Marina Richwin: From Corporate Career to Elite Marathoner
Former executive and mother of two shares how she transitioned to high-performance road running after 35.
Marina Richwin reflects on her journey through adventure sports and the corporate world before focusing on road running. Now among Brazil's top marathoners, she details her training routine, Olympic ambitions, and the challenges of high-performance sports.
The journey of Marina Richwin in high-performance sports did not follow the traditional route of most professional athletes. Before establishing herself as Brazil's leading female marathoner today, with personal bests around 2:36, she built a corporate career spanning more than 15 years—working for companies like Mercedes-Benz, Banco Itaú, Specialized, and Nike—and embraced motherhood with the birth of her sons, Thomas and Matias.
From adventure racing to the tarmac test
Her connection to sports began in childhood in Lorena, in the interior of São Paulo, exploring various disciplines. At age 15, during an exchange program in the United States, Marina had her first competitive track and field experience running 3,000-meter events in Oregon. Back in Brazil, she enrolled in Business Administration at FAAP and began competing in adventure races with the support of the Núcleo Aventura coaching group, led by Cris Carvalho, while also taking part in mountain biking, road cycling, and half-Ironman events.
The turning point toward marathons came at age 36. Even without a routine exclusively focused on performance, Marina completed the Berlin Marathon in 2:53. The result signaled that there was room for improvement if she dedicated herself full-time to training, prompting her to leave her corporate role at Nike to test her limits on the pavement.
Specific training and bodily awareness
Under the guidance of coach Ricardo Zuniga from The Run coaching staff and with specialized nutritional support from Fuca, Marina underwent a complete technical overhaul. Her preparation involved lactate threshold testing, heart rate zone mapping, controlled pace workouts, and stepping away from other sports to avoid dispersing energy.
Her weekly mileage increased progressively, reaching roughly 120 kilometers during peak training blocks. According to Marina, the foundation built during her years of adventure racing proved crucial in developing mental resilience and bodily awareness, allowing her to pace herself effectively during races and prevent injuries.
In her first marathon after starting structured preparation, she shaved 12 minutes off her personal best to clock 2:42, paving the way for consistent performances in major races such as Chicago, Boston, and Valencia.
Sustainability in sports and digital presence
Balancing an athlete's routine with securing sponsorships remains a challenge in Brazil. Marina notes that the advertising market often prioritizes high-reach influencers over dedicated performance athletes, forcing competitors to invest their own resources into content production and brand management.
To maintain an effective communication strategy without compromising training focus and recovery, she works with a digital strategy and video editing agency, keeping control of the scripts based on her authentic experiences in training and competition.
International cycle and Olympic goals
Her short- and medium-term athletic plans include running the Valencia Marathon to continue lowering her time and secure a spot at next year's Lima Pan American Games. As the leader of the national rankings, her primary focus is to remain among the country's top two female marathoners.
Regarding the Olympic Games, with the demanding direct qualifying standard set at 2:26, the strategy targets qualification through the World Athletics world ranking points system, aiming for prominent positions inside the global top 100 through selected races.