It can not be true. It will be an optical illusion. Pure imagination. A hallucination generated by the desire for it to just happen.
How else to understand so much beauty?
How can we explain this work of art that nature offers with no more in return than the respect for observing it, traveling through it, embracing it and loving it?
What planet did you come from, cosmic kite?
The gift is offered meekly and beautifully to all the intrepid people who on Wednesday, April 3, went out to run the 21 kilometers of
Patagonia Run
, that
trail
festival that will celebrate its 15 years in 2025. The slopes and forest of Cerro Chapelco were suddenly Narnia, but without having entered through any closet. Hours and hours walking, jogging and running under and on the snow.
A white party of pure happiness.
Unmatched.
Where last year it was all green grass, there was now a pristine snowy carpet. And the fans transformed it into a second or third trip for graduates. Three kilometers from the start from the base, the adrenaline was still
full
in the middle of the climb. Some had dodged the first puddle of mud as if they didn't know that what awaited them was a brown and white mess until the end. But then...wham! The first blow to the heart.
A mall converted into the world headquarters of joy.
Everyone who arrived abandoned the marked path and plunged headlong into the snow.
Selfies
everywhere. Some jumped to pose in the air on the white mantle. Others directly
knelt and thanked the sky
. There were those who faced
a snowball fight
. A man abandoned everything, placed his cell phone on a log and started dancing to TikTok challenges in a live video call with his family.
It was a lack of control of supine happiness.
All in the middle of the legendary race organized by TMX Team and NQN Events in that aphrodisiac precious stone of Neuquén called San Martín de los Andes.
Patagonia Run 2024: all the photos of one of the most important adventure races in Latin America
If Lucy, Edmund, Susan and Peter discovered snowy Narnia by entering a magical wardrobe, here and now hundreds of men and women discovered that what to mere mortals may seem like a natural obstacle is above all
an opportunity to enjoy the joy of running in nature
. If this is madness, it is more than welcome...
The most trite and cheesy phrases on earth were heard, but in that context they made sense. “Long live the country!” he shouted in the middle of the walk. “Long live!” they replied. “What did we come for? For this”, was another slogan. “There is only one life,” he heard himself. And from so much snow they saw, a couple advanced like Héctor Alterio in the nineties “Wild Horses” with the mythical
“The whore who is worth being alive
. ”
Never in his life has this amateur runner spent so much time in the snow. Under his feet and over his head. Images to remember forever. Unforgettable sensations.
Learned lessons.
He noticed it at the first aid station, where he greeted an acquaintance without knowing that he was one of the cameramen of the historic official
streaming
that showed the seven distances of the Patagonia Run during the four days of the most important
trail
and
ultra trail
festival in America. Latina.
That respect for the runner is a priority in the Patagonia Run organization had been clear from the start when they warned that the weather would be harsh due to cold and humidity/rain/snow, so they asked to use appropriate footwear and clothing. And
the vast majority paid attention
, which speaks of
a maturity to applaud
. No one complained about the last-minute decision to cancel the climb to the edge of Chapelco. They would understand it by climbing up and seeing what that was like up there.
“I'm not going up,” a woman said to her companion when she saw the little ants with sticks going towards the white wind. “Come on, fat girl, it's the last climb and then we're going down,” the man tried to convince her, with a little white lie through her. “You go calmly, step by step, little by little,” added a woman. “Give him that this is ten centimeters.
Always moving forward
,” the narrator said.
And they went up.
It was impressive. The canes and feet advanced slowly with the body bent and
the natural Patagonian force mercilessly hitting
the silhouettes. Here no one took out their cell phone to photograph the moment, under penalty of freezing. Stupid, no. Walking below zero was not the issue; The issue was the thin snow that
stabbed like a dagger from all sides
. On the way up, from the right. On the straight, from behind and soon from the left. This is the white wind. Running could end in a
spicy
skid . The rescuers in red came and went, guiding and advising. Everything is extraordinary.
The few who went up in shorts or shorts understood the reason for the organizers' recommendation. And everyone already knows if the jacket they wore is really windproof or waterproof. And if the hood worked to cover the face. It is part of the runner's responsibility.
The truth is that upon arriving at the Pradera del Puma supply station, no one was talking about anything else, while hot broths and coffees circulated, and drinks were replenished in personal portable glasses.
No bottles to raise awareness that garbage destroys nature.
The tray of quince squares was more anticipated than a strip of roast. Pure glucose. Good moment to know that they were two hours into the journey and there were 12 more kilometers of amazement left. Suddenly, a woman's voice was heard nearby: “I am blessed to be here, love. I love you".
On the verge of emotional breakdown, the short lady sent those words in a voice message. She approached an incipient fifty-year-old with a good
handicap
and said: “
Look, in 2019 they opened me in the middle and made me three
by passes
.
All hereditary. And here I am". Then the woman cheered up and said: “
I had pulmonary thrombosis.
That's why I'm blessed to be here."
