Patagonian International Marathon
Racing at the end of the world
Anne-Marie Dunhill / 04.10.2013
A low lying mist quickly dissipated as the sun rose on Saturday for the start of the four distances of the 2013 Patagonian International Marathon. Of the 740 racers registered, 645 were present to take part in one of the four distances.
At the set time of 06:40, all journalists were present in the hotel Rio Serrano lobby after gulping down a quick breakfast. However something had obviously been lost in translation as the driver was in the restaurant starting on his first cup of coffee, tucked safely behind a pillar. The late start meant that the international press was not present at the start of the 63k ultra. Rumor has it that it was a stunning start with the Glacier Grey in the background and icebergs on the lake that the glacier merges into. Indeed, Krissy Moehl said afterwards that it was the most beautiful race start she had ever experienced.
The twelve members of the press caught up with the runners further along the race route after galloping like a herd of scared, stampeding elephants over a wooden bridge meant for six. A lead group had already formed, consisting of five runners that included Billy Barnett, Yassine Diboun and Ryan Sandes. They would race closely together for the next twenty-one kilometers on the gravel road that wound through the Torres del Paine national Park. The pace was fast and the running style fluid.
Yassine Diboun had mentioned in a pre-race interview that he hoped to finish strongly as he had had to withdraw from another international marathon due to health issues. A finish here would be his first on the international scene. Krissy Moehl took an early lead over her closest competitor, Veronica Bravo.
After following the leaders on the 63k, it was on to the start of the 42k marathon. Portable loos had been set up throughout the race route and the lines were long as nervous racers prepared for the start. One main feature of the race is its’ emphasis on conservation and this extended to the aid stations. No plastic cups were available and each racer was expected to provide their own cup or camelbak to re-fill on water. At the start of the marathon a group of five racers from Atlanta, Georgia U.S.A chatted excitedly about the race ahead as they stretched. This would be the first ever marathon for three of the group.
Several ambassadors who were also covering the event were dropped off from the press van at the 42k race start; Trent Morrow was one of them. An Australian from Bondi Beach Trent is attempting to make the Guinness World Record for the most marathons run in a calendar year. He had flown sixty hours from the Cape Town Marathon in South Africa to race in the Patagonian International Marathon and would be flying out the next day to race a marathon in San Francisco. He quickly changed in the van into his spandex Superman suit, complete with a shiny red cape, an outfit he runs all of his marathons in. This race would be his 106th marathon this year.
Although the race website warned that strong winds could be expected, the weather was perfect; crystal blue skies, a chilly nip in the air and only a slight breeze. Travelling to the race start Drew Weiman, the American intern working on the race, had pointed out the spot in the Torres del Paine National Park where he had literally been blown off his bike so it is obvious that the winds here are no joking matter and their absence was a boon to all of the runners.
The leading men on the 63k raced passed the start of the marathon to the hearty cheers of all of the runners waiting to start and then race director Stjepan Pavicic sounded the start for the marathon and ninety-seven racers were off.
The press then drove through majestic scenery on the gravel track to the start of the 21k, leaping out of the van along the way to take shots of different runners, around each bend vistas more breathtaking then the last. With two hundred and sixty racers the 21k distance was by far the most popular.
At the start of the 21k there was a collective Zumba class as a race warm up; a surreal sight to see, two hundred and forty-one racers hoping up and down more or less in rhythm to pulsing music.
As the race route was a narrow gravel road, the press vans were asked to wait until the last race had started before proceeding to the finish line. After the debacle of the race start for the 63k this posed a serious problem…would we make it to the finish line in time?
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