With registration sold out since January, Maratona do Rio continues with more center and less edge – 06/06/2023 – Na Corrida

“May the ugly ones forgive me, but beauty is fundamental”.

As far as is known, Vinicius de Moraes was not a marathon runner. But his sentence reproduced above represents the thoughts of thousands of Brazilian runners who dream of running the most classic 42 km of athletics. And, even though taste is not disputed, it is consensual to say that few cities enchant the eyes of both those coming and passing by as much as Rio de Janeiro.

The Rio de Janeiro Marathon is the most desired in Brazil. The size of this desire can be measured by looking for kits. While many organizers across Brazil are struggling to sell their tickets, registration for this weekend’s edition in Rio ended in January – that is, almost six months ago.

“In May, we offered 893 spots in excess for the 5k and 10k distances. Entries sold out in 10 minutes”, says, proudly, the director of the race, João Traven.

This weekend, 18,000 privileged people will run the half marathon, and 6,000 will do the 5k race. On Sunday, there are 10,000 in the marathon and another 6,000 in the 10k. There are still 2,000 self-sacrificing people who will try the challenge of running 21k on Saturday and another 42k on Sunday.

If the marathon is so popular, why not simply increase the number of entries? “We are at the limit”, explains João. “A bigger marathon could threaten the runner’s experience, and I don’t want that.”

The Rio de Janeiro marathon will be broadcast on ESPN on Sunday, starting at 5 am. The route is practically the same as last year, with less waterfront and more center.

Another attraction is the presence of Daniel Nascimento in the half marathon. Danielzinho, as he is known, is considered the best active marathoner in the Americas.

Below, a summary of my conversation with João Traven.

Is there room to grow these numbers?
Saturday can increase. The route supports more people. On Sunday, with the marathon, I have a problem with commuting downtown. The Museum of Tomorrow region, for example, is not very wide. I can’t put too many people there. In order to provide a good experience for the hall, I can’t go too far past the current number of participants.

In the past the test was greater…
When the start was at Recreio dos Bandeirantes, we had 13,000 people. Today, you can only change the route and remove these bottlenecks in the center. But, in my opinion, that would imply sacrificing the beauty of the current route, something that is not up for debate.

But the majors are big…
Berlin and New York have big avenues. The starts happen in many waves. It is another proof proposal.

The Rio Marathon has changed the route in recent years. Before, it left Recreio dos Bandeirantes, now it is closer to the South and Center Zone. How do you compare these two routes?
Taste is not discussed. There are people who say they don’t like the test anymore because they loved the long stretch on the edge. There are people who prefer the center, say that the route is faster and complain if I change. The truth is that two-thirds of marathon participants do not live in Rio. The beauty of the circuit is a fundamental aspect of a race here. It is common for you to see athletes stopping the race to take pictures. This makes our test special.

And what are the plans for the next editions?
Our ambition is always to make this the most coveted marathon in Brazil, in South America. We want to extend the event and make it 3 days, enjoy the holiday, engage the runner and his whole family.

How do authorities help organize the race?
I just had a meeting with all the bodies. Secretary of events, responsible for traffic, etc. The municipality does not put money directly into the test, but it helps by exempting us from some fees and improving the logistical issue. We asked for the early closure of Aterro do Flamengo, something that has an impact on the city, but helps with organization. We were attended to our requests. Deep down, the city hall has the sensitivity of those who have a positive impact on tourism and the city’s economy. Do you hear from app drivers: “I can’t do 3 of these a year”?

And in relation to the elite runners, what is the challenge?
For the elite, what really counts is the speed of the course and the prize. We will pay BRL 50,000 to the winner, that is, 10,000 dollars. Not to mention the cost of bringing a top athlete, related expenses, fees, etc. This year, in addition to international names in the marathon, we will have Danielzinho (Daniel Nascimento), the best marathon runner in the Americas, participating in the 21k.

Besides tourism, how does the marathon help the city?
We have three NGOs that receive part of the registration fee. Part of their job is to help fund training projects for Olympic athletes. In the past, we’ve even distributed entries to charities so they can raffle off or auction and raise additional funds.

And the experience?
Now there are three days left to pick up the kit at Marina da Glória, to make the task more comfortable for the runners. We also created a VIP kit delivery at Shopping Leblon, with a differentiated experience, legal structure and parking.

What is the main change compared to last year?
Saturday is not a holiday. The journey to Leme disrupted the city’s routine a little, in addition to the narrowing of the road to the corridor. This year we are removing Leme and increasing the route in the center.

We passed on a small street in the center with several speed bumps. We took this street too.

The Rio Marathon takes place a week after the Porto Alegre race. Doesn’t two races of this size separated by so few days weaken the two events?
Every year people from Porto Alegre call me asking if we will keep the race on the Corpus Christi holiday. The answer is always yes. And then they confirm the race a week early. I understand that we could talk and think about something together. Who knows a promotion for those who want to run both races, for example?