By Brianna Randall 30 April 2021
On a sunny day in April 2019, three elite long-distance trail runners – an American, a Mexican and a Mexican-American – met in a deep, red rock canyon on the banks of the Rio Grande in Texas. Together, they waded into the muddy waters that separate Mexico and the United States.
This was the beginning of the trio s Invisible Wall expedition, a 10-day running journey to explore the desert landscape and meet the people who live along the border. Mike Foote, Mauricio Carvajal Llaca and Mario Mendoza Jr travelled from Big Bend National Park in Texas to the Pacific Ocean at Tijuana, running more than 200km of desert trails and border roads alongside ranchers, kids, tribal members and urban jogging clubs.