At that point, the witness in the front row was trying hard to keep his vision from blurring and closed the mini-dialogue with an invitation: “How can you not be blessed to be here?” She look what this is. Let's go together because there is much more to enjoy.” And the three of them left.
The adventure would continue with more natural surprises. If the funnels are never nice to endure in a race, because there are those who get nervous from waiting standing and, like shoulders at Easter towards the Coast, they pass where they should not pass, they are less pleasant in the open air, with temperatures below zero and desire to continue. But there is no evil that does not come with good.
It is the time to understand that each one had to go through the moment of learning how to face a descent, how to position their poles and their feet so as not to skid on the muddy chocolate, how to face vertigo or fear. If the lady in front feels more comfortable doing
a backbend
instead of getting down on two legs, she will
bench
it .
After all, running in the mountains implies respect for codes that are not seen on the street.
Nobody watches the clock or the rhythm here. Empathy and solidarity with those who feel bad is a priority. It helps you if you are short of fluid or if you are looking for something in your backpack. He advises it.
You are encouraged to continue.
It makes him laugh. He is pampered. And in case of force majeure, the ball is passed until a rescuer finds out, finds it and defines what to do. It should be easy to understand.
If
Guns N' Roses ' “Appetite for Destruction” and
Metallica
's black album
had been ideal engines for the beginning, the triumphant debut of
Los Raviolis
en los ojos was the best possible choice for that slow stretch. The only problem was that the others understood that if they heard laughter behind them it was not because they were laughing at them when going down, when skating, when crossing bridges, when dodging logs or when inventing acrobatics by holding on to the ropes arranged along the route.
It was the fault of the brilliant lyrics of “Hoy no la sitter com,” “Golden Passport,” “The Hamster,” “Close Contact,” the legendary “Why didn't I send you to the late shift,” “You never like it,” “Diffuse limits” and the already hilarious “Macho supplier”, “Neoliberal baby” and “Progressive daddy”. That you can't listen to music running in the mountains because you miss the atmosphere? Hahaha...
The Patagonian forest is magical and has its own microclimate.
Little is said. Introspection rules. The brain is filled with questions. Those who run long distances at night have told the most varied anecdotes: from hearing footsteps behind them when no one is following them (or are they?) to seeing points of light looking at them and even a figure similar to a “white nun.” Just in case, no one contradicts them. It's not going to be something that's true.
Of course, everyone wants to return.
Even more so after what we have seen this year.
It can not be true. It will be an optical illusion. Pure imagination.
This is serious Narnia.
Snow everywhere. In every leaf of every branch of every species of every tree. The spectacle is indescribable. White everywhere. And the festival is complete when a gust of wind shakes the tops and snow missiles fall near the bodies or literally explode on the covered heads of the runners. A blessing from nature to those who decided to visit it on this Wednesday in April.
Las Pelotas
and
Ana Prada
accompany the ears to enhance the magic potion. We will have to be careful on the descent of the Panamericana track and nail the
guampas
to the rhythm of Callejeros. And the final stretch will be with
Miley Cyrus
singing the chorus of
“The Climb”
:
“There will always be another mountain / I'm always going to want to make it move / It's always going to be an uphill battle / Sometimes I'm going to have to lose / No It's about how fast it comes / It's not about what's waiting on the other side / It's the climb
.
The medal crowned the ninth personal edition of the Patagonia Run. The adventure of running in Narnia. The delicious pleasure of walking and jogging in search of Snow White, the seven dwarfs and even Walt Disney himself. Fantastic literature in the form of
a trail
, with nature as fuel so that the emotion does not fade yet and you already think about returning.
Because it is always nice to return to where you were happy and loved life.
The owners of smiles
Each of the runners from 32 countries registered in one of the seven distances of the 14th edition of
Patagonia Run Mountain Hardwear by TotalEnergies
participated for their own reason: for a goal, as a challenge or with a personal mission that only they know. But, of course, there were winners in each category and they are broken down here.
Sergio Pereyra
from Neuquén
had to push harder than necessary to win again in the
100 miles
with a time of 20 hours, 25 minutes and 46 seconds. He was escorted by the Spanish Cristofer Clemente (20h31m14) and the Uruguayan Maxi Vázquez (20h42m46).
Among the ladies, the legendary
Verónica “Pitu” Ramírez
from Esquel celebrated with a time of 26h01m02, followed by María Eugenia Gabrielli from Mendoza (26h25m33) and Magdalena Aristi, from Bragado (26h32m07).
In the
110 kilometers
,
Luis Epele
from Chubut crossed the finish line in 14h08m15, escorted at a great distance by Carlos Bergesi from Comodoro 14h52m30 and Claudio Nahuelquin from Bariloche (15h12m06). Among the women, the Chilean
Graciela Clavijo
won (17h51m37), while the British Matilda Staffor Allen and María Silvina Bruno, from General Pico, arrived together in 18h46m57.
