Following his recent victory at the San Silvestre Marathon in Buenos Aires, Martín Mendez met with mayor Enrique Cresto, to whom he confirmed that he will participate in the 40th International Reyes Marathon before traveling to Europe to compete in the Seville Marathon, which could qualify him for the Pan American Games.
"I participated in the San Silvestre, which is the race that closes the national circuit for the year," says Martín Mendez, who for the second consecutive year won the event held every December 31st in the City of Buenos Aires. The athlete explains that this race "is part of the preparation I am doing for the 42 km Seville Marathon, and that preparation includes the Reyes Marathon."
Mendez will run this Saturday in his city, after having been unable to participate in the previous edition due to an injury. "The Reyes is very special to me. I have been running for 20 years, and for 20 years I have run the Reyes Marathon, always with the goal of finishing in the top positions," he highlights. "Last year I couldn't run it due to an injury, but I didn't want to miss this 40th edition, which is very special for everyone," he emphasizes.
Martín knows it is not an easy race, but he will give his all on the streets of his city to try to dethrone the Olympian Federico Bruno, who is going for his sixth medal. "I will make every effort to win it," he said, although he did not fail to point out that he has a very tough opponent, "my friend, Federico (Bruno)," with whom he forms a duo that will surely thrill all the spectators and keep the outcome in suspense until the very last second, in addition to other elite athletes who will be part of the race.
Sevilla and Lima in sight
As if the fortieth edition of the Reyes Marathon were not enough, given all the passion with which the celebration will be experienced in the city that is the Provincial Capital of the Marathon, Martín Mendez adds one more plus. This competition will be the last one he will dispute as part of his preparation for the 35th Zurich Seville Marathon, which will take place on February 17th in the Spanish city.
In that 42 km race, he will be able to set the mark that qualifies him for the Lima 2019 Pan American Games, which will be held from July 26th to August 11th in the Peruvian city. After running the Reyes, Mendez will train at the altitude of Salta, seeking to consolidate the mark he needs for the Pan American Games.
"I have been working on this for more than 7 weeks, and this Seville Marathon is a qualifier for the Pan American Games. I am receiving all the support and accompaniment from mayor Cresto to be able to achieve this dream and leave Concordia's athletics, which undoubtedly has a high level, well-positioned," said the athlete.
Mini-Athletics: working for the future
But in addition to his personal achievements, Martín does not stop thinking about how the activity can continue to grow and how Concordia can continue to revalidate its status as the Provincial Capital of the Marathon every year. For this reason, in the meeting he held with the mayor, he advanced on a project they have been working on. The idea is, explained Martín Mendez, "to provide mini-athletics in schools. The ABCs of athletics, its initiation, and then," for those children who have aptitude and interest, "to refer them to the track where they learn technical aspects with the teachers who work there."
The objective of the proposal is to strengthen the promotion of physical activity and athletics that has been carried out by the local administration, and through an articulation between the Secretariat of Sports, the Departmental School Board, and the NEA Sports Development Center, together with the physical education teachers who work in each of the city's schools, to launch a program that brings children closer to athletics. "That everyone has the opportunity to get to know this sport. And that those who like it and have aptitude can continue to improve. That is the project we are working on with the mayor," summarized the athlete, who has two things on his mind: to continue at the highest level of elite sports and to promote athletics among the youngest.
