More than a thousand athletes participate in the 51st Coronel Fontoura Race at UFPA
Organized by the Military Police of Pará, the race is open to the general public and brought together 1,200 registered participants distributed in ten groups, establishing itself as one of the most traditional events in Pará athletics.
The 51st edition of the Coronel Fontoura Race took place this Saturday (13) at the campus of the Federal University of Pará (UFPA), in the Guamá neighborhood of Belém. The event, which started at 5 PM, gathered 1,200 registered participants distributed in ten groups, establishing itself as one of the most traditional events in Pará athletics.
Organized by the Military Police of Pará, the race is open to the general public and included the participation of professional, amateur, military athletes, and the community, promoting social integration, health, and well-being. In total, the competitors covered a distance of 8 km within the UFPA campus.
With more than five decades of history, the competition pays tribute to Colonel Fontoura, a prominent figure and patron of the Military Police of Pará, remembered for his legacy of discipline and leadership.
Governor Helder Barbalho attended the opening ceremony and also completed the course. He highlighted the opportunity to integrate into the event: “It’s great to be with the troops, to be with all the athletes, honoring the Coronel Fontoura troop of our police. I could also get a workout in, taking care of my health. I did 5 km in 44 minutes and 28 seconds. It was worth the challenge.”
The commander-general of the Military Police, Colonel Sérgio Neves, also participated in the race and emphasized the institution's role in promoting sports as a tool for health and community engagement. “This is the 51st edition of the Coronel Fontoura Race, with 1,200 registered participants. A great race, a great moment of leisure, quality of life, mental health, and physical activity. Our governor was present throughout the race, everyone was smiling. It was good that we recovered our work activity throughout the week, which is a challenging task. And today we could sweat and have this moment of interaction between the troops and the community,” he stressed.
The finish line was marked by the emotion of the winners. The first-place finisher highlighted the effort and overcoming challenges during the race: “I have been training for about eight years, but not for performance. With study and work, whenever I can, I like to dedicate myself to running. Today I achieved my goal, which was to get a good time, despite the heat. The race was very good, well organized, and I can only thank the PM for the excellent event,” said PM soldier Elidelton Viana.
In the women's category, champion Irânilde Maia celebrated her title and highlighted the transformation that sports brought to her life. “I have been running for four years and it’s incredible to run, it’s health. I changed my life. I had depression and cured it through running. It’s something I love, and today I came to take first place and I achieved it,” she shared, emotionally.
In addition to the Military Police, various forces participated in the race, such as the Brazilian Navy, Air Force, and Fire Department.
