With the holding of relay competitions for Running Teams and some unusual tests for federated athletes, the brand new synthetic athletics track installed by the Buenos Aires Government in Parque Sarmiento was inaugurated. The athletic day was organized by the Ñandú Racing and Marathon Association –within the framework of the preparation of this season’s major international events – and was supervised by the Metropolitan Athletic Federation.
The original Relay modality for Running Teams, sponsored by Jacana, had its second edition and consisted of tests in which each team, of four members, had to cover the longest possible distance in a period of half an hour.
The activity had begun with the mile races (1,609 meters) and several of the best Argentine middle distance runners participated. In the women’s race, one of the most relevant appearances of recent times won, Isabel Conde de Frankenberg, who clocked 4 minutes, 52 seconds and 1 tenth, which represents the new national record in the u20 category. Isabel – who lives in Texas, USA and will soon be part of the powerful team at the University of Oregon – had just won three gold medals in the National u20 at Cenard (400 and 800 meters, and relays) and will now attend to the South American of Lima. On the Parque Sarmiento track she dominated from the beginning and finished at the top of the podium, followed by Micaela Levaggi from Mar del Plata (5: 04.7) and Martina Adamo (5: 10.1).
In the men’s mile, there were several of the middle distance medalists from the Argentine Championship. The winner was Fernando Martín Chaves (Fer Team) with 4:12.0, a mark that places him among the ten best in the history of our country. Then Miguel Garro (4:13.0) and Franco Peidón (4:15.0) arrived.
Another test for federated members was the 4×200 meter relay where Quirón’s team clocked 1:29.4.
More than 40 teams from the Running Teams participated in the Jacana Relay, in its different modalities: women, men and mixed. The Nikei team was the winner in the RT women’s event – where Quirón participated as a member – while the Fer Team won in the men.
The activity promoted by Ñandú for the Running Teams will continue on Saturday the 29th, with a technical day at the Ramada Hotel, Vicente López, where coaches and doctors will speak.
Sarmiento Park, which thus joins the city’s athletic activity, will also be the headquarters of the exhibitions prior to the international competitions (Buenos Aires 21k scheduled for August 25 and the International City Marathon/South American Championship, scheduled for September 22).