Vancouver children’s book author Belen Medina won a Washington State Book Award for her debut picture book, “Daughter of the Light-Footed People.”

It’s a short, poetic, vibrantly colorful look at ultramarathon runner María Lorena Ramírez, an unlikely champion from remote Mexico who is renowned for winning races in traditional garb, including a skirt and rubber sandals (huaraches) made from car tires.

An ultramarathon can be any distance that’s longer than the traditional marathon, 26.2 miles. Ramírez first came to fame in 2017 by beating runners from many other nations to win the 31-mile Ultra Trail Cerro Rojo. She has gone on to win or place in many more ultra-long foot races, including 60- and 100-milers.

Medina, 47, grew up in a bilingual and bicultural household in central Califo

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