THE ULTRA RUN RARAMURI: AN EXTRAORDINARY ADVENTURE
Vanessa Morales embarked on an extraordinary challenge: participating in the Ultra Run Raramuri, a legendary ultra-trail in the heart of the Mexican canyons.
An event she had been waiting for months, prepared with seriousness and passion. For our ambassador, it was her first ultra-trail and not just any: 190 km to cover in extreme conditions.
Here is the intense account of her experience, between surpassing oneself, doubts, and perseverance.
THE START: BETWEEN EUPHORIA AND FIRST DIFFICULTIES
7 am local time, at Barrancas del Cobre. The music resonates, the Raramuris, the international runners, the organizers. Everything is set for an extraordinary race.
The countdown is launched, the heart races. Vanessa feels a wave of euphoria. But from the first moments, an unforeseen event occurs: her GPS refuses to record the course trace. Two attempts, two failures. She immediately understands that the adventure will be more complex than expected.
She takes the lead in the women's ranking and settles in the middle of the men's group. Quickly, she realizes that there will be no real women's competition. She then chooses another mindset: to enjoy the adventure, live in the moment, without a time goal, just to discover.
A SHARED JOURNEY
During the first 3 hours, Vanessa runs alongside Johan Steene and Pavel Paloncý. The trio advances together until the first big climbs, where the boys accelerate, leaving her alone in the heart of the Mexican mountains without GPS.
She gets lost for the first time, the marking being very discreet. After 25 minutes of wandering, she finds the trace before being joined by two new companions, Thierry Corbarieu and Jérôme Chauvin. Together, they face the crushing heat: over 40°C at the bottom of the canyon.
After several hours, Thierry disappears, getting lost in turn. Vanessa finally continues with Jérôme, forming a solid duo for 80 km. Jérôme advises, encourages, and motivates her, a true mentor on this ultra.
LOST IN THE CANYONS: THE MOMENT OF DOUBT
Night falls, the coolness returns but the difficulty intensifies. Vanessa must manage fatigue, endless climbs, and orientation.
The markers are rare, sometimes invisible. She makes multiple back-and-forths, losing precious time and energy.
At one point, she finds herself completely lost. No more traces, no landmarks. She decides to wait for other runners. It is finally three Raramuris who join her. Together, they search for the right direction for more than an hour until they suddenly disappear, running at full speed in the opposite direction, without explanation.
Alone, exhausted, and worried, Vanessa breaks down. For a few minutes, she thinks her race is over. But she refuses to give up. She pulls herself together, climbs to the highest point, and after more than three hours of wandering, finally finds the village and the course trace.
THE SECOND WIND: NEVER GIVE UP
Back on the track, Vanessa arrives at CP5 with 10 km more than expected and immense fatigue. But good news motivates her: the Raramuris who had left her behind have not yet passed. She sets off again, determined to finish ahead of them.
The rest is a true battle against herself: steep descents, endless climbs, accumulating missteps, hallucinations due to exhaustion. She talks to scorpions, encounters strange silhouettes but she continues.
The warm welcome of a Raramuri family at CP6 gives her energy again. A hug from the head of the family, a few words of encouragement, and she's off again, pumped up to face the last kilometers.
THE ARRIVAL: A VICTORY OVER ONESELF
After hours of effort, doubts, solitude, and surpassing herself, Vanessa finally crosses the finish line. A mix of satisfaction and disappointment: happy to have finished, but frustrated by her beginner's mistakes, notably the absence of GPS.
But ultimately, the essential is elsewhere: she has met the challenge. She pushed her limits, adapted to each unforeseen event, and experienced a unique adventure, in contact with a wild nature and incredible runners.
The Ultra Run Raramuri will remain for her a foundational moment, a precious learning experience, and an adventure she will never forget.
