I ran so I just tried to forget it and concentrate on running down the guy ahead. Several that I would finally catch would start walking just as I was about to pass. That’s no fun!

The race course was well marked with white paint but I still liked to see runners ahead. The kilometers seemed to go fast. The aid station people were numerous offering half liter bottles of water cold but not at freezing. Sometimes they even opened the bottle - when you get tired even opening a bottle- not so easy.

Fast and flat course. Finished at 2:01:46 which is about me usual performance. No excuse but it was hot and humid, my hip hurt, I raced 40k the week before. Sorry I can’t think of any other excuse but I can work on it. The finisher metal was beautiful and a lady helped me walk to the post race food pickup. I must have looked worse than I felt.

The Kenyans hauled away over 70 thousand peso’s ($7000 American). Not a bad pay day - $2000 each for first place overall male and female. Liza broke their hold on major prize money with $1500 for her 2nd place overall female performance. Actually prize money extended to three deep in multiple age groups.

The trophies were really nice - a different look. I dreamed that I might get one but had low expectations as the age groups seemed to end at 50 and up. Racing in Mexico is hard on most ego’s - even in my age group there are some real runners who whip up on me.

I wanted to return to Laredo ASAP to avoid the bridge crossing mess. I must have looked really out of place, the American in racing shorts, complete with race number, finisher metal, red shoes, etc. Streets were just coming alive and the return across the bridge was uneventful. Biggest problem was carrying a case of beer and a bottle of Kahlua across the bridge to the car. I was tired and my load of beverage was heavy.

Arrived home to get a phone call from Ricky Garza who had offered to pickup my trophy just in case. My surprise to find I got 3rd place and 500 peso’s prize money. Ricky converted to $45 American money and promised to mail the trophy and money. What a race! What a friend!

It was the primer edition of this half marathon in Nuevo Laredo - purpose to bring Nuevo Laredo on the map with national and international half marathons. With $14000 American in prize money, unsurpassed road safety and first class race staff. How can it miss. Be sure to add it to your race calender next year.

See you at the RACES