Lent.az
A video of a homeless man in Brazil running a marathon in flip-flops has gone viral on social media, drawing widespread attention.
According to Lent.az, citing foreign media, Isaque dos Santos Pinheiro participated in an 8-kilometer race in his hometown of Garrafão do Norte on July 27 while intoxicated. Despite not registering for the race like other participants and wearing flip-flops instead of athletic shoes, he jumped into the crowd and started running as soon as the starting signal was given. This moment was captured by a drone camera flying overhead, and the footage of the drunken man in flip-flops running with all his might quickly caught the attention of social media users.
Isaque couldn't run the entire distance in one breath, but he still reached the finish line and received a commemorative medal.
"I was drunk that day, and when I saw that crowd, I thought: I'll run, maybe I'll get rid of my hangover," Isaque said in an interview.
The story quickly made the front pages of local Brazilian media. This event attracted the attention of journalists, who reported on his difficult childhood, alcohol problems, and homelessness.
With the help of a woman named Estela Laricieri, who shared the video that went viral on social media, Isaque created an online profile and began receiving donations in the form of sports shoes, clothing, special running glasses, and even invitations to train with professional runners. The municipality of Garrafão do Norte also contacted him and invited him to participate in future running events.
Estela Laricieri also reported that she and other activists have already taken Isaque off the streets and emphasized that their goal is to build a personal home for him in the future.
"I stopped drinking after running that marathon. I changed my life, and I want to change even more. I receive a lot of advice, and I will never give up," Isaque told Brazilian media with great enthusiasm.
