The 39th International Reyes Marathon left many aspects to highlight. In addition to the quality of the organization, a relevant fact is that a massive participation of women was recorded, in the different categories, both professional and amateur, signifying a record of female participation in the athletic event.
More than 1200 women registered in the different categories and ran either the 10K or the 5K. Nancy Gallo (35/39 category), Lorena Silvana Andino (35/39), Noelia Mabel Morilla (30/34), Lilian Cebrian (40/44), Eugenia Centurion (25/29) and Maria Agustina Burruchaga (20/24) were the first 6 women from Concordia to reach the finish line. It is worth noting that among the total number of women who participated in the race, 2 of them were visually impaired and 4 ran in wheelchairs.
"With the years that I have been practicing this sport, I can highlight that I felt very good in the last Reyes Marathon in my city, I am always amazed by the encouragement that my family, friends and all the residents who go out to the street to motivate all the runners give me," points out Nancy Gallo. "Even if you are tired, and you think about quitting, you can't, the enthusiasm of the public is so great that because of the strength they give you, you don't leave the race and you reach the end," she highlights, emphasizing what makes this event unique at a national level, so much so that it led to Concordia being declared the Provincial Capital of the Marathon.
In many other places, young people have distanced themselves from this sporting practice, indicated Gallo, "but here in Concordia, the motivation inspired by having a mayor who is an athlete, as is Enrique Cresto, allows many to decide to exercise and practice different sports," she added.
"Through sport, women value themselves"
With 28 years of experience in the sport, having carried the flag of sport and the city of Concordia to different parts of the world, Gallo remembers that before "there were not many women who dared to play sports, who would get comfortable to exercise and go out for a run. Shame limited us for a long time, going out in leggings and shorts was quite complicated, now not anymore, women have gained territory in sports and that made many dare to do it too".
And she tells of her experience as a teacher. "The number of women who go out to walk, to run, even with their children, is impressive; doing sports gives you strength, renews your spirit, and even allows women to value and love themselves. Several women who arrive at my training group tell me: 'Nancy, I can't run a block', but after 4 months of work and persistence, the same person who couldn't before, now runs 1000 meters without any problem, the satisfaction of achieving something you didn't think was possible is inexplicable, and each achievement adds value to the woman," she highlights.
Running groups fill the mornings, afternoons and nights of the city more and more, making us a city with great sporting momentum. Running groups have the particularity of generating bonds between their participants, bonds of friendship that make training a fun and pleasant moment. Jogging with a friend, sharing the pain of the intervals, and stretching while chatting, is what makes these groups so successful in the city.
Concordia: sports city
"The boom in running is impressive," observes Gallo in reference to the number of running groups that have emerged in recent years, and that in different public spaces, such as San Carlos, the Costanera, the Liquidambar Park, among others, they are seen both in the morning, and in the afternoon or at night. "I am in charge of several training groups at the Polideportivo athletics track and I have people every day, in the morning, in the afternoon, with no age limit, children, adolescents, young people, adults and older people who come to the track to run. That is great," she highlights.
And she highlights "the activities that have been carried out by the Sports Secretariat of the Municipality, with Marcelo Cresto. So many proposals, for everyone. It encourages sports practice," she assures.
The physical resistance of women
An interesting fact, provided by marathon runner Nancy Gallo, highlights the resistance, in this sport, of women over the capacity of men. She pointed out that "according to many scientific studies that were carried out, women demonstrate having much more resistance than men, and even more important is to know that after having children, the resistance in a woman's body grows," she comments. "Men have a lot of strength but after 30 years they start to slow down, whereas women can run fast and well for much longer."