3rd annual Viva La Lucha 5k draws record crowd to Sunland Park
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Sunland Park Racetrack & Casino was full of high-energy fun this morning as runners laced up for the 3rd annual Viva La Lucha 5k.
But for one pair of runners new to El Paso, it offered a fresh perspective on just how much this community shows up for its people.
"It's just part of the part of the program, that we're doing. It just sounded fun. Why not? You know?" said Abel Layton.
He and Amy Layton are both marines that decided to give Saturday's 5k a shot.
The pair joined a sea of runners at the 3rd annual Viva La Lucha 5k.
Many runners wore one thing in common to help get into the festive spirit, lucha libre masks.
"It's just fun. I mean, you get to dress up, get, go, run, get a good meal at the end, and ridiculous pictures," Marcellus Martin, another 5k runner, told ABC-7 during an interview.
"I'm not from El Paso, so it's, it's actually really good to see the whole community getting together. You can see everybody kind of helping each other, pushing each other to keep going. So it's pretty awesome," said Abel Layton.
Saturday's event raised money for the League of Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to community outreach for local families and kids.
Karina is the owner of Lucha Libre Wrestling and the host of this Saturday's 5k.
"It's part of who we are, our culture. I mean, Lucha Libre was born here in El Paso, taken to Juarez, from Juarez to Mexico, and it's what it is now. So, it's something that we wanted to bring, to the community and like, make it big again," Karina Hernandez said during Saturday's 5k.
This year's race brought the biggest turnout yet, with all ages hitting the pavement for a cause close to the community's heart.
"It's --it's really amazing to see the community come, and unite," said Karina.
Runners crossed the finish line to a round of cheers, finishing their race for a cause.
For participants like Amy and Abel, the race was about more than just the finish line.
It was about celebrating community and tradition.
"Honestly, it's beautiful. growing up, i didn't see a lot of these events happening. so now that i see them more often, it's beautiful," Amy Layton told ABC-7 after completing her race.
