Sports
Trail Running and the Power of Community with Marina Ferrari
The creator of Corre Junto explains why the mountains demand humility and how running gains strength when shared.
Sports journalist and runner Marina Ferrari shares her transition from road to trail running and the lessons learned in the mountains. In an open conversation, she details the creation of Corre Junto and the importance of fostering community connection in sports.
Transitioning from road to trail running goes far beyond swapping cushioned road shoes for a lugged outsole. The shift demands a complete mental overhaul: the watch loses its role as an unforgiving pace judge, the terrain dictates the rules, and perceived exertion takes center stage. This journey of discovery was shared by sports journalist Marina Ferrari alongside Mariana Real and Marcela Fanti on Girls Who Run, demystifying the mountain world and introducing the mission behind the Corre Junto movement.
PUBLICIDADE (GAM) — 1250x250
From the TV news desk to the trails of Floresta da Tijuca
With a prominent career at TV Bandeirantes and Fox Sports covering World Cups and the Olympic Games, Marina found running to be an essential outlet for the demanding pace of live broadcasts. The sport began casually on the treadmill around 2012, evolved into road races and half marathons, and expanded after her move to Rio de Janeiro in 2013.
In 2018, through a gym instructor's recommendation, she met coach Manuel Lago, an ultramarathoner deeply active in Rio's trail scene. Her first taste of the Floresta da Tijuca trails—navigating steep climbs and technical descents near Vista Chinesa and Pedra da Proa—was a turning point. Even while tackling that initial run in standard road shoes and with minimal trail technique, the connection with nature and the challenge of the terrain reshaped her athletic path.
What the mountain teaches (and the road conceals)
For Marina, the greatest lesson from running in nature is the need for a healthy dose of humility. On mountain trails, factors such as elevation gain, unstable ground, and sudden weather shifts make maintaining a fixed road pace impossible. Covering 10 km or 21 km in the mountains demands considerably more effort and time than the same distance on flat asphalt.
This dynamic requires training specific skills that rarely appear on standard road training plans. Power hiking—purposeful, rhythmic power walking with proper posture on steep inclines—is a core component of mountain preparation that engages different muscle groups than continuous running. In demanding events, such as the marathons Marina completed in Chilean Patagonia (Patagonia International Marathon and Ultra Paine), energy management, self-sufficient hydration, and constant focus on foot placement are the true cornerstones of success.
Where to train trails in São Paulo and essential safety tips
Moving back to São Paulo required scouting new off-road training routes. Top spots across the capital and surrounding areas include Pico do Jaraguá (featuring the challenging Trilha do Pai Zé alongside shorter routes like Trilha da Bica and Trilha do Silêncio), Parque Alfredo Volpi for undulating tempo runs, Parque Burle Marx, Parque Anhanguera, Voturuna Life Park, and scenic loops across the Serra da Mantiqueira region and Jundiaí.
For those just getting started, Marina advises never exploring unfamiliar trails alone. Beyond planning transportation and logistics, having company—whether through running groups, coaching clubs, or experienced friends—ensures immediate support in case of sprains, lost cell service, or wildlife encounters.
Corre Junto: genuine connection over pace obsession
Faced with a running culture increasingly dominated by split times and training metrics, Corre Junto was born. The initiative blends engaging content (technical articles, community contributions, and the Clube do Corre podcast) with hands-on trail immersion weekends created alongside Manuel Lago, sports nutritionist Gláucia Lippel, and physical therapist Fernanda Rizzo.
These immersive training retreats, held in destinations such as Campos do Jordão State Park and the Serra da Mantiqueira—alongside urban community runs in São Paulo—focus on inclusion. With dedicated 'sweepers' ensuring no runner is left behind and regular regrouping points, the initiative demonstrates that running is far more fulfilling when approached as a tool for connection, collective safety, and shared experience.
PUBLICIDADE (GAM) — 1250x250
