Africans are once again challenge the Brazilians in XVI Sao Paulo International Marathon who will be held in Sao Paulo City on the 2nd of May

After the confirmation of Kenyans Jonathan Kosgei Kipkorir, who made 2h07min31s in Paris Marathon in 2009 and Margaret Okayo, twice champion of the New York Marathon, Boston Marathon champion and twice champion and record holder of the Half Marathon in Rio de Janeiro, the organization of 16th Sao Paulo International Marathon confirms the participation of another strong group of Africans who will try to win the men's and women's event.

Philip Kiplagat Biwott, also of Kenya, 33, has run through streets and avenues in Sao Paulo after having made on 14 February this year the second best time in his career Marathon in Seville, Spain, with the mark 2h10min39. His personal record is 2h10min27s obtained in November 2009, in  Cannes, France.  Kenyan Pauline Otodonyang, 31, is one a consistent runner on the international circuit. She has a personal best in the 10,000 meters 32min00s04 Strasbourg (France); 1h09min12 Half Marathon in Udine (Italy) and 2h29min21s in the Marathon in Amsterdam (Netherlands). Last year, he ran the Marathon in Istanbul (Turkey) in 2h38min25s.

At 25, the Ethiopian Debela Wudnesh Nega is also an experienced marathoner. She ran this year in Barcelona (Spain), with 2h31min50s. His best result, however, was obtained last year in the Portuguese city of Oporto, with 2h30min56s.

IDEEIA INSTITUTE PREPARES EXPO OF THE CHILDREN’S DRAWINGS IN THE IBIRAPUERA GIMNASIUM

Besides participating in the Sao Paulo Maratoninha (children’s race), children will meet the runners of the Sao Paulo Int’l Marathon. About 50 children of the Sao Remo Community, which is supported by a German Non-Governmental Organization called Alavanca Brazil, will take part in the 2nd Maratoninha de Sao Paulo Children’s Race, at the “Ícaro de Castro Stadium”, in Ibirapuera Park.

Later, they will see the exhibition of their drawing works, made during several visitations to museum and open public areas, organized by the Institute for Development of Sports, Entertainment, Inclusion, Arts and Sustainability. The exhibition can be visited by the public from Thursday (April 28th) to Saturday (May 1st). The IDEEIA initiative comes to support educational activities, which promote environmental awareness through sports.

The Project gather children of poor communities to produce drawings based on their observations of the surroundings, during visitation to public green areas, which carry messages on the importance of the open public-natural spaces to athletes and the public. Thus, the initiative includes the population in the correct appropriation process of the nature and public areas, and draw Governmental Authorities attention on the high necessity of creating new areas as well as maintaining the existing and to promote a high and healthy living.

The project entitled ‘Children and the Green Areas of the City’, oriented by lawyer and art-educator Suzana Gnaccarini, from the IDEEIA Art-Education Committee aims to inculcate children with a sense of qualifying perception of the nature, from living it, encouraging comparisons of the spaces through activities directed and pleasure stimulation.

The IDEEIA Institute seeks partnership to promote an association of actions and social projects within great AIMS events such as the Sao Paulo Marathon, Rio de Janeiro Int’l Half Marathon and Sao Silvestre Int’l Race, in their children’s races which will host social initiatives, giving visibility to public green areas of the cities and to the process of including and educating their Children.

Rodolfo Eichler

XVI Sao Paulo International Marathon