Late Friday night into early Saturday morning the 30th edition of the “Ronde van Aruba” took place. This racing event. Organized by the Marinierskazerne Savaneta, has existed since 1971 when two marines decided that they wanted to set the goal of running around our island on their own. Since then, it has grown into an annual event. The total distance is 72 kilometers in length and, for the majority, spans along the coast of our island. It is the longest race in the Caribbean region.
Lana Gobert, the athlete who broke the single runner record in “Ronde van Aruba”, told us that the weather was in their favor, but that when she reached the Arikok area, she got tired out by all the hills. Gobert said that she almost got nervous at one point, but that her team as well as her daughter following her in the car reminded her that she cannot stop. “I have to show everyone that once you start, you have to finish.”
In turn, Kiara van Trikt, an athlete who ran in a team, said that they ran the race in seven hours and thirteen minutes. According to van Trikt, they tried to train, but the goal was just to finish the race. According to her, the second part was mostly mental and that if “you can put your mind to it, you can make it and it will make you feel good.” She finished by stating that the atmosphere was pleasant and that she was pleased with the outcome.
Lastly, legendary runner Richard Rodriguez explained that he has been dreaming of finishing the “Ronde van Aruba” for many years now. “And I made it, so I am happy I finished it,” Rodriguez said that he had some complications whilst running in white sand, as his feet were cramping up, but even so he kept pushing and fighting to reach the finish. Support and having your friends and family cheering you on certainly helped him reach his goal by giving the necessary boost in energy to get him to the finish line.
