2026 Bridge Challenge: 21km race between Niterói and Rio takes place in August!

The Rio-Niterói Bridge will again be the scene of one of the most emblematic challenges in the Brazilian sports calendar. Next Sunday, August 2, the second edition of the Bridge Challenge takes place, a half-mile marathon connecting Niterói to Rio de Janeiro on an exclusive route over the largest bridge in the southern hemisphere.

The start will be held between 6:30 and 6:55 a.m., in front of the Niemeyer Way, in the Niterói Center, and the arrival takes place in the Praça Mauá, in the port region of Rio. For athletes with proven technical index in a half marathon or marathon, the race offers a unique experience by joining sports challenge, landscapes of Guanabara Bay and a normally closed route to the public.

The event brings together runners from various regions of the country in a test of high physical demand, consolidating itself as one of the most anticipated of the national calendar of street racing.

Special transit scheme on the Rio-Niterói Bridge

To ensure the safety of the participants and minimize the impacts on urban mobility, a special transit operation will be implemented between Saturday night (1o) and Sunday morning (2).

The first changes begin at 22h on Saturday, with the interdiction of two tracks in both directions of the Rio-Niterói Bridge. In the direction Rio–Niterói, the restriction will occur only in the stretch between Mocanguê and the toll square.

At 5 o'clock on Sunday, another track will be banned in both directions. During the entire performance of the test, a track will remain free for vehicle movement in each direction. The forecast is that the flow will be fully normalized up to 12h, after dismantling the event structure.

In addition to the bridge, there will be specific changes in traffic in the starting regions, in Niterói, and the arrival, in the Praça Mauá. Detailed guidelines will be disseminated by the bodies responsible for the road operation.

Interdictions in transit Niterói and Rio de Janeiro

• 22h (Saturday, 1st/08): interdiction of two tracks in both directions (in the direction Rio–Niterói, only between Mocanguê and the toll square);
• 5h (Sunday, 2/08): interdiction of another track in both directions (in the direction Rio–Niterói, only between Mocanguê and the toll square);
• 12h: Total traffic release forecast.

Drivers should plan their journeys in advance, use public transportation whenever possible and follow the guidelines of Ecovias Ponte, CET-Rio, NitTrans and traffic agents.

Special operation of barges

To facilitate the athletes' access to the start, a special boat operation will be performed before the start of the regular operation.

Three exclusive vessels will depart from Square XV at 4:40, 5h and 5h20, intended exclusively for registered corridors. The shipment will be organized by means of bracelets identified by color and time, distributed by the event organization.

Service:

Date: 2 August (Sunday)

Start time: between 6:30 and 6:55

Drop: Niemeyer Way – Niterói

Arrival: Praça Mauá – Rio de Janeiro

Course: 21 km

Minimum age: 18 years (complete until 31/12/2026), according to CBAT Standard 12

Athlete kit: official shirt, visor, chest number with chip and medal

Extra Tickets/Inscriptions: from R$249.50 (Lot 1). Ensure your registration on site! (registrations made from July 23 do not include personalization of the breast number with the name of the athlete)

Social network: @ challenge of the official bridge