Adriana Ramirez, Allan Espina and Michael Blanchard recently took on the challenge of running the Great Wall of China Marathon.
Ramirez is the girls’ athletic coordinator at Bonham Middle School; Espina is education director at Odessa Regional Medical Center; and Blanchard is data quality lead for BP.
Ramirez earned first place in the female division overall and received a plaque, medal and certificate. They gave participants rubber bands at each stopping point to show they were actually running the correct way.
Along with the marathon, there was a 5K, a 10K and a half marathon so all together about 100 people participated. This was the first time they had the race after COVID, so it wasn’t as big of an event, but it was still on the Great Wall.
“We decided we were there not so much to run for a certain time. We just wanted to run together, which actually ended up helping because there were parts of the race where you would have been defeated if you were just running by yourself. We ran the entire thing together and we crossed the finish line together, so that was really cool. Our other friend (Michael Culley) he finished fourth and Michael, Allan and myself I think we were 7, 8,9 but we all crossed together. They definitely helped … mentally finish the race because it was seven and a half hours,” she said.
Espina agreed that it was a great experience.
“I’m glad to have done it with friends. It took us a long time to complete it at about 7 hours, but it would have been longer/harder without each other’s push and motivation,” Espina said.
Before getting on to the Great Wall, they had to climb a mountain.
“That was pretty difficult. But I think the second loop coming down, is when I was like if you need to go just go and they’re like, no we’re gonna finish together. This is what we decided and so that was pretty neat because I knew that they weren’t going to let each other just fall behind. I think that was the best part … Without each other, I don’t think we would have done as well as we did,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez has run marathons before, but this was her first international 26.2 miler.
“It was a good experience. It wasn’t very big, but … for one you’re in China; two you’re on the Great Wall; three, how many people are ever going to experience that, so just being there was like this is just neat regardless of how I do, how many people are here it was just amazing,” Ramirez added.
She said the race felt a little more rewarding, only because it was overseas and it was on the Great Wall.
“Growing up you always think I’m never going to see that and then to actually not just see it, be on it and do something that you love doing, it was … more rewarding finishing and knowing I just did that. It’s a really cool experience and I’ve been talking about it since I’ve been back,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez, who is a native Odessan, added that it will probably influence her teaching because now she can tell her students about what it’s like in other countries. On their boat expedition, there was no running water and her students were taken aback.
“It humbles you and brings you back down to reality. Where you grew up, the things that you have, don’t take them for granted … because … in those last four days of the expedition there was a big barrel of water and just use the cup and that’s how you bathed. That’s their way of life,” Ramirez said.
She added that she tells her kids they can be anything they want and go anywhere they want. Ramirez started at McMurry University in Abilene, then transferred to Sul Ross State University in Alpine and earned a bachelor’s degree in kinesiology. This is her second year at Bonham and her 12th year with Ector County ISD.
Ramirez takes her students every year to visit Alpine to run some cross-country and see the campus where she went to school.
“I grew up exactly like you; poor side of town; but here I am doing what I love, teaching, coaching and getting to travel the world,” Ramirez said.
Ramirez said she almost didn’t get to travel to China.
“About 15 minutes before boarding, they were telling me that I had to have a third country flight showing that I was leaving China somewhere else, so I had to book a flight to Singapore last-minute and finally get there and they’re asking why you’re there, how long you’re going to be there, what you’re doing. It was a little scary, but once we kind of got settled, the race was the easy part. Just getting in and out of China that was a little scary for me personally,” she said.
They didn’t get to do a lot of sightseeing, but the day after they arrived they went on a “shakeout” run and saw the site of the Beijing Olympics.
There was a market that sold homegrown fruits and vegetables, but other than that they didn’t really have to time to go anywhere. There were also cameras everywhere.
As a reward, they went to the Philippines for a vacation, visited Espina’s family, went hiking and a four-day boat expedition where they would stop at different ports overnight.
Ramirez brought the plaque and medal to school with her and the students loved it.
“I brought them all a little bracelet because I told them I would if they did well on their tests, so they were petty excited. They had lots of questions. They’re like coach, I’m going to be running and they’re just asking about races and I’m like that’s so great. It makes me feel good,” Ramirez said.
Students have started sending her photos on their sports app telling her how many laps they did.
“That’s what we want to do is introduce it so that you can use it as a lifelong sport, like we do,” Ramirez said.
