Patagonian International Marathon - saving Patagonia one tree at a time
Pete Clayden / 14.09.2012
The inaugural PATAGONIAN INTERNATIONAL MARATHON, which will take place on 23rd September and is organised by NIGSA of PATAGONIAN EXPEDITION RACE fame, will not only give an international field of runners the chance to be the first to race on foot through the world famous Torres del Paine national park, but also through their partnership with the Reforestemos Patagonia initiative, give them the opportunity to contribute directly to undoing the damage caused by the catastrophic 2011 widlfire in the parks western sector. Using a simple online system, anyone can plant a tree in a virtual forest at very little cost, and which actually once planted will be geo-tagged so you can enjoy the same view as your tree.
Runners from over 15 countries will follow a route well known, but in reverse, to teams who were at the 2011 Patagonian Expedition Race, for whom this was the opening bike stage of the race. Almost a full field of runners have registered for the event, which also includes a half-marathon and 10k race, including current Chilean marathon record holder Omar Aguilar, Belgium's famous 'Marathon Man', Stefaan Engels, who was the first man to run 365 marathons in 365 days, and Chile's own multi-marathon runner, Mattias Anguita, who ran 40 marathons consecutively around the streets of Santiago specifically to raise awareness and money for the Reforestemos Patagonia project.
For race organisers NIGSA, the new event, and especially the partnership with Reforestemos Patagonia has a very easy symbiosis with their other conservation work, particularly the Huemul Conservation Project, which funds and enables research into the the elusive Huemul, also called the Andean deer. Numbers throughout the Andes are believed to be below 2000, and it's on the verge of the classic extinction spiral, with reduced habitat and increasingly isolated breeding groups.
At a recent press conference in Santiago, race organiser Stjepan Pavicic said 'We believe this is a unique opportunity, not only to drive forward conservation efforts in Patagonia, but also to inspire people to change the way they see themselves and the world around them’
If you'd like to know more about running in Patagonia, go to www.patagonianinternationalmarathon.com, to find out how to plant a tree, go to www.reforestemospatagonia.com
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