Marílson dos Santos recalls first São Silvestre, on race prep | OneFootball

Three-time champion of the São Silvestre International Race, the former long-distance runner Marílson do Santos made an appearance at the COB Expo 2025 Talks Stage last Friday. The former athlete recalled his first participation in the race and detailed how the preparation was done.

The Brazilian explained that the preparation for larger races, like the São Silvestre, is quite different compared to shorter distance races.

“When it comes to training, it is very different. For the marathon, we have a higher weekly training volume, we need to run more kilometers at a lower intensity. A well-prepared athlete, especially when transitioning from shorter to longer races, is extremely capable, in their best shape to run. I improved my marks when I started doing marathons. It's not a general rule, but it happens with many athletes. They are different things, but you can adapt and perform well in a 10 km or 15 km race. We can do these races in any case. In the São Silvestre, which has its peculiarities, we don't just rely on endurance to perform well; we also need strength,” said Marílson.

The former athlete was trained by Adauto Domingues, a former long-distance runner who reached the São Silvestre podium four times, although he never won. Marílson highlighted the importance of the coach, especially in his first race, back in the 1990s.

“The main reason for achieving these three victories was this. I trained with Adauto Domingues, who is also a street racing specialist and already knew the ropes. I remember the first time I participated in the São Silvestre was when Arturo Barrios won. I wasn't in a position to win, just to finish among the top ten or twenty. But Adauto would say exactly this: ‘you will participate in the race, you won't make it to the podium, but you will get familiar with the course’,” recounted dos Santos.

“From then on, each year we grew more. Before winning the São Silvestre, I had already been on the podium three times, twice as fourth place and once as runner-up, until in 2003 the moment came to win. It's about focusing, preparing for that,” he added.

Titles of Marílson dos Santos

Marílson dos Santos won the São Silvestre in 2003, 2005, and 2010 and is the only Brazilian three-time champion of the race. Additionally, he also won the New York City Marathon twice (2006 and 2008).

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.