Saint Silvester Road Race

This article is about the race in São Paulo, Brazil. For the race held in Madrid, Spain on December 31, see San Silvestre Vallecana.

The Saint Silvester Road Race (official name in Portuguese: Corrida Internacional de São Silvestre) is a long-distance running event, the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil.

Regarded as the main international event in Latin American athletics, the Brazilian competition is held yearly in the city of São Paulo on December 31. This day is Saint Silvester's Day, as it is the day in which the Catholic saint, who was a Pope, died in the 4th century of the Christian Era.

São Paulo's race was originally known as a "marathon", although the course of the race, whose length has varied considerably over the years, was never that of a full marathon. Because of that, the organization eventually dropped the term "marathon", starting to refer to the event as a "race", "international race" or "road race". There was never an official effort on the part of the organization to address the change in the nomenclature, which causes many, including some media outlets,^[1] to continue using the term "Saint Silvester Marathon" when referring to the event. Its course is only 15 km (9.3 mi) long, less than half the length of a marathon but the race is made more difficult by the intense heat of the Brazilian summer and the geographical obstacles that have to be surmounted by the athletes.

Several other places like Amadora and Porto in Portugal (Corrida de São Silvestre^[2]), Calderara di Reno (Maratona di San Silvestro^[3]) and Bolzano (BOclassic) in Italy, and Madrid in Spain (San Silvestre Vallecana), organize yearly Saint Silvester road races or marathons every late December.

History

Cásper Líbero, a "media millionaire" of the early 20th century Brazil, is credited with originally coming up with the idea for the race. He used it as a means of promoting his newspaper. In 1928, the year of the race's 4th edition, he founded one of the first sports newspapers of the country, the Gazeta Esportiva (the Sportive Gazette), which then became the race's official organizer and sponsor. The race would be the main advertising element of this sports newspaper.

The race was held for the first time on December 31, 1925. Unlike most events as old or older, it has not been interrupted or suspended even once during its history, not even for the duration of World War II.

Originally, it was intended for men only, and participation was restricted to citizens of the city of São Paulo. In the following years, runners from other parts of the country joined the race, but it was not until 1941 that a runner not from the city of São Paulo won the race: José Tibúrcio dos Santos, of Minas Gerais, another Brazilian state. At that time, the event was not yet open to foreign participation. That meant that athletes from other countries could not come in to participate, but foreigners residing in the city of São Paulo (immigrants) were free to enroll. Because of this, Italian Heitor Blasi was the only foreigner to have won the race before 1947.

In 1945 the field was opened so that foreign runners could participate. The first international race was restricted to invited runners from South America, but the success of the first two "international events" led race organizers to open the event to the rest of the world in 1947. That year marked the beginning of a 34-year-long period during which no Brazilian man won the event, until José João da Silva, from Pernambuco, won in 1980 (he would repeat the feat in 1985).

The event would remain a men-only affair until 1975, when the United Nations declared that year as the International Year of Women. In commemoration of this, the race organizers held the women's race for the first time. The women's race started as an open event, and the first Brazilian victory would come only in its 20th edition (in 1995), when Carmem Oliveira won.

Since 1993, a shorter race for children is held a few days before the main event (dubbed "São Silvestrinha", or "Little Saint Silvester" – a unisex event).

Until 1988, the race took place at night, approaching the New Year's, but the year of 1989 saw substantial changes in the race's format, in order to comply with the rules of the IAAF. The time of the race was altered (to 3:00 p.m. for women and 5:00 p.m. for men), the course direction was reversed, and men and women, who used to run together, had their races separated. In 1991, the length of the race was extended to 15,000 meters (the distance for the event used to vary almost yearly, usually between 6.5 km and 8.8 km). This variance needed to be corrected in order to meet the requirements of the Federation of Athletics. The race was recognized internationally in that year of 1989.

Growth and prestige

For the first race, in 1925, 60 people filled applications to participate, but only 48 actually showed up on the day of the race. Of these, only 37 were officially qualified, since the rules then required that all runners had to finish within 3 minutes of the winner in order to qualify in the final board.

In 2004, 13,000 men and 2,000 women participated in their respective events.

Although the event had been open since 1945, it would become a noteworthy affair in the international calendar only in 1953, when the most famous runner of the time (and arguably of all time), Emil Zátopek, participated and won the race. In recent times, the foremost long distance runners of the last two decades (almost all of them, with the exception of Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia) have participated at least once in the event.

The principal winner of all times is now Paul Tergat, of Kenya, who has won the race 5 times (1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000). He also holds the record time for the present distance of 15 km, having won his very first race in São Paulo with a time of 43 minutes and 12 seconds.

