Today I went to a race, but not for a run but rather to help out professor Dante with all the opening and closing details required for the event to go properly. Both distances were to start at 9am so he asked me to go near 730/8am. His whole family was there, representing his team, Córdoba Runners. I could see from the beginning how the inflated balloons were pumped up to signage the start/finish line. I even helped to tie the ropes to trees to stabilize and balance the whole thing, and the same for the podium to close the event.
Once we had moved some of the main things, water, tables, gacebos; I saw a couple of girls from Dante's group and we headed to posts in the race to show runners where to turn at specific points of the race. I stood there for the whole race with a waving flag, which meant a quick time: some races can end up to last a full 2 hs for 10K walkers, in this case it was enough with 1 hour 15 mins and then I got pick up in a car. The last half hour the rain had get increasing.
One surprise was to see someone that I saw as identical to someone I knew, and then finding out it was in fact him. This only because a bypasser yelled his name and I reassured that it was him: Seba Ferrer. He was much more tanned than I had remembered him, and much thinner, even if in good shape. I yelled his name to salute and cheer and he passed running by, concentrated in the race. Once he finished he came back by bike and said hi himself. And later on we chatted a bit when the organization delivered prizes and raffle presents.
Seba told me he has been training for a year and that he is intending to complete a full Ironman traithlon by May of this year, in Florianopolis, Brazil. Then he told me a bit of how he got to know about all the races around in town and suggested for me te check out the website and the whatsapp newsletter of cbarun. Next time there would be a trail run in January would be a 16K near 20/27 in San Antonio de Arredondo.
Nice thing that I've frequented quite a number of races lately, I notice that is most likely that I always know someone around. I also saw Anita Cabral but didn't get the chance to talk too much with her this time. Howevere, a couple of other people were willing to go with for a midday lunch: one of them being Iván (former marathonist winner) out of a 5/6 persons group. Pedro Gómez won this race and again I see him in first place overall.