Caballo Blanco Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon

Passing through the middle of Urique

Race report by Race Director Caballo Blanco see www.CaballoBlanco.com
Photos from Josue Stephens and Chris Labbe
Click here for all photos

Primary result: Beauty

The seventh running of the Copper Canyon Ultra Marathon, and the fourth annual running of the CCUM in the Urique canyon had about 100 starters and 37 finishers. There is nothing quite like it, anywhere. I am just the RD horse. What do I know?

Leading a group to Los Alisos two days before the race

There was almost $6,000 in prize money spread among the top 10 finishers, $1,000 of that for the top three women, and all finishers split 30,000 pounds of maiz accordingly. ALL participants will also be awarded maize.

A big thanks to all who care enough to read about it, and especially to those who have participated over the last few years and have become Mas Loco!

Caballo Blanco


1--JOE GRANT--EL TORTUGA--OREGON--6:24*
2--JOSH BRIMHALL--EL ANTILOPE--NEVADA--6:42
3--Isidro Lechuga--Piedras Verdes, Urique--6:49
4--Florencio Quimare--Ocorare, Batopilas--6:58
5--Arnulfo Quimare--Chepatare, Batopilas--7:11

6--Cervando Gutierez--Huisuchi, Batopilas--7:14
7--Antonio Luna--Munerachi, Batopilas--7:19
8--Silvino Cubezare--Huisuchi, Batopilas--7:32
9--Dolores Estrada--Huicorachi, Urique--7:35
10--Corpus Estrada--Huicorachi, Urique--7:36

11--Arnulfocito Mendoza--Santa Rita, Batopilas--7:42
12--Silverio Ramirez--Tatoguichi, Guachochi--7:51
13--Ignacio Nacho Palma--Chawaloco, Batopilas--8:04
14--JOSHUE STEPHENS--EL LOBEZNO--TEXAS--8:08
15--AMANDA MACINTOSH--LA YEGUA NEGRA PELIGROSA--TEXAS/COLORADO--8:23
First woman!

Second River Crossing

16--Leanardo Cleto--Piedras Verdes, Urique--8:38
17--PETER MARSTON--EL PUMA--ARKANSAS--8:40
18--FRANCO MARCHETTI--El AGUILA ALPES--ITALY--8:42
19--Epitanio Quimare--Chinivo, Batopilas--8:52
20--Santos Reyes--Basiguare, Guachochi--8:56
21--Sebastiano Gutierez--San Jose, Batopilas--8:57
22--Sergio Mancinas--Urique--9:01
23--ABI STEPHENS--LA LINCE--OREGON--9:07---Second woman!
24--Enrique Moreno--San Rafael, Urique--9:09
25--THERESA DO--LA PALOMA--COLORADO--9:15---third woman!
26--CHRISS LABBE--EL CABRO COLORADO--9:25
27--TED MCDONALD--EL MONO--CALIFORNIA--9:29
28--Luis Cleto--Piedras Verdes, Urique--9:32
29--Jose Cruz--Piedras Verdes, Urique--9:32
30--Arnulfo Gonzales--GUadalupe Coranado, Urique--10:00
31--LEAH JUREK--LA ALMA HERMOSA--WASHINGTON--10:23--fourth woman!
32--PAUL CHARTERIS--EL KIWI SALVAJE--NEW ZEALAND/CALIFORNIA--10:23
33--Lorenzo Catsro--Guadalupe Coranado, Urique--10:31
34--Margarita Lerna--Panalachi, Bocoyna--10:38---FIRST TARAHUMARA WOMAN, fifth woman overall!
35--Jesus Perez--Munerachi, Batopilas--10:38
36--Carlos Concheno--Urique--11.00
37--GABI STEPHENS--LA LAGARTA--PENNSYLVANIA--11:30--sixth woman!
38--GORDON MONTGOMERY--EL CHANGO--IRELAND/TEXAS--11:45

Race Brochure in Spanish

Sunday, March 2, 2008 was just another beautiful day in the deep canyon country of La Sierra Madre.

On the previous Wednesday they came, 4 gringo runners and El Caballo Blanco walking over from the deep canyon town of Batopilas, encountering 14 Batopilas canyon Raramuri en route, and walking together over la Sierra then down into the 6,200 foot deep canyon town of Urique, where we encountered more Raramuri and the rest of the gringo runners, men and women.

There were 136 running participants, of which about 100 started the
47 mile ultra. 36 local townspeople and a few international runners
participated by running one of the two 18 mile loops with us, either
the first loop upriver, or the second downriver loop. Many excited
children ran short distances with us when we were entering and
leaving the deep canyon small town of Urique beginning and ending
each loop. EVERYBODY participated!

The ultra run finishes with an 11 mile out and back after the two
longer loops.


Out of the 100 or so ultra starters and 38 finishers, 15 were from
the United States, France and Italy, 6 Mexican runners from
Chihuahua, and one local Urique Mexican man, whom finished near to
last, and was awarded $100 for being the only towns-person runner to
do so.

First place went to a humble and relatively unknown young Oregon Man named Joe Grant-
-El Tortuga Lluvia--Rain Turtle. The 24 year old turtle does not run, nor looks
much like his animal helper. In Fact, the Turtle broke Scott Jurek's-
-El Venado, the Stag Deer, course record of 6:32, lowering the
record to 6:24!

Nevada speedster Josh Brimhall--El Antilope Desierto, Desert
Antelope, was second, followed by 8 Raramuri--Tarahumara runners
rounding out the top 10. ALL United States, and our new Italion friend, Franco--
El Aguila del Alpes, Eagle of the Alps, finished.

The first place woman was Amanda McIntosh--La Yegua Negra
Peligrosa, Dangerous Black Mare, from Texas and Leadville, Colorado. Amanda
generously gave her $500 winnings to the 3 Tarahumara women
participants. Yes, Raramuri women came, And the bridge between
running cultures has now been constructed and crossed by our lovely
Mas Loca women runners, acting as the messengers--Andale!

Josh and Joe also gave their combined $2,500 winnings back to the
Raramuri people in the form of sharing some of their winnings with
the 8 Raramuri rounding out the top 10, and putting the rest into
the CCUM Seed Farm--sustainable agriculture project we have begun in
cooperation with Native Seeds Search. Nobody had to do that; and
they Did!....Korima.

Theresa Do--La Paloma--Dove, won cash and corn by finishing 3rd woman.
Abigail Stephens--La Lince--Lynx, finished second and
won $300. Yes, we have prize money for the top 3 women. There was a
grand total of about 9 women ultra runners....not bad odds -:

As well as the cash prizes of about $5,000 for the top ten overall
and another $1,000 for the top 3 women--who have a chance to
double their winnings when taking a top 10 overall spot, a ton of corn is
awarded to each of the top 5 finishers, and a half ton to the 6-10th
place finishers. ALL finishers after that are awarded 500 pounds of
corn.
All gringos gave the corn back to the people however they wanted to do
so, and we now have to deliver, I can only guess at this early point,
about 30,000 pounds of corn....A horse`s work is never done -:

Thanks for mucho help and support in many ways from Chris Labbe-
-El Cabro Colorado--Mountain Goat, whom also printed up beautiful
calenders from last year`s race event and gave them to the Urique towns-people.

The CCUM is sponsored by this kind of generosity, called Korima in
the Raramuri language--sharing, a gift, unconditional and beautiful,
the reward for giving being whatever may come back around in the
circle. And what does, along with whatever else, is always beauty.

Andale...

May the Raramuri and all of us contunue to run free.

Caballo Blanco de La Sierra Madre - see www.CaballoBlanco.com