The 235km route, with starting and finishing points in the city of Teresópolis, located in the mountainous region of the state of Rio de Janeiro, is well-known among cyclists and bike tourists in the area. However, it was in 2024 that the route was officially named the “Serra Verde Imperial” circuit, gaining trail markers, signage, and official start and finish points.
The route passes through small towns and rural areas like Nova Friburgo, Sebastiana, Sumidouro, and Murinelli—places once inhabited by the Puri and Coroado indigenous groups, the original inhabitants of the mountain region. It also goes through Teresópolis, where the Quilombo da Serra still exists today, a crucial community in the resistance of enslaved Afro-Brazilians.
The path consists of many trails, dirt roads, waterfalls, and, of course, challenges. Initially traveled by bike tourists, there were no records of adventurers completing the route on foot. Let alone running it!
Thus, a desire and a possibility arise: to cover the 235km of the Serra Verde Imperial circuit in the fastpacking style.