Jurerê Night Run – Hard Rock Café 2026

It’s been a while since I wrote something about running here. I think the last one was the SC21k 2025.
To be honest, in the beginning of 2026 I kind of put running a little aside and didn’t even sign up for the usual races of the year.

Then March came and with it the traditional Jurerê Night Run by Hard Rock Cafe. The last time I did this one was in 2024. I was not signed up this time as well. My friend Mateus Nava was going to run, but he got injured and couldn’t go, so he passed the entry to me. Zero training, really improvised, from one day to another.

And different from other races, this one I didn’t prepare at all. So no goal, no strategy… to be honest, not much of a plan. The only plan was to run with my friends Mauricio Tognon and Regis Leandro.

Jurerê at night has a really nice vibe. It’s not that quiet early training feeling, and it’s not that pressure of a race where you want to perform. It feels lighter, almost like a meeting, a small celebration. And there was a nice coincidence… both of my friends were having birthday exactly that day.

We started without rush, talking more than running. No concern about pace at all. It was more about staying together and just letting the run happen. This changed everything, the whole race felt very light.

A big part of the course is on the sand, with the dark ocean on the side, lights reflecting on the water, the sound of the event mixing with conversations and laughs. You could feel this mix between race and event, but for me it looked like most people were more focused on enjoying than really performing.

Maybe that’s what made this race different. We spend a lot of time trying to control running… training plans, pace, progress, goals. And yes, all of this makes sense. I like it too. But sometimes, when you remove this layer, what is left is something simpler and maybe more real.

Just running.

Running just for running, not everything needs a goal.

Not always the races you plan are the ones you remember. Sometimes it’s the one that appears in the middle of the way, no warning, no preparation, just the intention to enjoy and be there with friends.

Thanks to Mateus for the entry. And to Mauricio and Regis… happy birthday running!