Mexico ultramarathon pits outsiders, legendary Indigenous runners

URIQUE: Hundreds of amateur athletes set off at dawn on Sunday (Mar 5) for an ultramarathon through a sun-bleached canyon in northwestern Mexico, hoping to take their measure against legendary Indigenous runners in one of the world's most challenging distance events.

The 20th Caballo Blanco Ultramarathon started in the village of Urique in Chihuahua state, with races over distances of 80, 40 or 21 kilometres through the rugged canyons of the Sierra Tarahumara.

The event has a festive ambiance, but it gives runners from elsewhere in Mexico and from other countries - mainly the United States - a chance to compete against the world-famous distance runners of the Indigenous Raramuri or Tarahumara people.

Living along the edges of Mexico's deepest canyon - it reaches down 1,800 metres - they have developed extraordinary cardiovascular systems, making them "the modern Spartans", as one cardiologist described them.

"It's much more than a race. Its spirit is all about sharing, about exchanges between cultures," said Fabio Meraz, a tourism official in the canyon village of Urique.

Festivities began there on Saturday, with children's races under a blazing sun.

The Raramuris ("lightfooted ones," in their language) often run in simple sandals, known as huaraches, made of discarded car tires.

The women run in brightly coloured dresses, while the men wear loose-fitting white shorts.

Their endurance is legendary, and they often seem to fly effortlessly past runners shod in far more sophisticated shoes.

"I'm used to these huaraches," said one Raramuri participant, Irma Chavez. She said her feet aren't accustomed to more expensive shoes.

The ultramarathon has a social function, as intended by its Mexican and American sponsors. Participants from