More than four thousand running and nature enthusiasts participated in the 18th Cataratas Half Marathon this Sunday (16). The race had 21km and 8km courses, both entirely within the Iguaçu National Park. The event is certainly already a highlight on the national athletics calendar.
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First, athletes, family, friends and guests arrived early, before dawn, to run and cheer. Then, the Half Marathon organizers gave the start to the courses, which ended next to the Iguaçu Falls, one of the Seven Wonders of Nature.
Among the participants, the majority were Brazilians from 332 cities and several states. In addition, competitors from eight other countries were present in Foz do Iguaçu. Paraguayans formed the largest group of foreigners, with 465 athletes. Other participants came from Argentina, Uruguay, Austria, Peru, Poland, Chile and the United States.
Half Marathon Winners
The winner of the men's 21km race was Jonilson Pinto Prates, from Cariacica (ES). “I prepared for this race for two months. I knew the course had variations and slopes. This is my first time participating. The race had an exceptional atmosphere and reception. Being the champion for my first time is very gratifying.”

Half Marathon (21km) – men:
1st – Jonilson Pinto Prates – 1h10min41s
2nd – Claudemir Ferreira – 1h14min52s
3rd – Gilmar Debus – 1h17min19s
4th – Isaias Schuint Estevo – 1h17min53s
5th – Luciano Gonçalves – 1h18min33s
Paraguayan Florencia Carrizosa Llano took first place in the women's category: “I'm very happy to be running again. I chose this race to be my first race in a long time.”
Half Marathon (21km) – female:
1st – Florencia Carrizosa Llano – 1h28min48s
2nd – Sandra Maria Carvalho – 1h31min52s
3rd – Cleia Aparecida Ferreira Lopes – 1h33min55s
4th – Suelen Franca Yamazaki – 1h34min28s
5th – Francisca Maria Ribeiro – 1h35min9s

8km Challenge – men:
1st – Gustavo Henrique Webbeling – 27min10s
2nd – Jacquison Domingos – 36min19s
3rd – Matheus Lima Macedo – 30min21s
4th – Josiel Martins – 30min-41s
5th – Matheus Biazin – 32min34s
8km Challenge – female:
1st – Leticia Heiler – 32min02s
2nd – Juliana Gomes dos Santos – 33min42s
3rd – Dayani Salarini da Silva Brumana – 35min21s
4th – Andreia Bernardes – 35min45s
5th – Aline Soares de Almeida – 36min19s
Complete results of the 21km and 8km races, on the official platform: https://foureventos.com/wiclax/g-live.html?f=resultados/2025/urbia_cataratas/16%C2%AA_meia_maratona_das_cataratas.clax
According to Mario Macedo, CEO of Urbia Cataratas, the concessionaire responsible for visits to the park and organizer of the event, the race is a celebration of sports, leisure and new ways of connecting with the unique nature of the Iguaçu National Park. “Running in the park is yet another way to get to know and admire the Iguaçu Falls. We look forward to expanding this experience in 2026. We would like to thank the sponsors and partners who trusted and built this event with Urbia Cataratas.”
Audience success and interaction
This year's edition proved the race's success with the public. Participants filled the first batch of registrations in less than 40 minutes. In just 20 days, all three thousand spots were filled, the maximum number to guarantee a quality experience for runners. This result shows the progress made in organizing the race.
Run with your eyes
Chosen to be one of the 50 Brazilian races highlighted in the project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Olympikus brand, the Cataratas Half Marathon is among the races “to run with your eyes”, with routes that are challenging but also enchanting.
With the climate emergency and the reduction of the impacts of global warming in mind, the 16th Cataratas Half Marathon was a carbon neutral event, through the acquisition of carbon credits validated by the UN. In addition, all greenhouse gas emissions resulting from the race will be offset.
Official Half Marathon Photos
The photos of the athletes in the Iguaçu National Park scenery convey the energy of the event and the rewarded effort of the participants. Finally, the photographs are available at website fotop.com (https://fotop.com.br/fotos/eventos?evento=142165&lang=br).