BACKYARD ULTRA LA PARRA 2023 (2nd EDITION) (Article by Marcos Richi de Zavala)
BACKYARD ULTRA LA PARRA SECOND EDITION 2023
This time, the one who went around the most was not the one who won.
Samson Carrasco already said it in “El Ingenioso Hidalgo Don Quijote de la Mancha” when talking about the second part of the book he commented:
“we are in doubt whether it will come out or not, and so because of this as well as because some people say: Never second parts were good.”
On that occasion the bachelor, the protagonist of the scene, was completely wrong and that book, with all its parts, became Universal. We, who try to be restrained in everything we do and say, do not pretend to become universal, but we are sure that we strive tirelessly to make things a little better each time than the previous one. And this time, I think we succeeded.
There have been many hours of work (almost as if you added up the total number of laps of all the runners), meetings, calls, emails, whatsapps, images, videos, suppliers, etc. with the aim that the runners were as comfortable as possible and enjoy the competition without having to worry about anything. Whether we succeeded or not, we leave it to you to evaluate it, but the smiles of each of the runners at the end of their race, gave us enough clues.
Call us crazy, disturbed, alienated or maniacs, but since the Phoenicians invented money there hasn’t been a better way to pay people for their work and this is no different. I know we are cases worthy of psychiatric study, and maybe in the future scientists will study our brains as a unique case of hominids who wanted to earn money by working, but in the meantime, we keep working to see all those exhausted and true smiles, oblivious to the popular wisdom displayed on a white wall.
With one minute left to reach 08:00 on the morning of Saturday, March 11, the last whistle to warn the runners resounded inside the pavilion. Laughter, nerves, comments and above all a lot of desire from all of us who took the start (Yes, I was among you).
The first lap always serves as recognition of the place. Each runner sees where to walk and where he can run according to his own feelings. In the end everyone follows his own strategy equally valid because no one knows better his defects and virtues than oneself.
The weather was fine and only for a few minutes there was a light rain that did not bother anyone. The perfect temperature and some clouds hiding from time to time the sun made us have a wonderful day to run.
And so we did.
You have already seen that Florin, the most acclaimed without a doubt in the bar section, was proclaimed winner of the race with 24 laps assisted by Iago who decided that he had had enough as soon as he started lap 24.
Most of the runners exceeded their maximum distances and those who were running for the first time enjoyed this very special format. There was no need for anyone to tell us, you could see it clearly in the faces of those who finished each lap.
People that the most they had ever run in their lives was 14 km, came to do up to 5 laps, 33.5 km, closer to the marathon than to the half marathon.
If we had to give a medal for courage and enthusiasm, it would undoubtedly go to the most veteran of the race, who over six dozen, managed to run 4 laps, about 27 km.
We were honest and weeks ago we told you that only two fundamental requirements were needed to participate in this type of race: courage and knowing how to smile. Valentina is the example that represents it. She will never win a Backyard Ultra, but no one will ever enjoy a Backyard Ultra like her.
But as you know, this race has a special and unique protagonist. Its people.
I’ll let you in on a little secret that no one knows, but that all of us who did at least one lap will agree with.
We are sorry for Florin, but he was not the real winner of the second edition of the Backyard Ultra La Parra 2023.
Yes, he was the one who did the most laps, but the real title of champion, in this case champion, went to Cristina, a little girl of 4 or 5 years old who waited impatiently for all the runners to pass in front of the door of her house to high-five them and fill them with energy.
I speak for myself, but I think I do it on behalf of all of us who participated, reaching that point was one of the expected references for each of us. We knew that in the part that we ran along the road, when we passed the small playground that we left on our right, we would arrive punctually to our appointment with the palm of Cristina who was waiting with her hand raised when you were still ten meters away.
The face of illusion, her smile and her pat filled us all with the strength we lacked to undertake the last climb to the church. One lap, after another, after another, there was Cristina impatient for all the runners to pass and give them an energetic slap that overflowed the energy reserves.
Upon arriving at the pavilion, the runners also recharged their energy with the line of children at the entrance, which gave more than one of us the necessary strength to continue one more lap. That can only mean one thing: the race is more alive than ever.
There are two types of people in the world, those who build, contribute, work, are excited and hopeful, and look forward, and those who make graffiti. Cristina’s smile made it clear to each and every one of us who bumped into her what kind of person she is at such a young age.
She, and the rest of the children of the town, are the future of this race and we will do everything possible so that someday it will be her who runs through the streets of her town while a five year old girl goes out every lap to the door of her house to greet these heroes.
She, and the rest of the children of the town, are the future of this race and we will do everything possible so that someday she will be the one running through the streets of her town while a five year old girl goes out every lap to the door of her house to greet these heroes.