Running & Triathlons in Brazil

Runners & Triathletes can participate or compete in plenty of Brazilian Events which can be combined with your trip to Brazil. A few days before in order to acclimatise to the rhythms of Brazil, the food and the climate are definitely wise. As this should be the final part of your training, then only gentle training runs, swims and cycles should be considered while in Brazil. A few days to relax afterwards is also recommended, with sights such as Iguazu Falls or some time relaxing at a beach destination close to your event being generally easy to organise.

We can help with all the logistics for your trip, the registration and entrance fees, the hotels, airport transfers, kit collection (for some events) and all other aspects of your trip. We can join you for warm-up runs and walks in Rio, and advise on the best places to refuel and unwind afterwards.

The main event for runners in Brazil is the Rio de Janeiro Marathon, which generally takes place on a Sunday morning in early July. The 2014 Rio de Janeiro Marathon takes place on Sunday 27 July, the gun goes at 07:30am. The full marathon begins in Recreio dos Bandeirantes, with 40km of beautiful coastline to run between there and the finish line at Flamengo Beach. This classic marathon follows the beach roads of Pontal, Recreio, the Reserva, Barra da Tijuca, the tunnels through to Sao Conrado (with hang-gliders and parasailers overhead) and Ipanema, to Copacabana and Botafogo. The mountains of Rio are always visible, with Sugar Loaf Mountain and the statue of Christ the Redeemer on top of Corcovado visible as you come to the finish line. The half marathon begins at Sao Conrado the same morning using the final half of the route. Around 10,000 participants in total for those.

There are plenty more road, trail and endurance running events throughout the country, including the New Year Marathon in Sao Paulo (a summer city marathon, which can be very tough to adjust to for those coming from colder climates, and also withouth the helpful sea-breezes of Rio); the Florianopolis Half-Marathon in March; and interesting smaller events. Florianopolis also has a 90km round-island relay run in late April; an 84km Beaches & Trails run in mid-October, one of the most challenging running events in Brazil; a 6-person Marathon Relay of 1km each in early November; and a fantastic 52km winter hill run from 915m Uribici in the Santa Catarina mountains to the top of 1,826m Morro da Igreja and back. 

The major triathlon event in Brazil is the Ironman Brasil held in Florianopolis on a Sunday in late May. The 2013 Ironman Brasil is on Sunday 26 May. The event welcomes triathletes from all over the world, both at elite and participant level. Visitors from abroad can register with us, although please consider that you may be advised to bring your own triathlon bike, which will come with extra costs for airline transportation. 

The Costa Verde around Paraty, the scenic coastline between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, also plays host to some interesting events. A regular triathlon, plus trail runs along the hilly coastline, a 50km night-run, and also a running/cycling/kayaking triathlon have been recent events. 

These are races that we can definitely recommend, being the ones that regularly attract foreign visitors. with plenty more full and half marathons, and triathlons and half-ironman events around Brazil  that you may also consider. The races mentioned above also happen in places and/or at times of year perhaps more suitable for visitors from non-tropical countries. There are other marathons in cities further north than Rio, but with hot and humid or hot and dry conditions guaranteed, they may not appeal to everyone.

The Buenos Aires Marathon is a good option in the cooler climate of October further south. Another classic Big City Marathon that takes in many of the interesting sights of the city in its 42km: the Casa Rosada and Plaza de Mayo; the parks of Palermo and Recoleta; La Boca and Puerto Madero. It is a nice, flat marathon on the city streets and park paths, mostly protected from winds and weather, and with around 8,000 participants. Personal Bests can be beaten in Buenos Aires! The date for 2014 is 12 October.

The most difficult marathon from this part of the world though is not on the South American continent. The Antarctica Ice Marathon takes place in November at the foot of the Ellsworth Mountains, just a few hundred miles from the South Pole at 80 Degrees South. This race presents a truly formidable and genuine Antarctic challenge with underfoot conditions comprising snow and ice throughout, an average windchill temperature of -20C, and the possibility of strong Katabatic winds to contend with. Furthermore, the event takes place at an altitude of 700 metres. Serious Runners only for this one, this is definitely not for the faint-hearted! The tenth edition of this race in 2014 takes places on 18 November. 39 people finished the 2013 race, with the winning time of 3.34:37 from a top-class runner perhaps giving some indication of the degree of difficulty. In general, if you want to visit Brazil, South America, or even Antarctica to participate in a running event or a triathlon, the best thing to do is Contact us with some details, and we can talk about the ideas which best suit your group plans at the time that you prefer to travel. We can also send you maps and full details to make sure that you make the right choice of event.