The Clasica Coyote 100km Marathon started rough as the diesel engine wasn’t firing early on and the 900-strong field was full of spicy Mexicans sprinting off the front. Eventually, the engine started up after 30km, chasing down the three leaders, catching them one by one then soloing off the front from 45 km out.

The Mexican “cold front” which brought the temperature down to the high twenties, and rain, played in my favor. Parts of the course turned into a muddy slog and the rock gardens became sketchy with slippery rocks. My Kona Hei Hei loved it, stretching the lead to nearly 10 minutes.

On the homeward stretch, coming around the last corner before the finish a large aggressive dog blocked the road. I fired my empty water bottle off its nose, opening a chance to get by and was soon rolling across the rowdy Mexican finish line to cap off the victory!

The race atmosphere was amazing with the Mexicans enjoying the festivities and the organization was solid. The course was well-rounded and reminded me of a Cape Epic stage with a mix of fast farm roads, rugged single track, rocky descents, and lots of crowds through the villages.

I’m off for a few days of touring Chiapas then back to the Guatemalan highlands to continue my preparations for the season. First up though some celebratory Tacos with Guatemalan buddy Alfredo who looked after all the handoffs in the feed zones and helped translate my Spanglish in post-race interviews.