- Photos by Samuel Charlebois
Run your city // In Colombia with Emmanuelle-Salambo Deguara
What brought you to this city?
My boyfriend and I have always been interested in South America, the warm, colorful, historical side, getting out of our daily lives. In Colombia, we could discover the jungle, the sea, the altitude and prepare for the Harricana Ultra-Trail where I was going to do 80 km on a trail. I was ready, but I wanted to accumulate volume and acclimatize to the heat, because UTHC this year was going to be very hot.
Tell me briefly about your trip.
After landing in Bogota, we took every opportunity to run. While waiting for the bus, we knew we had 2 hours free, we took our valuables, put them in our little fastpacks and visited the city on a run.
We then headed towards the El Cocuy National Park to go to altitude. The cold brought us back to Cartagena , a medieval city, close to water and warmth, but still at altitude. We did the El Pulpito del Diablo Summit (18km at 4900m altitude). At altitude, it's much more of hiking uphill and jogging downhill.
What is your favorite route?
Definitely the loop from Finca to Minca on a route proposed by Strava. So we set off for a 42 km trail , in a mix of jungle and city, passing through incredible villages.
We leave with Dalma, the hotel's Dalmatian dog. He’s definitely my highlight! People stopped to come see him and give us advice for our safety.
Is it a good city for running?
This is not the ideal place. I guess people who travel to run want to be safe and let go. It's a place for discovery and getting out of your comfort zone, but not the safest for running.
Fun fact
If you want to connect with Colombians, tell them about Pablo Escobar. Everyone is happy to talk about him. Even in taxis, there are books about him.
What makes you run?