31 Editions of Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha!

I think it is fair to say that it was athletic race walking that gave the decisive impulse for Rio Maior to dream of one day becoming a true Sports Council. With the achievements of the riomaiorenses athletes, it became imperative this recognition and investment in a Council, which through its political decision-makers and its sports agents, managed to understand sport as a differentiating factor for development.

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And it is in this dream that the intention of organizing an Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha was born, a bet that turned out to be not only the right one, but also a clear winner.

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I believe it is of the most elementary justice to highlight the role of two great men from Rio Maior who knew, each in their own function, to have this foresight and be the true creators of the beginning of this path of success that is the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha. Silvino Sequeira, Mayor at the time, and Jorge Miguel, coach of the Rio Maior Swimming Club and passionate about sports in general and athletics in particular, envisioned a successful future to a strategy that few (at the time) would predict success. History was in charge of proving the certainty of that bet, and today, 31 editions later, the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha is a worldwide recognized event and inseparable from the name Rio Maior, Sports Council.

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Since the birth of this great event, athletes from more than 50 countries have walked the streets of riomaiorenses, in a competition of the highest level in the discipline, bringing to our city international prestige and recognition.

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Some thanks are due to several people and entities, which greatly contributed for this event to achieve the success that is recognized. To thank the Comité Olímpico de Portugal, the Federação Portuguesa de Atletismo, the Associação de Atletismo de Santarém, the Clube de Natação de Rio Maior, the local authorities who participated in this growth, Desmor's staff and the entire Rio Maior community, is more than an obligation, it is a reason for great satisfaction. Great projects duly founded on successful partnerships will always be victorious! To all these individuals and entities, on behalf of Rio Maior, thank you very much!

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Any event that has the affirmation capacity, the demonstration of quality and the organizational competence to celebrate 31 editions of existence, will always deserve our greatest respect and admiration. In these 31 editions, it is important to highlight the qualitative and quantitative growth that the International Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha has demonstrated, always attracting more and better athletes.

The first 31 editions of the Grande Prémio Internacional de Rio Maior em Marcha, its success and international recognition are the perfect motto for us to state with certainty that this event has everything to continue to achieve success, improving continuously as it has done so far.

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Thank you to all those who allow this path to continue to be registered, with golden lines, in the history of Rio Maior and of Sport itself!

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Filipe Santana Dias
Mayor of Rio Maior