Champions

Men

National era

Year	Athlete	Country	Time (m:s)	Distance
1925	Alfredo Gomes	Brazil	33:21	8.8 km
1926	Jorge Mancebo	Brazil	22:35.3	6.2 km
1927	Heitor Blasi	Italy	23:00	6.2 km
1928	Salim Maluf	Brazil	29:11.2	6.2 km
1929	Heitor Blasi	Italy	28:39.2	8.8 km
1930	Murilo de Araújo	Brazil	25:35.2	8.8 km
1931	José Agnello	Brazil	26:05.3	8.8 km
1932	Nestor Gomes	Brazil	25:23.02	8.8 km
1933	Nestor Gomes	Brazil	23:50.06	8.8 km
1934	Alfredo Carletti	Brazil	24:10.2	7.6 km
1935	Nestor Gomes	Brazil	N/A	7.6 km
1936	Mario de Oliveira	Brazil	23:38.04	7.6 km
1937	Mario de Oliveira	Brazil	N/A	7.6 km
1938	Armando Martins	Brazil	23:38.4	7.6 km
1939	Luiz Del Greco	Brazil	24:50.4	7.5 km
1940	Antônio Alves	Brazil	22:14	7 km
1941	José Tibúrcio dos Santos	Brazil	22:12	7 km
1942	Joaquim Gonçalves da Silva	Brazil	17:02.06	5.5 km
1943	Joaquim Gonçalves da Silva	Brazil	N/A	5.5 km
1944	Joaquim Gonçalves da Silva	Brazil	17:40.02	5.5 km

International era

Year	Athlete	Country	Time (m:s)	Distance
1945	Sebastião Alves Monteiro	Brazil	21:54	7 km
1946	Sebastião Alves Monteiro	Brazil	21:57	7 km
1947	Oscar Moreira	Uruguay	21:45	7 km
1948	Raul Inostroza	Chile	22:18.2	7 km
1949	Viljo Heino	Finland	22:45	7.3 km
1950	Lucien Theys	Belgium	22:37.8	7.3 km
1951	Erich Kruzicky	West Germany	22:26.5	7.3 km
1952	Franjo Mihalić	Yugoslavia	21:38	7.3 km
1953	Emil Zátopek	Czechoslovakia	20:30	7.3 km
1954	Franjo Mihalic	Yugoslavia	23:00	7.3 km
1955	Kenneth Norris	United Kingdom	22:18	7.4 km
1956	Manoel Faria	Portugal	21:58.9	7.4 km
1957	Manoel Faria	Portugal	21:37.4	7.4 km
1958	Osvaldo Suarez	Argentina	21:40.3	7.4 km
1959	Osvaldo Suarez	Argentina	21:55.8	7.4 km
1960	Osvaldo Suarez	Argentina	22:2.1	7.4 km
1961	Martin Hyman	United Kingdom	21:24.7	7.4 km
1962	Hamoud Ameur	France	22:08.5	7.4 km
1963	Henry Clerckx	Belgium	N/A	7.4 km
1964	Gaston Roelants	Belgium	21:37.7	7.4 km
1965	Gaston Roelants	Belgium	21:20.1	7.4 km
1966	Alvaro Mejia Flores	Colombia	29:57.7	9.2 km
1967	Gaston Roelants	Belgium	24:55	8.7 km
1968	Gaston Roelants	Belgium	24:32	8.7 km
1969	Juan Martínez	Mexico	24:02.3	8.7 km
1970	Frank Shorter	United States	24:27.4	8.9 km
1971	Rafael Tadeo Palomares	Mexico	23:47.8	8.7 km
1972	Victor Mora	Colombia	23:24.2	8.7 km
1973	Victor Mora	Colombia	23:25	8.7 km
1974	Rafael Angel Perez	Costa Rica	23:58	8.9 km
1975	Victor Mora	Colombia	23:13	8.9 km
1976	Edmundo Warnke	Chile	23:50.8	8.9 km
1977	Domingo Tibaduiza	Colombia	23:55	8.9 km
1978	Radhouane Bouster	France	23:51.6	8.9 km
1979	Herb Lindsay	United States	23:26.5	8.9 km
1980	José João da Silva	Brazil	23:40	8.9 km
1981	Victor Mora	Colombia	23:30.2	8.9 km
1982	Carlos Lopes	Portugal	39:41.05	13.548 km
1983	João da Mata	Brazil	37:39.19	12.6 km
1984	Carlos Lopes	Portugal	36:43.79	12.6 km
1985	José João da Silva	Brazil	N/A	12.6 km
1986	Rolando Vera	Ecuador	36:45	12.640 km
1987	Rolando Vera	Ecuador	39:02.56	13.040 km
1988	Rolando Vera	Ecuador	36:23	13.040 km
1989	Rolando Vera	Ecuador	36:45	13.040 km
1990	Arturo Barrios	Mexico	35:57	12.640 km
1991	Arturo Barrios	Mexico	44:47	15 km
1992	Simon Chemwoyo	Kenya	44:08	15 km
1993	Simon Chemwoyo	Kenya	43:20	15 km
1994	Ronaldo da Costa	Brazil	44:11	15 km
1995	Paul Tergat	Kenya	43:12	15 km
1996	Paul Tergat	Kenya	N/A	15 km
1997	Émerson Iser Bem	Brazil	44:40	15 km
1998	Paul Tergat	Kenya	44:47	15 km
1999	Paul Tergat	Kenya	44:35	15 km
2000	Paul Tergat	Kenya	43:57	15 km
2001	Tesfaye Jifar	Ethiopia	44:15	15 km
2002	Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot	Kenya	44:59	15 km
2003	Marílson Gomes dos Santos	Brazil	43:50	15 km
2004	Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot	Kenya	44:43	15 km
2005	Marílson Gomes dos Santos	Brazil	44:21	15 km
2006	Franck Caldeira	Brazil	44:06	15 km
2007	Robert Kipkoech Cheruiyot	Kenya	45:57	15 km
2008	James Kipsang Kwambai	Kenya	44:42	15 km
2009	James Kipsang Kwambai	Kenya	44:40	15
2010	Marílson Gomes dos Santos	Brazil	44:07	15 km

