Tarahumara runners torn between tradition and comfort

Verónica Palma was hesitant to run the 2024 Ciudad Juárez Marathon, a race happening every year in the state of Chihuahua in northern Mexico.

She initially signed up to run half a marathon, but the day before the race, she changed her mind and decided to do the full route.

Her hesitation didn’t come from the thought that she couldn’t make it — she’s conquered races of up to 50 miles before. But she had an issue with some of the marathon’s rules. In particular, one that makes it mandatory for Indigenous participants to run in their traditional attire. For her, a member of the Tarahumara Tribe, that means running in sandals.

In theory, it shouldn’t be an issue for her, or any Tarahumara. They have been running in sandals — or huaraches — for centuries. It’s been a tradition in order to be able to cope with isolation and the widely dispersed settlements in the remote mountains of Chihuahua, in northern Mexico. And they’ve developed an extraordinary ability to run long distances, which is why they like to be called rarámuris, or “those of light feet.”

But now, a new generation of Tarahumaras is discovering that running in other types of shoes is more comfortable.

Palma won the competition in the Indigenous category last Sunday. But she hurt her feet — in the last mile, her feet were so swollen and bleeding that she took her sandals off, wrapped her feet in bandages and ended up finishing the race barefoot.

“It always happens when I run in huaraches,” she said after the race, adding that she continues doing so “in solidarity with other fellow rarámuris.”

Palma said she has been running long distances since she was little, when the only transportation available between mountain settlements was people’s feet.

“We would walk long distances to go to school, and to get water, food and firewood,” she said.

She remembers going to visit her grandparents in a different town, also by foot. It was a 10-hour walk each way.

But she wouldn’t complain.

“I always loved running,” she said. “I would feel like I was flying. The faster I ran, the less I would feel the soil.”

Palma moved to the city of Ciudad Juárez when she was a teenager, and she continued running there. But she discovered that running in sandals on the pavement was painful.

After she hurt her feet a few times, the doctor recommended that she wear running shoes. She got used to them, and she signed up for every race she could. 

She was running faster now, and became an international ultramarathoner and a beloved champion of the Mexican people.

Every year, the Ciudad Juarez marathon represents a good opportunity for her to run with her fellow rarámuris. It is also a race recognized by the World’s Athletic Association and is a qualifier for major races, like the Boston Marathon.

But she doesn’t like running in huaraches. An easy solution would be to step out of the Indigenous category and sign up for the general one where she can run in whatever shoes she wants. Plus, it would mean getting more money. But she feels conflicted about not running as an Indigenous person.

“The marathon shouldn’t put us in this dilemma,” she said.

Federico Mendoza, technical director of the Ciudad Juárez marathon, defended the rule.

“They are used to running in sandals, and it’s easier for them,” he said, referring to the Tarahumaras.

For him, the rule is aimed at preserving the traditions of this tribe and exhibit it to other marathon attendees.

Many Tarahumaras do prefer running in huaraches. When several of them were interviewed by The World following the Ciudad Juarez marathon, they said they have never used any other footwear to run in other than sandals. The reasons are varied — some say the sandals have better ventilation, while others say they want to honor their ancestors’ traditions or simply that they can’t afford tennis shoes.

But a growing number of Tarahumara runners say they would actually prefer to run in more comfortable shoes.

Alberto Ramos, another rarámuri, said that “it puts us [Indigenous runners] at a disadvantage, because it is painful for the feet and makes us run slower.”

He also takes issue with the distribution of the prizes, which he considers unjust. The winner of the Indigenous race gets only about $500 —  10 times less than what the winner of the general category receives. It’s meant to make up for other perks offered to the group.

Technical director Mendoza pointed out that the Indigenous runners get special benefits: The marathon waives the $33 registration fee and covers their transportation by land from Guachochi, Chihuahua, as well as travel expenses for one night.

And for some rarámuri, this is a good enough incentive to accept the other rules.

Palma now wants organizers to allow Indigenous competitors to decide what type of shoe they want to wear individually, because “a shoe doesn’t have anything to do with who we are. I will be a Tarahumara no matter what.”