Buenos Aires and its 42 rewards

The curious one

The taxi driver couldn't believe it. Incredulous, he asked over and over again: Why do they run?, What for to run 42 kilometers?, How come, they come from Mexico to run 42 kilometers? He couldn't understand the fact that we were in Buenos Aires and had just finished the marathon. He tried to explain to himself: Can't they run in Mexico?

In the end he gave in, resigned himself, and managed to say without being entirely satisfied with his conclusion: "Well, if it really gives them pleasure to run... it's fine."

Almost three hours after crossing the finish line of the Buenos Aires marathon, we finally got a taxi. And it was thanks to this young man who continued forward upon seeing two people fighting over the car at a corner. Later the driver explained that since there was a conflict over who would be the passenger, he preferred to continue forward. We were lucky.

A Sunday of a long weekend in the Buenos Aires city is a good date to organize a marathon; perhaps it's not so much for foreign runners who intend to take the asphalt and cross the city in a 42-kilometer race. Traveling from the city center to the starting line takes more time than expected. The same to return to the hotel.

With his no more than 35 years and shaved head, the taxi driver didn't stop asking: How much time do you need to run the distance?, What time do you train?, When do you work?

To run

It's 7:15 in the morning and 15 minutes remain before the starting gun. We have just gotten out of the car that transported us from the hotel and we are right at the 3-kilometer mark. Impossible to reach the starting point by any other means than walking... or running. We chose the second option.

To choose and carry out in the most disciplined way possible a training program to run a marathon and arrive late on race day, never. Although at the end of the day the clock indicates that we ran more than 45 kilometers.

Five minutes after the gun, we were already in line to take the start. With the drawback of that morning went three important moments that I have always valued in each of my five previous marathons: experiencing the 10 minutes of reflection that invariably are lived in a marathon corral, stretching, and going to the bathroom.

The reflection was resolved along the 4 hours and 25 minutes it took me to complete the course, I urinated along the way, I held back the urge to stop to go to the bathroom, and I warmed up with the jog.

To travel, to jog

After the feeling and anguish that you feel when you are late for an appointment, I turned on the timer and started the route of my sixth marathon. Vero and Favián were by my side. We were already on our way for the best tourist tour you can do in a city, at a jog.

The first kilometers were the most difficult, I started with pain in the instep and with the urge to go to the bathroom. The pain didn't subside and I started to doubt if I could fulfill the course. After a technical stop between kilometers six and seven, the foot pain diminished and without realizing it, it disappeared.

The first jewels of the marathon course appeared on Libertador Avenue, from where you can see the Intelligent Flower, located in the Plaza de las Naciones Unidas and the Law Faculty, both in the Recoleta neighborhood.

Kilometers 8 and 9 arrived on 9 de Julio Avenue, the iconic one of the city, where the Obelisk and the Colón Theater are located. On that stretch, Magui, whom we had left at kilometer 3, was ready to record our steps.

Heading to kilometer 11 we arrived at the Casa Rosada, seat of the Argentine government. Right at that moment my stomach started to give me trouble and for the first time in a marathon I thought I would have to stop and look for a bathroom.

I passed the 12k mark and there the stomach warnings stayed. We were heading to the Boca neighborhood, perhaps the poorest in the city and where the Boca Juniors soccer stadium and Caminito passage are located, a picturesque place with great tourist value.

The narrow streets of the Boca neighborhood took us through kilometers 16, 17, and 18 and we were heading toward Puerto Madero, an area that contrasts with Boca due to the large modern buildings on the shore of the Río de la Plata.

In these kilometers I felt very well and somewhat desperate for the slow pace I was carrying. I felt I could go faster but I didn't want to accelerate until crossing the half-marathon mark. I know what it feels like to run out of energy in a marathon and I didn't want to experience it again. Favián, Vero, and I were almost together.

The arrival at Puerto Madero marked the 21-kilometer mark. By that time I looked at my clock and wanted to cry. More time than I had budgeted.

From kilometer 22 to 25 we ran in front of the Ernesto de la Cárcova museum and the Micaela Bastida and Argentinian Women parks, while to the right passed the Costanera Sur ecological reserve.

In that great avenue the Walk of Fame caught my attention, where you can find statues of the most important athletes in Argentina, like Guillermo Vilas, Gabriela Sabatini, Manu Ginóbili, Juan Manuel Fangio, and Luciana Aymar. Curious to see athletes from not so commercial disciplines like soccer.

The race begins

Also caught my attention the number of people who stayed between kilometers 21 and 22. Many with cramps and muscle aches.

At kilometer 31 we left Puerto Madero and a little more than 11 kilometers remained. Vero fell behind and Favián was a few meters behind me.

At this point in the race I had already accelerated my pace and I felt very well, with enough strength to close in the final stretch. The first 10k I crossed in 1:02; the second in 1:01; the third in 1:01 and from kilometer 30 to 40 I registered my best split with 58:43.

The final stretch of the marathon was through the port area, very close to the Jorge Newbery airport.

Near kilometer 36 Favián caught up with me and we shared the rest of the supplies we were carrying. It was his first marathon and until that moment he was carrying a good pace.

We went together the last kilometers and the energy was enough for us to cross the finish line almost at the same time.

Vero finished 10 minutes after us and Magui graduated as a marathon follower by locating us up to four times during the course, including the start and finish.

For the curious one

Each person can define what their pleasures are and work on them, live them, and tell them.