QUE SE JODAN!!!!!
For Fidel Marti

Today, the whole of the Spanish bivouac is buzzing with the impetus and emotion created by Fidel Marti.
Julio Bezerra Vicente (D 1013-ESP) and Alejandro Rubio Barba (D 1080-ESP), who both knew Fidel, bear testimony to their undying respect and friendship for this recently departed marathon runner.

“For me, says Julio, Fidel is the incarnation of the very spirit of the extreme marathon runner; he is a point of reference for my running and, this year, I will set off with goose bumps as my memories of Fidel take hold. At the same time, I have a desire to talk about him in the present; he is still here with us.” I look at his skin and see it’s true: he has goose bumps. “15 days before the race, I was preparing mentally. I was thinking about my strategy and I decided that I was going to run the long stage… WITH FIDEL!

 Fidel? He was an adventurer. He was never tired because his mind was stronger than his body.

When I talk about an extreme marathon runner, I’m thinking of a man who runs with his heart, not his legs.

He’s a Master: when I arrived here he taught me to overcome my fear… Fidel shared his knowledge with everybody; he guided me through how to go up a sand dune, where to put my feet… He gave me confidence. I’m 51 years old and my model was a man aged 69!
Every single one of the Spanish runners, in times of loss of energy, doubt, those moments where you tell yourself you’re going to give up, all those runners wanted to run next to Fidel. He had a word of encouragement for everyone. He would talk about everything – his life, his family, his grandchildren – these are times when you give your all.

He said: in an extreme marathon, if you can’t laugh, you’re a dead man!
Alejandro chips in: “I discovered Fidel before I got to know him on Eurosport. I used to call him “The Madman Walking!” and, at the time, I said to myself “anyone could do that!”

Fidel used his extensive experience to benefit each runner as a free, independent individual. He never wanted to convince you or impose his way of seeing things: “You must run YOUR race... Perhaps, when you go up the dune, you might think that you are going up a staircase… Become aware of your own experience”.

There are runners who run, there are runners who walk, and then there’s Fidel: he used to walk, but he went just as fast as the runners, and at a consistent speed, after fracturing his pelvis. He didn’t slow down that much!

Last year, during the long stage, I had a terrible fall. I was teetering on the brink; Fidel went by and he just said, “tranquilo, que te recuperaras” (easy does it; you’ll get back on it) and when I got to the end, after 25 hours, all the Spanish runners from the Bivouac were there to greet me!
At the end of the race, Fidel simply said “Congratulations, Alex, I’m very happy you finished. At the beginning, I thought that you might not manage it physically, but I was mistaken.”
This is my last memory of him.
When you go to a funeral in Spain, you’re given a card with the name of the deceased, the date and a prayer. On Fidel’s, there was simply a photo of the desert with a phrase on the back about taking on life’s paths with courage.