Kenyan Agnes Keino, 36, and Kenyan Wilson Too, 33, were the winners of the 2024 São Silvestre International Race. In the 99th edition of the traditional São Paulo street race, this Tuesday (31), The quality of African athletes has once again prevailed, as they have been sovereign in the competition.
Brazil has not had a winner since 2010, when Marílson Gomes dos Santos triumphed among men – the last woman in the country to obtain first place was Lucélia Peres, in 2006. This time, the best Brazilians in the dispute were Núbia de Oliveira, third in the women’s race, and Johnatas Cruz, fourth in the men’s race.
“We showed our strength. I was third and I’m happy with the result. We worked hard to get here,” said the 22-year-old from Bahia, who hopes to climb the podium. “Today, I was placed third, but we can dream, yes, that a Brazilian can win São Silvestre again. We can dream more, that’s for sure.”
Cruz also celebrated a lot and approved his own strategy. “I did a more mental test, because it’s not easy. I let the guys go in front and I started looking, little by little. To do that, you need to train a lot. Sometimes, we train our physique a lot and our head gets lower The mental part was important”, said the 34-year-old miner.
As usual on the last day of the year, professional and amateur athletes gathered for the start on Avenida Paulista. Also as usual, part of the 37,500 registered participants covered the 15 km route in costume – which, after a descent into the historic center of the capital of São Paulo, ends in Paulista itself after the feared climb up Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio.
The women started at 7:40 am. Agnes Keino and compatriot Cynthia Chemweno established themselves at the front and were initially closely followed by Brazilians Núbia de Oliveira and Pedrina Silva Vieira. They soon distanced themselves from the others, before Keino stood out and also opened up an advantage over Chemweno.
The athlete completed the journey in 51min26, ensuring Kenya’s seventh consecutive victory and the 17th consecutive victory for African competitors in the women’s race. In the men’s race, Wilson Too, with 44min22, gave Kenya the second consecutive victory and the 13th in the series for athletes from the African continent.
The men left at 8:05 am. Kenyan Wilson Mutua set a very strong – and unsustainable – pace at the beginning. It was clear that he wouldn’t last much longer and he fell behind at the third kilometer mark, close to the Pacaembu stadium, where Too took the lead so as not to lose it again.
Each of the winners took R$59,700. The event, which this year distributed a total of R$ 281,900, now has 37 victories by Kenyan athletes since its first edition with non-Brazilians, in 1945. Record holder Paul Tergat is responsible for five of these triumphs, in 1995, 1996, 1998 , 1999 and 2000.
He has only won the race more than the Portuguese Rosa Mota, champion six consecutive times, from 1981 to 1986. The Brazilian with the most titles in the international phase is Marílson Gomes dos Santos, first place in 2003, 2005 and 2010. Brazil has , since 1945, 11 victories for men and six for women.
Check out the podium for each race
Female
1. Agnes Keino (WHAT)
2. Cynthia Chemweno (QUE)
3. Núbia de Oliveira (BRA)
4. Anastazia Dolomongo (TZN)
5. Tatiane Raquel da Silva (BRA)
Male
1. Wilson Too (QUE)
2. Joseph Panga (TZN)
3. Reuben Poghisno (WHAT)
4. Johnatas de Oliveira Cruz (BRA)
5. Nicolas Kiptoo (QUE)
