Who does not have engraved in their memory the wonderful landscapes that survived Matt Damon in the film “Mars”? Who remembers watching swell to almost burst Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Total Recall”? Who did not imagine having the possibility of traveling to the Red planet after seeing those great works of cinema? And run there? For years, the human being has had the idea set on Mars and seeks to explore it as a possible option for life in the future. But why wait so long to meet him? In case you missed it, I didn’t just run in the “Valley of Mars” but also there I did my first podium: 2nd in my category.
running on mars
As part of the celebrations for the 122nd anniversary of the city of Commodore Rivadavia the first edition of Commodore Ultra Traila mountain race organized by TMX Team that promises to be affirmed in the calendar. It had the support of the Tourism Board of the city of Chubut and was held in the wonderful and magical Rocas Coloradas Protected Natural Areaan area of natural formations in terracotta, ocher, white and yellow colors that give the sensation of being in Mars. Without going any further, the area where the “Laguna Colorada” is located was called “Valley of Mars”.
Those of us who have run there had the chance to experience those landscapes from a unique place that few can access. Perhaps more than one wonders if that is not dangerous for the place. “You don’t take care of what you don’t know”affirms in each interview that they conducted with him edward carrascoowner of Tourism Agency of Comodoro Rivadavia. And it is so. The most important goal is that all Argentines know a natural wonder that was kept hidden for centuries. And what better way to get to know it than with an event organized by an organization that organized a circuit along the already existing paths and that put all its resources into showing the area but also taking maximum care of it so that it does not suffer any damage. This is worth running. Because we have to enjoy nature and also take care of it.
Why run Comodoro Ultra Trail?
Comodoro Ultra Trail proposes a completely different challenge to which Trail runners are used to, since it combines beaches with sandy and soft terrain, with steep climbs and loose soil, fast and very technical descents and flat and paths with little unevenness in which you can progress very quickly. But that yes, all the time you have to be attentive to the terrain, since the stones and wells can take you out of the race much more easily than you think.
This competition It is ideal to test all runners and runners right at the beginning of the calendar year, which also closes with a beautiful climb of 576 masl until reaching the summit of Pico Salamanca. After crossing very steep climbs, sandbanks that force you to climb on all 4 legs and a wind that doubles the difficulty of the ascent. But when you reach the summit it offers an incredible panoramic view in which it is framed to the west by a mountain range and to the east by a turquoise sea where whales and sea lions are often sighted. A true and complete sports tourism program.
to the podium
There is no better gift than feeling and experiencing personal growth and improvement. And even more so when a person started running as a way to satisfy the anxiety generated by the quit smoking after spending more than 20 years consuming a pack of cigarettes a day. And especially when at 47 years one sees that in just 5 years I already managed to run 3 ultras: 2 Patagonia Run of 110K and a Brut Bariloche of 50K.
So I got to Commodore Rivadaviawith that background but with the idea of taking care of myself and having a very calm race since the previous weekend I had spent 4 days in the mountains (adding kilometers and several thousand meters of positive difference in altitude), in San Martin de los Andestouring the new circuits of Patagonia Run 2023. For this reason, I started calmly until the first descents where I accelerated and began to pass runners.
When I got to the descent from the beach, I knew that there were no more than 25 or 30 runners in front of me and that few of those were in my category, so I decided to keep up while I could. And I could much more than I thought. So much so that when I crossed the arch I found out that, without wanting it, I had achieved my first podium: I had finished second in my category. What encouraged me to continue working hard to face what will be my biggest challenge in 2023: the 100 miles of Patagonia Run. So there is no doubt, Comodoto Ultra Trail is one of those races that are here to stay. And that you have to run.
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