Women

Year	Athlete	Country	Time (m:s)	Distance
1975	Christa Vahlensieck	West Germany	28:39	8.9 km
1976	Christa Vahlensieck	West Germany	28:36.02	8.9 km
1977	Loa Olafsson	Denmark	27:15	8.9 km
1978	Dana Slater	United States	N/A	8.9 km
1979	Dana Slater	United States	29:07.5	8.9 km
1980	Heidi Hutterer	West Germany	27:48.4	8.9 km
1981	Rosa Mota	Portugal	26:45.8	8.9 km
1982	Rosa Mota	Portugal	47:21	13 km
1983	Rosa Mota	Portugal	43:41.59	12 km
1984	Rosa Mota	Portugal	43:35.57	12 km
1985	Rosa Mota	Portugal	43:00.85	12 km
1986	Rosa Mota	Portugal	43:25	12 km
1987	Martha Thenório	Ecuador	46:27	13 km
1988	Aurora Cunha	Portugal	42:12.7	12.640 km
1989	Maria Del Carmen Diaz	Mexico	43:52	12.640 km
1990	Maria Del Carmen Diaz	Mexico	N/A	12.640 km
1991	Maria Luisa Servin	Mexico	54:02	15 km
1992	Maria Del Carmen Diaz	Mexico	53:52	12.640 km
1993	Helen Kimaiyo-Kipkoskei	Kenya	50:26	15 km
1994	Derartu Tulu	Ethiopia	51:17	15 km
1995	Carmem Oliveira	Brazil	50:53	15 km
1996	Roseli Machado	Brazil	52:32	15 km
1997	Martha Thenório	Ecuador	52:04	15 km
1998	Olivera Jevtić	Yugoslavia	51:35	15 km
1999	Lydia Cheromei	Kenya	51:29	15 km
2000	Lydia Cheromei	Kenya	50:33	15 km
2001	Maria Zeferina Baldaia	Brazil	52:12	15 km
2002	Marizete de Paula Rezende	Brazil	54:02	15 km
2003	Margaret Okayo	Kenya	51:24	15 km
2004	Lydia Cheromei	Kenya	53:01	15 km
2005	Olivera Jevtić	Serbia and Montenegro	51:38	15 km
2006	Lucélia Peres	Brazil	51:24	15 km
2007	Alice Timbilili	Kenya	53:07	15 km
2008	Yimer Wude Ayalew	Ethiopia	51:37	15 km
2009	Pasalia Kipkoech Chepkorir	Kenya	52:32	15 km
2010	Alice Timbilili	Kenya	50:19	15 km

Titles by country

Country	Men's	Women's	Total
Brazil	28(1)	5	33
Kenya	12	8	20
Portugal	4	7	11
Mexico	4	5	9
Belgium	6	0	6
Colombia	6	0	6
Ecuador	4	2	6
United States	2	2	4
West Germany	1	3	4
Yugoslavia	2	0	2
Serbia and Montenegro	0	2	2
Argentina	3	0	3
Ethiopia	1	2	3
Chile	2	0	2
France	2	0	2
United Kingdom	2	0	2
Italy	2(2)	0	2
Costa Rica	1	0	1
Czechoslovakia	1	0	1
Finland	1	0	1
Uruguay	1	0	1
Denmark	0	1	1

¹ Brazilians won 17 times in the national era, and 11 times in the international era.

² Italy only won in the national era, with the Italo-Brazilian, Heitor Blasi.

References

1. ^ "Google search:media outlets still use the term "Saint Silvester Marathon"". Google.br. http://www.google.com.br/search?q=%22maratona+de+s%C3%A3o+silvestre%22&hl=pt-BR&start=0&sa=N. Retrieved 2008-01-04. 
2. ^ (Portuguese) Rui Silva e Sara Moreira vencem São Silvestre do Porto, Público (December 28, 2008)
3. ^ (Italian) Maratona di San Silvestro

External links

• Official website (Portuguese)