Rio De Janeiro Marathon, Half Marathon See Increase In Female Participants

The Rio de Janeiro Marathon & Half Marathon "celebrates a record number of female participants for this year," according to Duda Lopes of MAQUINA DO ESPORTE. Nearly half of the participants "will be women" for the half marathon. The numbers have "even surprised the organizers." In '13, the half marathon was 38.5% female. Last year, the number "went to 45%." In '13, only 21% of marathon participants were women, whereas this year, the percentage "reaches 30%." Race organizers have "given three hypotheses for the increase in interest: 'the search for the ideal challenge, the desire to improve the quality of life and the discipline in the conquering of goals and results.'" The marathon "will have 26,000 participants," based on last year's data, and will "involve 61 countries" (MAQUINA DO ESPORTE, 7/13).