Tohono O'odham runners experience tradition, culture and spirituality.
Carmen Duarte The Tohono O'odham runners are one with Mother Earth as their feet pound over desert trails, dirt roads or pavement. Running is a tradition that dates back centuries to their ancestors, the Hohokam. Runners would carry messages from village to village spreading news over expansive lands.Most recent, four runners led first lady Jill Biden's motorcade on the San Xavier District, south of Tucson.
Havier said running is personal and a decision for each individual to make. He said he is encouraging his 8-year-old brother to become a runner. The longest event the teen has participated in is the annual Unity Run, a weeklong run that has different routes. It can start in Mexico and head north across the international border on nation land and runners continue toward Red Rock.
Challenge the bodyMarathon runner Marlinda Francisco works to show others what their body is capable of doing as a member of the nation's Healthy O'odham Promotion Program, a program that teaches the risks of diabetes and the importance of nutrition and physical activity to keep it under control and lead to healthy lives.
Runners train themselves and keep fit for endurance, speed and strength. Some run on the road or on desert trails," said Francisco, who runs the Starr Pass Trailhead or on trails in Sells."I want to help people with their well-being. I come from a family with diabetes and I have lost family members," said Francisco. She quickly counted eight deaths, including aunts, an uncle and a grandmother.
"I believe our loved ones who have passed are watching over us and will protect us on our runs. They come in the forms of butterflies, cardinals and feathers. I always pray and thank them for running with me and watching over me," she said.
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