For the second year, sport and culture will connect in the Arts Program.

Merry MacMasters

La Jornada Newspaper, Friday, May 2, 2025, p. 5

The Carrera de las Artes (CA) will have a second edition on May 18, which will be accompanied by artistic activities on the 16th and 17th of the same month in the green areas of the National Center for the Arts (Cenart), an organizing body in collaboration with the National Film Library of the Arts, Channel 22 (which will broadcast the race), the Mexico City Sports Institute and the System of Support for Cultural Creation and Projects.

Last year, the CA had 2,450 registered runners. Now we're looking to reach 3,000 runners , said Raúl Uribe, director of artistic programming at Cenart. The six-kilometer race will run along the central lanes of Río Churubusco, from the Cineteca Nacional de las Artes to Cuauhtémoc Avenue, near the Cineteca Nacional de Xoco, and back.

At the end, around 9 a.m., there will be an awards ceremony for both the women's and men's categories.

The art festival is titled Nenikíkamen!, a Greek word that refers to the moment when the concept of a marathon was born.

The CA is a unique event, as it brings together the values ​​of sport and art, Uribe said. In 2024 , we discovered several similarities between art and sport; for example, teamwork is common to both practices, as is the discipline required for training and preparation .

The first edition took place in one day; now, the festival will kick off on Friday the 16th with the screening of a sports-themed film—yet to be announced—in the green areas of the Cenart.

On Saturday the 17th, activities will take place from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on two stages: the Circus Pavilion and the CA Pavilion. The festival will feature performances at the Circus Pavilion by clown Jesús Chucho Díaz; Valentina Barrios, with a children's musical program; the trombone ensemble from the Higher School of Music; Tania Matus, a bolero and salsa singer; and Mike Sandoval, with jazz.

On the CA stage, you'll be able to hear composer Nur Slim give a participatory concert for children, a selection of choreographies performed by students from the National School of Classical and Contemporary Dance, as well as the theatrical monologue "Still Life" by Remedios Varo, and electronic music by Jen Totk.

For María Romero, CA coordinator, this experience represents a unique connection between artistic expression and sport . After registering in the individual category, each participant will have the option to register in the Team or Costume categories. The prize for the best costume will be a one-year double pass to the Cineteca. Second place will receive a nine-month voucher, and third place, a six-month voucher. Cenart will award prizes in the Team category.

Registration costs 555 pesos and is open at https://carreradelasartes.com.mx .