Becerra won the Manzano Histórico trail running race.

The first edition of the Rotary trail running in the This Saturday, Manzano Histórico brought together more than 150 runners on a challenging course. With two categories, 15 kilometers and 5 kilometers, the event brought together athletes from different parts of the province.

The competition, organized by the Rotary Club of Tunuyán El Portillo, was intended to raise funds and raise awareness of its youth exchange programs. The initiative included support from the families of the exchange students and logistical support—including facilities, medals, and prizes—from the Municipality of Tunuyán.

“ This race was born from a proposal from the parents of the exchange students ,” explained Adriana Cerini, Rotary president for the 2025-2026 term. “The idea was to do something that would unite the community and support our programs. Rotary works to develop social leaders, and we believe these young people will be the decision-makers of the future. That's why we support them with training, experiences, and also with activities like this one.”

One of the driving forces was María Milagros Pozzi, mother of one of the students who will soon travel to Europe. “I proposed a race as a way to help raise funds for Rotary. I didn't imagine the level of organization it would require, but we all divided up tasks. It turned out very well,” she said.

The organizers are already thinking about repeating the event next year. Meanwhile, the young people on the exchange program are preparing for their next destinations: one student will depart next week, six others will arrive in August, and a Swiss student who is completing his experience in Mendoza will arrive in July.

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The 15K race started at 10:15 a.m. from the center of the Historic Apple Tree, practically at the foot of the Return to the Homeland Monument. Under partly cloudy skies and a thermometer reading just a few degrees, the athletes headed west along Provincial Route 94 to the summit of San Pedro Hill, at 2,200 meters above sea level. They then began their descent through the Pampa del Durazno, marking the start of their return to the starting point.

The first to cross the finish line was Carlos Becerra from Malargüino, followed by Danilo Brito from Tupungato and Gustavo Galeano of the Victory Trail team. “It was an invitation that arrived two days ago. I'm training for a race in Córdoba, and this served as preparation,” Becerra said. “The course is quite challenging, with steep altitude and cold weather. I took a moment at the summit to look at the mountain range, because it's something you can't miss,” he concluded.

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Among the women, Ana Paula Báez of the EMPower group led the podium . Melina Horn took second place, and Antonella Partucci finished third. “I returned to competing after a long time. The girls I put on the podium with shared a lot of the course, even helping each other when one fell. That's what trail running is all about: the concern for each other, the camaraderie. It was beautiful,” Báez said.

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The 5-kilometer race, which took place entirely on Provincial Route 94, also had its competitive moments. In the men's category, Eric Zeoboddo led the podium, followed by Santiago Bazán and Darío Carmona.

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In the women's event, the winner was Laura Mamaní, who confirmed, "It was a beautiful race. It's been a long time since I've been here. I'm 52 years old and I want to encourage everyone to join the sport. There's no age for this." Second place went to Ángela Romero, while third place went to Rosa Sandoval.

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