It would sound corny to start a text about a running event called the Jaguar Challenge by saying that an athlete came across, the night before, a jaguar crossing the road in the forest — as if the coincidence contained a mystical symbolism. But the reporter must ask for permission to take advantage of the corniness that, after all, nature provided: what was reported was what happened.
The encounter with the jaguar was a fortuitous — and perhaps rare — stroke of luck on Friday night, on the way back from dinner, near km 31 of the BR-469, which runs through the Iguaçu National Park (PR). And, mystique aside, the focus must be on the test: the Jaguar Challenge debuts in 2026.
The sport is part of the menu of the Cataratas Half-Marathon, which concluded its 17th edition on the weekend of May 16th and 17th. Since 2017, a second race has been held, parallel to the 21 km race, starting on the same day. This year, the secondary race grew — from 8 to 10.5 km — and had its own day, leading to the invitation: athletes, why not run 10.5 km on Saturday and another 21 km on Sunday?
It was also agreed that the shorter event would have a coati as its mascot, duly stamped on the medal; the traditional test, a toucan; and the challenge, well, to that jaguar. Also driven by the journalistic challenge of reporting the multi-effort, the Sheet took on the adventure.
Sign up: an amateur running reporter with some modest and informal experience, but so far without a half-marathon on his resume; without daring to amend evidence on subsequent days; and even less the boldness (irresponsibility?) of adding more effort to cycling, hiking and walking in the city and in the park —after all, runners don’t live by running alone, especially those who travel to run.
Challenges that combine races of different distances are nothing new. In Brazil, perhaps the best known is the Rio Marathon. But each race has its own aura and attractions.
In the case of Foz, they use the good structure of the Iguaçu National Park visitor center; the atmosphere with a bucolic feel to the route; and, elementary, from the viewpoint that opens part of the falls, in front of the Hotel das Cataratas – A Belmond Hotel.
The park is undergoing works estimated by the concessionaire to cost R$600 million, which by 2030 should double its capacity to 4 million visitors per year. Today, part of the work is concentrated near the viewpoint, which meant that in this edition the place was just a passing point for the half-marathoners, who started at the visitor center and made an accelerated “elbow” return for the return trip.
During the sweaty half of the route, there are those who just stretch their eyes and those who slow down to observe the falls, always making the effort to also look ahead, so as not to bump into colleagues or miss the turn. But there are also those who don’t shy away from abandoning the trot, stopping the clock and taking photos.
Those who completed the 10 km route on Saturday were a little luckier. As it departed from there, after sunrise participants were divided between joining the “funnel” of concentration for the start or delaying the course for another selfie with the falls in the background — no one complains about them being leaner, due to the time of year; the race, it must be said, is an obvious attraction to fill Foz’s “low season”.
The altimetry (variation in elevation or difference in level) is 102 m in the short race and 217 m in the long one — including, in both, the climb close to the visitor center, which is comfortingly inclemency only for those who overcome it. Those who ran both distances had the chance to anticipate, at least mentally, the suffering at the end of the semi, but of course it’s not always enough to tell the body that the mind is prepared.
The route itself is flat and without secrets: it crosses the BR between the viewpoint and reception, in a half-marathon round trip. Except for the occasional corrugation and scattered potholes, the asphalt is a carpet. On both sides of the track, the preserved Atlantic forest guarantees fresh air, silence and the company of birds — two or three toucans appeared, but if you see a jaguar at night it is already a stroke of luck, with the early morning rain and the flow of people there is no need to ask for agoutis, coatis or deer to show up.
According to the organization, there were 3,000 10km runners, plus 2,000 21km runners; more than 500 completed the Jaguar Challenge. For athletes, the park was closed during the races and for an extra period of time; it only reopened to ordinary visitors — those who don’t run, that is — at 12pm.
As part of the city mobilizes for the race, it is important to organize: the reporter almost misses the start on Saturday because, at 5:40 am, app drivers repeatedly refused to take the route from the hotel to the park; All that was left was to bow to the unrepublican offer of someone who charged on the outside more than double what was indicated on the platform. (Athletes with cars do not pay for parking in the park.)
In the end, the pain of double effort passes quickly. The first sock yielded more than that — starting with the first ounce.
The journalist traveled at the invitation of Urbia+Cataratas.
