Rarámuri at the Mexico City Half Marathon: endurance and tradition at their feet

MEXICO CITY ( Proceso ).– Alicia, Aristeo, José, Julián, Mayra and Silvino are the six Rarámuri who will run 21 kilometers along with 30,000 other people tomorrow, Sunday, in the Mexico City Half Marathon.

This year, a new generation of runners, led by Silvino Cubesare and Mayra González, will participate in this edition. Cubesare first ran the Penyagolosa Trails CSP 115 in Castellón, Spain, almost a decade ago. He has long been a main inspiration for the Rarámuri, this indigenous people whose name means "runner's feet."

The region's mountainous terrain has transformed running into a form of survival; by preserving this tradition for centuries, they have become a legion of runners, with victories in international ultramarathons of over 100 kilometers.

“I've been competing for a year. I was invited to the 110-kilometer international event in California. This Saturday I ran 63 kilometers and the next day 21. I was going to run 100 kilometers, but they wouldn't let me because I'm going to Canada in August and they don't want me to get injured. In fact, we're competing this Sunday, and the following Saturday, back here, I'm going to run 50 kilometers,” Mayra González, a 29-year-old Rarámuri, said in an interview.

Many Rarámuri have become athletes and worthy representatives of their culture. “Being here representing my community makes me feel very excited,” added Mayra, who has placed first, second, and third in various competitions.

This sport is not only perceived as a competitive act, but also as a source of liberation and entertainment. “Running feels good because of the adrenaline rush, because my worries disappear, I feel free and at peace,” says José Eliezer, a 22-year-old runner.

A wooden ball

The Rarámuri grow up playing traditional games related to this activity, such as the “rarajípari” or ball game, in which men throw a small wooden ball, called “comacali.”

The dynamic consists of throwing the ball with bare feet while running distances of up to 250 kilometers, which can last two consecutive days, in one-on-one or team competitions, to get the wooden ball across the finish line.

The ball race or rarajípari was recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2000.

"We've raced one day and one night, or even for a while another day, but it depends on the bet. It's two teams that have to race, with two wooden balls," said Silvino Cubesare, a 48-year-old Rarámuri who began racing at the age of five.

Cubesare grew up with traditional games and that's where he discovered his talent:

“We like to run and treat it like a traditional game. Before, there weren't any other games, so we played with a little ball, kicking it around. It's a very old game. But we keep growing and playing like this.”

"That's where they discovered me, and they came looking for me to compete in a 100-kilometer ultra race, just like that, without any idea." His first race was in Chihuahua, and in his 30 years of running, he's represented Mexico in various international competitions:

“I've been to Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Portugal, Japan, Austria, France... I don't remember more, but I do.”

The Raramuri, in addition to displaying their athletic prowess, do so dressed in their traditional costumes, which has generated admiration from the global sports community.

More experienced runners, like Silvino, know that running on the street has its own challenges, especially with traditional attire. “The first is that we're not used to running on the street, and even less so with huarache. This huarache is good, but in the mountains. Running on the street requires a lot of training to achieve a good time,” he explains.

The most resistant

Women also participate in traditional games, with the “arihueta or rohueliami,” a race where the Rarámuri throw a wooden hoop to catch it with a stick as they run.

These games are also a space for exchange where their economy circulates, through the chokéames, who act as referees of the races and are responsible for organizing bets, which can include fabrics, skirts, animals, food, or money.

“I've participated in the Arihueta race. The community starts by placing bets, with dresses or money. When those of us who are going to run start, it's just one person who runs, or sometimes it's a team, and they set the laps. There, they don't run by kilometers, they run laps over long distances,” explained Alicia Sánchez, a 25-year-old runner.

In the Rarámuri worldview, there are no sociocultural differences between men and women. However, there are notions about masculinity and femininity that have led to the conclusion that women are stronger or more resilient beings in the community due to their ability to conceive.

The six athletes traveled to Mexico City to participate in the Half Marathon with the Rarámuri Legion Foundation, which works along three lines of action: promoting sports and traditional games, combating malnutrition and hunger in the region, and creating productive projects in the communities.

The foundation joined the "Run With a Cause" initiative, which allows runners to register for the BBVA Mexico City Half Marathon or the 2025 Telcel Mexico City Marathon with a substantial cash contribution, 50% of which is donated directly to a non-profit organization.

“With the foundation, we're raising funds to support more young Rarámuri to come and participate, more athletes to come and explore and go to other places, like me, who's coming here for the first time now.

"I want other kids to also have the joy of being able to be in another state," Alicia says, "and support the Rarámuri community with food, with whatever."

The Rarámuri Legion Foundation works with four communities in the municipalities of Guachochi and Batopilas, in the Sierra Tarahumara. According to the 2020 Coneval poverty measurement, the region has the highest rates of social backwardness and extreme poverty in Mexico.

“Many people don't eat well, and that's the problem we're trying to address. We're seeking support as Indigenous people,” shares Aristeo, an 18-year-old runner.

The Raramuri face droughts aggravated by climate change, which are leading to severe cases of malnutrition and disease. This is also accompanied by the dispossession of their natural resources, illegal logging of their forests, and the resulting violence of crime. Despite all this, they maintain a peaceful nature, which has defended their identity.

For me, says Alicia, running means joy, excitement, happiness. Right now I'm excited because this marathon is the first time I've run among so many people, and then here in Mexico City, even more so because we don't know each other.

Silvino comments that he's excited to be able to support younger generations who "don't have much experience, but are already strong." "We're sponsored by the Rarámuri Foundation, to see if we can raise funds for many things: food, for the communities, and to attract more young people who want to participate outside the mountains."