My Rio Run
The Backstory
It is 1 April 2023. I have started a new job in Berlin only two months ago. My brain is fried. I have been working hard on my software engineering skills. IDAGIO's BI infrastructure is demanding.
Luckily, two days before, on 30 March, I could leave this all behind. My friend Lucas is going to get married in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A perfect excuse to escape the cold and grey Berlin spring and to ditch work for a few weeks.
When you think about traveling to Brazil, Porto Alegre is probably not the first place that comes to your mind. So I said to myself: Why not extend the trip a bit and visit Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires as well?
A dream more than ten years old was about to come true: Running in Rio de Janeiro. When I was 18 years old, I had flown to Brazil to visit my friend Pedro. I had met him in the United States during my year abroad in Arkansas.
Back then, we had spent only a few days sightseeing in Rio, and I was too scared to go for a run alone in this big city. Now, more than ten years later, I was back. I was finally going to do it.
The Run Experience
I wake up around 9 am that Saturday. Everything is set perfectly: The sun is shining, the sky is blue, it is 22 degrees Celsius. Perfect running weather. I put on my running shoes. Che Lagarto Hostel in Ipanema, where I stayed, was located just a block from Avenida Vieira Souto and only two blocks from Canal do Jardim de Alah, separating Leblon and Ipanema.
I head east on Avenida Vieira Souto along the beach around 11 am. Almost immediately, I am taken aback by the beauty of the mountain view of Dois Irmãos. Leblon beach is on my left for about a kilometer, then it is time to turn 180 degrees. The straight beaches of Leblon and Ipanema are stretching about 4 kilometers. Now, to my right sits the turquoise water of the Atlantic Ocean, sparkling in the sunlight. The golden sand beach is wide and long. People are playing beach volleyball, sunbathing, jogging, walking, surfing, or casually drinking from a coconut. And yes, the women in their bikinis are mesmerizing and plentiful.
I reach Arpoador, the famous rock formation at the end of Ipanema beach. I spot the outdoor gym. It shall become a home in the hours and days after. Yet, right now, other priorities prevail. From Arpoador, I run a fairly ugly piece of road for about 500 meters, connecting Ipanema and Copacabana beach. It pays off. The moment I turn left onto Avenida Atlântica, I am greeted by one of the most iconic views in the world.
Yes, I see the Pão de Açúcar. I grew up dreaming of soccer players from the Sugarloaf. An endorphin rush of rare intensity hits me. I feel alive. I feel grateful. I feel blessed to be here. The rest of the run is almost a blur. I run along the entire Copacabana beach, turn around at Forte de Copacabana.
Upon turning around, I see the entire stretch of Copacabana beach with the mountain backdrop. In the back of my mind, I hear street vendors, but my attention surrenders to my eye sight. The view is simply breathtaking: In front of me is the iconic Christ the Redeemer statue sitting on top of Corcovado mountain.
From the turn, it's a long stretch along Copacabana and down Ipanema beach. These 6 kilometers pass as if in seconds. The last few hundred meters before I reach the hostel I walk. The scents of street foods are calling for attention. I guess I shall have skewers for lunch after my shower. I have run about 15 kilometers in total. I am sweaty and happy. Nothing else really matters in this moment. I have fulfilled a dream. Running in Rio de Janeiro.