LAST MINUTE IMPORTANT DETAILS I went by the Instituto Municipal del Deporte, Benito Juarez, this AM to get last minute details regarding the races on Saturday. Runners must pick up their "kits" (which will include a device to measure their time and distance electronically, as I understand it) on Friday, December 4, between the hours of 10 AM and 8 PM, at the Hotel Gran Caribe Real, at KM 11.5, in the hotel zone, Cancun.
Excitement is building for this big event. It was a zoo this afternoon at race H.Q, in the Hotel Gran Caribe Real, as competitors arrived to pick up their race kits. I noticed on the race board there were entrants from France, U.K., Canada, U.S., and Italy, among others. The estimate was that there would be close to two thousand runners competing tomorrow! The races kick off at 4 PM, with the start-finish line the same for all distances, marathon, half marathon and 5K, at the "asta bandera", the big Mexican flag, in the hotel zone. Late registration is possible tonight till 9 PM, and tomorrow until 12 noon, at the Hotel Gran Caribe Real, KM 11.5. Each runner will be equipped with an electronic device to register his time and distance, so your position at the start, for example, will not work against you: it also will verify that you ran the entire course, as there will be check points you must cross for each distance. The weather promises to be good, and the Corona Beer Distributor is ready with cold beer for the "seconds" to the runners. [There will be road closures, and normal bus service to the H.Z., will cease after 1 PM, I was told, with the buses taking the long route past the airport to get into the H.Z.]
Which way are they running V? towards downtown or away from? We have one of our Isla Mujeres booze cruises tomorrow and will need to get 30+ people back to their hotel from Playa Tortugas about 5:30, and get home ourselves with our car from Tortugas car park.
Steve, the runners will start at the asta bandera, and head south, toward Playa Nizuc. I don't know the details on how they plan to handle any closures, but the least closure required would be from about KM 4 on down to Playa Nizuc, one side of the road. (That's my thoughts about what they are likely to do- not what I've learned, or been told, which only related to the operation of the buses.) At 5:30, the 5K runners will be off the course, and the marathoners will still be in the south; the half marathoners will be heading back towards the start.
ROAD CLOSURE/BUS ROUTE CHANGES It's now 5:40 PM, the 5K runners are off the course, and the half marathoners are finishing their day of racing. The marathoners are just rounding their half way point, at Playa Nizuc, with night setting in on their long journey. This already has been a great day of racing, with something in the neighborhood of 1,400 registered for the marathon and half marathon; and, another several hundred running in the 5K. I'll let you know some of the top times, men and women, later. [What happened today in some respects was as I expected: they did, indeed, close just one side of the road, in and out of the H.Z.; but, the buses did not stop running, or change routes, as I had been told they would.]
"OUR" RESULTS Did anybody else who reads this forum participate? Our little "team" of three finished in 30:20; 32.20, and 37.28. You can guess who was slowest.... It was, as usual of an event like this sponsored by the city, amazing in many ways: free services were provided the runners- water distributed along the route, as the runners passed, and at the finish line; fresh, sliced oranges and bananas; and, most amazing to me, a crew of about 30 ready to give free massage to any runners who wanted it, before or after the races! (Many took advantage.) In addition, several units of Cruz Roja stood by; and, a team from AmeriMed Hospital, including physicians, was ready to attend any who needed it. (None did, that I saw.) There were participants in wheelchairs, some rolling themselves, others being rolled by sturdy runners who pushed them: I was passed by several of these! Mothers and fathers with babies in carriages ran the 5K, as well. Fun for the participants, fun for the friends, family, and other spectators who just watched, these are great events, and something you should consider trying next time one of these comes along. Set your own pace, running or walking. You'll get a nice hand at the end, just for being there! I did (oddly, it felt good, even if just a little embarrassing!).
FINAL RESLUTS Well, the results are in, and they're pretty amazing! First place, overall, in the Marathon (42K) was a Kenyan, with a time of 2:25.06, Peter Omae Ayieni. The first place women's finisher was Sara Cedillo Sanchez, from Mexico, with a time of 3:02:44. In the half marathon, first place was claimed by another Kenyan, George Kirwa Misoi, with a time of 1:06:51: first place, women, was yet another Kenyan (give them an inch...!) Philles Nyansiaboka Moriti, with a time of 1:18.06. In the 5K, first place was claimed by "V" (but in that he didn't actually finish first, he wasn't awarded the prize). Finishing first in the 5K was Jhovany Hernandez Juarez, of Quintana Roo, with a smokin' time of 15:31; first among women was Elizabeth Romero Gonzales, also of Quintana Roo, with a time of 19:13- three quarters of a minute slower than her time on the 22nd of November, in the Cancun Business Women's 5K, but still a good time, and good enough to win by almost three minutes!
Not perfect: We made plans with the Captain to drop everyone at a dock close to the hotel instead. Unfortunately, Temptation refuse to allow this company to disembark at the hotels dock and have also cajoled neighbouring hotels into acting likewise. (The company we use were once partners with Temptation but there was an acrimonius split a couple of years back). As a result we ended up docking farther away than I thought (by Playa las Perlas) and people had to walk further down the beach back to the hotel than I envisaged. No one seemed to mind too much though, just me. Our car was at Tortugas and we didnt have a problem getting there via taxi to retrieve it and getting back home. Traffic was slow due to only one carriageway but it wasnt too inconvenient.
