Spirit Run: Noé Álvarez’s Journey as an Immigrant in the United States

(Photo : Stocksnap)

Noé Álvarez, a Mexican-American, was asked to show his passport to the border officers in Nogales, Arizona as he was jogging. He was a participant at the Peace and Dignity Journeys (PDJ). The PDJ is an ultramarathon for runners with indigenous backgrounds, according to a local article.

His group was able to run 3,200 miles from the Arctic to the US-Mexican border. The group still has to jog miles before they reach their destination, the Panama Canal. However, for Álvarez, crossing the US-Mexican border has a deep meaning. It was his parent's homeland before they migrated to the United States of America.

The Book

It was a significant moment in his new book called Spirit Run: A 6,000-Mile Marathon Through North America's Stolen Land. It is a book that contains his 2004 epic run and his background and that of his immigrant parents.

According to Álvarez, he felt that he was still writing the book. The book continues to tell the story of his life. It took him a lot of years to determine he was going to tell his story.

Finally, he was able to decide to unite the beauty of the journey and the challenges along with the ways through running.

The PDJ

The PDJ is a quadrennial event that intends to re-link indigenous participants with their ancestral lands. Its latest edition which is held this year was canceled due to the novel coronavirus crisis.

In 2004, the group of Álvarez was headed to the south to meet with another group originating from Argentina.

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Runny Beyond Burning Calories

According to Álvarez, his group runs not on the sole purpose of burning calories. He said that those runners whose sole purpose was to burn calories did not last. He believes that the event was more than just burning calories.

The Challenges of the Journey

While participating in the marathon, Noé Álvarez had encountered many challenges along the way. In Oregon, he had encountered a mountain lion. In Mexico, a motorist threw a rock at him. There were also tensions between him and the other runners in the event.

The event had allowed him to acquire satisfaction on the run and his life's course.

About Noé Álvarez 

Noé Álvarez grew up in Yakima, Washington. He was the son of immigrants from Mexico with Purépecha heritage. His father found a job in the orchard. His mother worked at an apple-packing plant.

He describes his work at the plant with his mother as physically demanding. He also said that her mother lost sensation in her palms due to her working overtime.

He was lucky to receive a scholarship at Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington. At first, he was culture-shocked. While studying, he revealed his fear of failing from school and failing to save his family from poverty. He learned about the PDJ from a friend.