On the run in Mexico

I’m a runner. I don’t take it very seriously, but it keeps me moving and less depressed. At 35, the years of pavement pounding have caught up with me. As a natural catastrophizer, my internal dialogue screams, ‘My running days are over. ’ Consequently, I have reflected more on past runs and realised that some of my favourite runs were in Mexico.

In Mexico, we travelled slowly, with plenty of time to explore different running routes. As a person with dark features, I tended to blend in, unlike my partner Leisa. With fair skin, blonde hair, and blue eyes, she attracted a lot more attention. She was less comfortable running and exploring unfamiliar places alone.  

Running in Mexico can be frustrating and sometimes dangerous. You’ll need to get creative with routes and always be aware of your surroundings. On the upside, I felt like running got me out of the tourist bubble and into the local way of life.

These are my three most memorable runs in Mexico...

Plaza de Americanas – Mexico City  

If you are lucky enough to visit Latin America, you will probably find yourself in a plaza. A plaza is a central square and a key part of Spanish Colonial urban planning. In Mexico, many of these plazas have become parks and community spaces. They serve as a place to meet a friend, make out, take your dog to shit, or in my case – run.

Every morning for three weeks, I ran laps of Plaza de Americanas in the suburb of Narvarte Poniente. With thirty million residents in this city, which sits at over two thousand metres altitude, the first week of running was a shock to my respiratory system. 

Mexico City

I normally run early and would arrive at the plaza while a group of women started their aerobics. Across the road, the carnitas vendor would begin searing meat. The smell of raw pork would waft across the park, making me nauseous. 

The plaza was packed with families on the weekends, making running almost impossible. That said, half the fun of running in Mexico is the people watching. The scene was very wholesome, with elderly couples dancing to traditional music, while vendors sold children ice cream and spiced grasshoppers, known locally as chapulines. 

This run is special to me because, for the first time, I experienced the ebb and flow of everyday life in Mexico City. As an outsider, I felt a sense of togetherness that I don’t feel in cities back home. The run wasn’t anything spectacular. But it was close to my Airbnb, and by the time I left, my heart. 

Stairs and narcos – Guanajuato 

Running in Guanajuato is hard. Situated in the dusty mountains of Central Mexico, it’s steep, densely populated and dangerous outside the main tourist areas. I had my doubts about whether I would be running at all. 

After a few days exploring, I found a staircase leading up to the University of Guanajuato. When I turned up the next morning, the stairs were packed with other runners. It felt like every runner in the city was there. 

Guanajuato

I made a routine of running up and down the stairs ten times. Afterwards, I would stretch at the top, looking over the historical district as the sun lit up the surrounding valley. After a few weeks, I grew tired of crowded stair running and decided to try running in other neighbourhoods. 

Not long into this next run, I heard distant popping noises. Being Mexico, I assumed these were fireworks. I turned a corner, and a group of men in SWAT gear were sprinting up another alleyway. Not wanting to end up in a shootout, I turned around and came across another group of men in police uniforms, armed to the teeth. They demanded I leave immediately. 

I told my local friend about the incident. He said the men in the SWAT gear were probably narcos being pursued by law enforcement, and that I was lucky not to be caught in between. I should have been paying more attention to what was around me, and I’m lucky there were no consequences for this oversight. For the rest of my time in Guanajuato, I stuck to the stair runs. 

Macuiltepec – Xalapa 

If I moved to Mexico, I would probably move to Xalapa – if only to run up Macuiltepec every day. 

Having spent months in the dry, dusty mountains of Mexico’s interior, Xalapa’s tropical climate and lush vegetation were a welcome change. 

We never planned on travelling to Xalapa, but I heard the anthropological museum was one of the best in Mexico, even rivalling Mexico City’s famous Museo Nacional de Antropología. For Leisa, it piqued her interest because Xalapa is close to the coffee-growing region around the small town of Coatepec. These ideal coffee growing conditions are due to the volcanic activity in the area. 

Museo de Antropología de Xalapa

When we arrived, our Airbnb host said a lot of Xalapa’s parks are extinct volcanoes. I mentioned I was a runner and he said I should run up Macuiltepec, an extinct volcano and ecological park in the heart of Xalapa. 

I got up early the next morning and began the slow ascent. The track spirals upwards at a steady gradient with views of the city and the surrounding region. Along the way, I was constantly saying buenas dias (good morning) to passersby. Xalapa doesn’t see many international travellers, and the locals were welcoming and friendly. 

At the top, you have the option of running down into the crater, which is now a lush rainforest. Not many people go inside the crater, so I always had the space to myself. I tried to meditate, but I would always end up crying. I don’t get the runner’s high, but it does make me emotional, especially if I’m alone and in nature. 

Xalapa would be our last stop in our six-month trip through Central America and Mexico. We were very fortunate to have so much time to travel, but the constant change can take its toll. For me, running was grounding. A period of time to move, explore new places, and on runs like Macuiltepec, feel. 

Xalapa