3rd Annual Half Marathon International Run Sunday
 Bob Cohen - PVNN
| | It was barely dawn as the gun went off starting the 3rd Annual Half marathon. | 
| | Local volunteer hands out medals to anybody that completed the 13.1 mile race. | 
| | Local runner surely didn't finish in first, but did conquer the 13.1 mile course, long before many woke up on Sunday morning. | 
| | After the race end medalists and all finishers milled around the stadium area |
Sunday morning on November 6, 2005, music was blaring outside the sports stadium across the street from the Sheraton, but it wasn't people closing down any of Puerto Vallarta's famous nightclubs. To the contrary, the group of close to 2,000 people probably was in bed by 10:00 PM Saturday night.
The 3rd Annual Half Marathon International was run Sunday morning, starting just after dawn at 6:50 AM. A reported 600 competitors ran the 13.1 mile race which began outside the sports stadium. The route was along the main street, Francisco Medina Ascensio, through the Hotel Zone, past the cruise ship marina, the marina district, past the airport, the bus terminal, to Las Juntas, where the runners turned around and headed back to the original starting point.
I received a phone call about 25 minutes into the race from a friend waiting for a bus outside Wal Mart and he reported that "the brothers were in the lead". That meant a group of Kenyans, who excel in marathons, led after the first three miles.
Another large group started 15 minutes later for the 5K run, a less demanding and more of a fun run. They ran to the Holiday Inn and turned around, returning to the finish at the stadium. Hundreds of friends and family members were out cheering, making for a much different Sunday morning in Puerto Vallarta.
The world record for the half marathon is 1:00:42, an amazing feat. These runners were competing for a first prize in the open men's division of 10,000 pesos and the race was competitive. My early source was correct as Kenyan runners finished in the top three places. The winner was Lenard Hgigi Njengiwas, winning in 1:05:03 less than five minutes off the world record. In second place in a thrilling finish was fellow countryman Nicholas Korir, just two seconds behind the winner. Mexico City's Omar Hermes Chavarria Reynoso finished 4th, with a time of 1:07:12.
Mexico's Tomas Medina Perez won the 40-49 year old division with a time of 1:13:46, collecting 5000 pesos. The 50-59 year old winner was Nayarit's Antonio Martinez Coronado, running the course in 1:19:14, picking up 2000 pesos. The 60 + winner was Guillermo Gomez Gonzalez of Lo Nuestro running in 1:29:05, collecting 1500 pesos.
A Kenyon woman dominated the open field, as Lucy Muhami ran the half marathon in 1:19:37, more than 9 minutes faster than the runner up. She collected 2000 pesos for her dominant victory. In the women's 40-49 year old division Guanajuato's Martha Martinez Aguilera won easily also, running a 1:30:22, wining 1500 pesos.
Banorte was the main sponsor, along with Gatorade, Coca Cola, Comex, the CasaMagna Marriott, Corona, Mr. Lucky, Mexicana Airlines, CosmoRed, Century 21, among others. The third annual Half Marathon was a huge success and next year's event looks to grow even larger. |
Vallarta Weddings
News from Around Banderas Bay | November 2005 
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