AIn addition to being good for the body, sports offer participants new opportunities, such as making friends, setting life goals, and even visiting new places. This is the case for nutritionist and physical education teacher Vini Sassone, who, despite living in the Botafogo neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro, has never visited Christ the Redeemer.

This will change next Sunday (19), when, at 41 years of age, he will participate in the 5th edition of the Cristo Half Marathon, a race that will bring together 1,500 runners in the Tijuca Forest.

"To this day, I don't even know why I haven't been up there yet. I think it's because I see him [Christ] almost every day, so it seems like something that's always there and that I can go whenever I want. And then time goes by, and you know how it is, right? When I saw the call for the race, I stopped right away and thought, 'Now's the time, and it'll be good for my fitness, I'll run it. It's perfect for me and my lifestyle," said Vini, who will run 21 kilometers in the race.

In this race, the nutritionist and physical education teacher will encounter two new things. The first is the route and the second is the distance. Accustomed to shorter races of five and ten kilometers, Vini is dedicating himself to the Cristo Half Marathon: “Uphill training is challenging. As fit as I am, I've been doing some more specific training for uphill running. I don't want to embarrass myself, especially because he [Christ] will be there with open arms at the finish line.”

The Cristo Half Marathon, which will have two races (10 and 21 kilometers), will take place in Tijuca National Park, the second largest urban forest in the world. The 21-kilometer race will start at Estrada da Vista Chinesa, at the entrance to Tijuca National Park, in Horto (Botanical Garden), passing by Vista Chinesa, Mesa do Imperador, Alto da Boa Vista, Paineiras Visitor Center, and finishing at the foot of Christ the Redeemer. The 10-kilometer race will start at Alto da Boa Vista, at the park entrance on Estrada do Redentor, passing through the Paineiras Visitor Center, Alto da Boa Vista, and finishing at the foot of Christ the Redeemer.