The saying goes that a picture is worth a thousand words. Before I talk about the hardest marathon in Brazil, see the photo below.
The road in question is the SC-390, on the stretch that winds through the Serra do Rio do Rastro, between the municipalities of Lauro Muller and Bom Jardim da Serra, in the south of Santa Catarina.
The sharp curves surrounded by waterfalls and exuberant nature made the highway famous, considered a tourist spot and a postcard in Santa Catarina. The British daily “The Guardian” even included the SC-390 in a report on spectacular roads little known in the world.
The impression one gets when traveling through Serra do Rio do Rastro is that there should not be a road there. The slopes are so steep in places that the asphalt needs to be replaced with grooved concrete. This will prevent the car’s tires from spinning during the climb.
It is in this scenario full of pirambeiras that the most difficult marathon in Brazil takes place. The next edition of the Serra do Rio do Rastro Marathon takes place on May 6th and 7th, 2023. Despite taking place only next year, registration for the race opens this Thursday (11). The good news is that athletes will have nine months to train for the race.
The bad part is that training may not be enough.
“You run the race with your legs, with your head and with your heart. You need to respect the mountain range, but remember that the mission is difficult, but not impossible”, says doctor and marathon runner Érika Ferrari, who completed the race in 2018. “I saw people with Ironman experience who looked at the mountain and said they would give up. Despite their exemplary physical preparation, they were intimidated by the slope.”
Just go up?
In the first 30 km, the athlete is faced with ascents and descents – more ascents than descents, it is quite true. The postcard mountain range is reserved for the last 12 km, just when the athletes are tired from the distance and the unpredictable climate of the region.
“In 2018, I ran with a temperature of 12 degrees, in the rain. On the way, I saw people giving up due to hypothermia and, after the finish line, the athletes were greeted with hot chocolate, instead of the traditional isotonic”, recalls Érika. “The year before, the heat was 30 degrees and the risk was heat stroke.”
refinements of cruelty
If the challenging course wasn’t enough, the organization of the event also adopts time limits within the race. The first 29.5 km must be covered in up to 3h50min. The 37km mark needs to be crossed in 5h15min. And whoever does not cross the finish line within 6h20min is disqualified and forced to finish the race in a van.
“This forces the runner to concentrate on one section at a time. There are three races in one”, explains Érica, who completed the race in 5h21. Less than three months earlier, she had run the Vancouver, Canada marathon in 4:05. The difference of 75 minutes between one race and another is on the slopes of Serra do Rio do Rastro.
To further explore the mystique surrounding the ordeal, the organization also created the “Guardians Quest” category. In it, the athlete needs to complete 25 km on the first day and 42 km on the second to receive a special medal. Only 100 people can apply for this category.
Service
Registration for the 2023 edition of the race opens this Thursday (11). The organization expects up to 2 thousand athletes, divided into 12 km, 25 km and 42 km events. There is also the possibility to travel 40 km by bike, without division by category. The marathon kit costs 5 x R$93 + taxes. For details of the regulation and value of all kits, see the website https://riodorastromarathon.com.br/. Entries can be made at vemcorrer.com.
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