In the
70 kilometers
, the test went to the Belarusian
Uladzimir Yakubouski
after 7h42m03, escorted by the Neuquén Rafael Morales (8h05m28) and Esteban Albornoz (8h35m34). While among the ladies, the podium was made up of
Tania Díaz Slater
(9h43m53), Bianca Domínguez (10h02m59) and Yennifer Castro (10h25m29).
The 42 kilometers were in the hands of
Joaquín Narváez from Catamarca in 3h22m33 and
Roxana Flores
from Zapalina
(4h16m36). The men's podium was completed by Hugo Rodríguez from Esquel (3h35m25) and Ignacio Reyes, from Allen (3h42m31), while the women's podium was made up of Florencia Iuorno from Neuquén (4h37m29) and Ruth Irene Oñate Guerrero, from Bariloche (4h43m49).
In the
21 kilometers
,
Javier Carriqueo
was the fastest. The two-time Olympian crossed the finish line in 1h41m16, followed by Ulises Toledo (Neuquén) with 1h41m27 and Darío “Lalo” Ríos from Esquel with 1h46m27. Among the ladies,
Fernanda Martínez
from San Manuel , for the third consecutive time, took the distance in 2h07m05, she was escorted by the Brazilian Carolina Souza (2h25m41) and Vanesa Denmark from Neuquén (2h26m57).
The
10 kilometers
were in the hands of Zapalino
Julián Acuña
(45m43), followed by Gabriel Muñoz Soto (Plottier), with 46m29, and by Tomás Márquez (Junín de los Andes), with 47m59. The women's podium was made up of
Andrea Piñeyro
(CABA), with 1h01m47, Mía Borrajo (San Martín de los Andes) with 1h03m08 and Romina Álvarez (San Martín de los Andes) with 1h04m30.
With a time of 26m27,
Gabriel Muñoz Soto
, from Plottier, was the winner of the
PR Vertical Race
. He was escorted by Diego Rebolledo (Zapala), with 27m24, and Jeremías Abba (Rosario), with 28m00. While among the ladies the podium was made up of
Natalia Cosatto
(Córdoba), with 35m55, Karen Benedetti (CABA) with 37m35 and Bárbara Burgoa (Zapala) with 37m45.
The economic impact and magic of Lanín National Park
A sporting event is not only that. Let the people of San Martin say it, who every year see how their place in the world changes during the week of Patagonia Run Mountain Hardwear by TotalEnergies, which employs around 600 people and is part of the Spartan Trail circuit.
The race generates an unparalleled economic, marketing, social, aspirational and tourist impact in this city-town or town-city, with crowded hotels and cabins, shopping in businesses and consumption of quality local gastronomy. Not to mention the Expo with sports products that sold like hotcakes: from sticks and shoes to clothing and special gels.
"We are clear that Patagonia Run
generates an impact of 10 million dollars
in San Martín de los Andes. Between runners and companions, there are between 10 and 12 thousand people who stay here for 4 or 5 days. And that money is not enough only to the upper layer but rather it is distributed,"
Mariano Álvarez, one of the organizers along with Gabriela Azcárate and Sergio Ochoa,
responded to
Clarín .
From the municipality they have everything well studied and that is why they accompany hand in hand with this event that began in 2010 and that in 2025 will have what promises to be an impressive 15th party.
"According to the surveys we conducted last year, we calculated that each person who came to Patagonia Run had an average stay of five nights and spent
$221.64 a day
. It is very important because it contributes to job creation: in San Martín de In the Andes, 72 percent of registered employment is generated by tourism," said Alejandro Apaolaza, Secretary of Tourism of the municipality.
"Events like this multiply promotion in the country and in the world, which we see in the tourist fairs we attend, in addition to promoting sports, health and good customs," he added.
One of the keys to this race is that a large part of its seven distances are run in some of the 412 thousand hectares of the beautiful Lanín National Park. That's why awareness about caring for nature. And that is why the mobilization of Park workers for
the dismissal of five essential workers
as part of the reduction in state employment carried out by the National Government
touched very closely .
"The National Parks Administration has 55 protected areas of 18 million hectares, between maritime and land surface. El Lanín is a very complex Park with three administrative headquarters in Junín de los Andes, San Martín de los Andes and Aluminé. We conserve flora and fauna that cannot be seen in other places and we were starting with the project to introduce the huemul,"
delegate María Virginia Gallardo told
Clarín .
"The Parks have been left very vulnerable with these layoffs. So it is impossible to think about security, about guaranteeing the protection of common environmental goods and about the prestige of 120 years of conservation.
There is no one left in the Parks
," he added.
The intrinsic relationship of the Patagonia Run with the Lanín National Park was evident because Gallardo spoke before the start of the 100 miles and at the awarding of the categories, and was applauded by the runners and their families. The reasons are obvious and she explained them clearly: "These types of events are not held in the Park just for the sake of it. It is a natural setting that we have been able to protect and we guarantee environmental quality and safety for the runners.
The National Parks are of all Argentines
."