How Gabriel Ganme Overcame Surgeries to Run El Cruce
Sports medicine physician recounts transitioning from road to trail, spinal surgery, and taking on the Andes challenge.
Sports physician Gabriel Ganme shared his journey transitioning from road to trail running on XTREMMA Sports. Navigating high-altitude research, dual hip replacements, and emergency spine surgery, he pushed past physical limits to finish the iconic El Cruce de Los Andes.
The transition from roads to trails often happens through unexpected paths, but Gabriel Ganme's story combines scientific research, athletic grit, and medical resilience. Accustomed to road races and half marathons, the sports physician entered the world of trail running through his master's degree at the Escola Paulista de Medicina, where he studied altitude physiology in a hyperbaric chamber.
From Academic Research to His First Race in the Andes
Searching for athletes to evaluate the drop in oxygen consumption at 4,000 meters of altitude, Ganme met Rafael Campos, organizer of the Origen race held in Portillo, Chile. To collect data from runners who would reach Christ the Redeemer of the Andes, the doctor decided to register for the event's shorter distance—36 km split across three 12 km stages.
His mountain debut was as raw as it gets. Lacking formal trail technique and carrying freshly purchased trekking poles he barely knew how to handle, Ganme took on the Andean terrain and fell in love with the camaraderie and dynamics of trail running. Soon after, he tackled the 25 km at Indomit Mendoza and began clocking miles in Brazilian events like KTR in Passa Quatro, balancing the sport with his demanding medical practice.
Hip Replacements, Spine Surgery, and a Record Recovery
Ganme's mountain journey carries an extraordinary orthopedic backstory: he competes with two hip replacements. Yet his biggest challenge surfaced just three months before running El Cruce, a renowned 100 km multi-stage ultramarathon that crosses the Andes mountain range.
A herniated disc combined with severe spinal canal stenosis caused acute pain and a loss of sensation in his legs, requiring emergency spine surgery. Defying conventional recovery timelines—under the close watch of surgeon Michel Canas, who presented the case at the World Spine Congress—Ganme was already walking long distances within his first postoperative week and resumed light jogging at thirty days, keeping his eyes firmly set on the starting line.
The Ultimate Challenge: El Cruce 2022
Beyond his rapid physical recovery, the doctor suffered a heavy emotional blow with the passing of his father just ten days before the trip. Encouraged by friends to honor the memory of the man who had always inspired his athletic pursuits, Ganme traveled to Patagonia and lined up for the 2022 edition of El Cruce.
The race delivered extreme conditions on the final day, featuring blizzard weather and poor mountain visibility. Inexperienced with GPS watch navigation, Ganme and his trail partner Marcelo took a wrong turn following other runners and ended up adding four extra hours, logging nearly nine continuous hours on the mountain. Despite utter exhaustion and lower back pain from the prolonged exposure, he crossed the finish line just ahead of the cutoff, sealing his lifelong passion for mountain ultras.