More than 4,000 runners celebrated the sport at the Cataratas Half Marathon

a Iguacu National Park Last Sunday morning (20) received more than four thousand professional and amateur runners about 13 Falls Half Marathon And the 8 km challenge. The participants, coming from all over Brazil and countries such as Paraguay, Argentina and the United States, spread the energy in the gravity that includes Iguazu Falls.

The mild early morning temperatures pushed the athletes even further, who began arriving before dawn. Relatives, friends and sports enthusiasts can follow the race in the chassis mounted on Porto Canoasacknowledging the applause for the efforts of each of the registrants.

First to complete 21.1 km of half marathon It was Alessandro de Sousa, of Pinhais (PR), who set the 1h09min47s and won the victory in his first run. Alessandro, a marathon runner with plans to race in Kenya in October, plans to return to Half Falls next year.

“It is a very good race, the first part is very fast. The second is a little narrower, but the adrenaline of the audience makes you not feel heavy,” the winner praised. “I definitely want to come back next year, we’ve already booked. The weather is very good and the city is welcome. Everything is good.”

Alessandro said.

Second place went to teammate Robson Pereira de Lima who closed in 1 hour 12 minutes 21 seconds.

“It is a race that I have been following for a long time and I had a great desire to race. I am happy to be in second place. Wanting to train more, come back and fight for first place on the podium,”

a challenge

In the female category, Luisa Cravo, of Niteroy (RJ), won the race in 1 hour 26 minutes 50 seconds.

“It was a very good time, it helped a lot. It was a good race, I felt I wouldn’t let up even for a moment and I stayed like that until the end, and I always thought there were people behind to pick me up,”

Uncover the hero.

Marcelo Romano Souza Alexandre won the 8km challenge, with a time of 30 minutes 12 seconds. Roslin Rodriguez Padilla, from Baranava (PR), was first in the female category, with a raw time of 33 minutes 36 seconds. “It’s not easy, but we can beat it,” asked Roslin, who already won the title in 2019. “Next year, I plan to run a half marathon.”

Full results, with times for all riders and final ratings for all categories, are available at Location.

Tourism resume

on head Iguacu National ParkThis year’s edition was special, Sybil Munhose Amato. “This race has been really important to the park throughout its history, but this race has been particularly exciting, given the feeling that things are coming back and wanting to be so much better than before,” he said.

Cataratas CEO Adelio Demeterko considered the return of the half marathon, after two years of postponement, a moment of celebration.

“We saw people’s feelings at first. For those of us who run the race, it feels like mission accomplished to be able to deliver the race on a beautiful day like this,”

celebrate.

“The half marathon is very important, whether to promote the tourist destination or to move the economy. We have four thousand people running here, as well as companions and families who have come to Foz do Iguaçu, to move the economy, the hotels and the whole city,” added Adelio.

Anio Eddet, President of the Iguaçu Fund, sees the event as an important tool for promoting tourism. “Since its inception, the Iguaçu Fund has always believed in good projects. The Half Marathon is a good project in the field of advertising, which is our priority. Participation as champions of honor,” he said.

Felipe Gonzalez, President of Visit Iguassu, bolstered Eddt’s assessment. “The race gives extraordinary visibility, especially in the national media, and brings, in addition to participants from different places, sympathy to the city, because it unites health and the environment, which has to do with our destiny,” he added.