600 kids were expected for Cali, Colombia's first "MaratŰn de Gateadores," [aka Crawlers Marathon] a couple of weeks ago, but according to the municipal health ministry 1,122 showed up.
The human equivalent of a frogjumping contest, the races pitted kids ages 8-18 months against each other in a 5-meter straightline crawl. Unsurprisingly, very few completed the race, despite the entertainingly shameless motivational tactics of their parents.
The race was part of the city's "Cali en movemiento!" campaign, and was spurred by an alarming drop in productivity among Cali baby drug mules at customs checkpoints in the US. It is hoped that by promoting health and athleticism in infants, Colombian babies will be able to boost their average smuggling load from 0.5kg to 1kg/diaper by 2007.
Honestly, did you think I could talk about Cali without making a cocaine-in-diapers joke? Por favor, people, por favor.
Carrera de gateadores. 1.122 CALE‹ITOS LE APOSTARON AL DEPORTE [cali.gov.co]
ColŮmbia realiza maratona de bebÍs engatinhadores [terra.com.br, w/pix]
Colombia to stage baby marathon [ananova, late to the game. via dt reader jan]
[update: meanwhile, in other Colombian drug center civic news, Medellin sponsored a lingerie fashion show for glue-sniffing street urchins. via xeni at boingboing, of course]
They made the kids crawl on concrete? Hardcore.
[and under razor wire, and swim across the river. no, I keed. they put some kind of playmat down for them on the Paseo Bolivar in the center of town. -ed.]
the joke was really funny!!