Guatemalan ultramarathon runners Charlie Sarmiento and Juan Carlos Sagastume successfully completed the country’s first participation in the Trail world championship, the Penyagolosa Trails HG.

With the emotion and joy of competing for Guatemala, Charlie Sarmiento and Juan Carlos Sagastume gave their best effort in Castellón, Spain, in a demanding test that brought together 400 ultramaronistas from all over the world.

Sagastume completed the 83.5 kilometers of demanding route with a time of 12 hours, 14 minutes and 38 seconds, entering the finish line in 166th place, while Sarmiento did it in 13 hours, 22 minutes and eight seconds, finishing in 217th place.

The demands of the world championship were very strong, and of the 400 athletes who started the test, only 267 managed to finish it, since there were three time cuts, the one that filtered through to the runners and little by little the competitors, in addition to the fact that there were 65 injured.

Sarmiento stated that it was a «very demanding route, very technical with many climbs and stones», which caused him to fall at kilometer 44 and injure his head.

Regardless of the blood that flowed from the wound, he ran seven kilometers until he reached the next gas station and instead of leaving and going to a hospital, he asked the doctors to put some staples on him, so he traveled the last kilometers with a bandage on the head.

“I didn’t want to give up, because I felt I had the responsibility to represent Guatemala and sweat the blue and white, they put three staples on me and that’s how I was able to continue, thank God nothing else happened and I was able to complete the test,” said Sarmiento.

Guatemalan ultramarathon runners feel happy and satisfied for having represented Guatemala and competing with the greats of Europe and the world. 50 teams from around the world participated.

Sarmiento y Sagastume dicen misión cumplida en el Penyagolosa Trails HG