Adalberto Batista Garcia (born 31 August 1967) is a Brazilian

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

. He competed in the men's 5000 metres at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

. Garcia was born in

Indiaporã Indiaporã is a municipality in the state of São Paulo (state), São Paulo in Brazil. The population is 3,969 (2015 est.) in an area of 280 km². The elevation is 440 m. Media In telecommunications, the city was served by :pt:Companhia_de_Tele ...

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

, Brazil. A friend convinced him to start running at age 17. He trained under the Smel Rio Preto /

Brasil Telecom Brasil Telecom S.A. (; BrT) was a major Brazilian telecommunications company headquartered in the Brazilian capital of Brasília. The company was one of three landlines and eight mobile telephone companies – and only long-distance service provi ...

team. In 1992, he came third at the

Gate River Run The Gate River Run (GRR), formerly known as the Jacksonville River Run, is an annual road running event in Jacksonville, Florida, United States, that attracts both competitive and recreational runners. It has functioned as the US National Champi ...

; in 1995, he was the second best Brazilian in the

Saint Silvester Road Race The Saint Silvester Road Race () is a long-distance running event, the oldest and most prestigious street race in Brazil. Regarded as the main international event in Latin American athletics, the Brazilian competition is held yearly in the cit ...

, and he came second at the . After winning the 1996 Troféu Brasil de Atletismo 5000 m and 10,000 m, Garcia qualified for the 5000 m at the 1996 Olympics, where he finished 12th in his heat and did not advance. Following the Olympics, Garcia focused on

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ru ...

, participating once more in events like the Saint Silvester Road Race, placing 27th at the 1998 edition. In 1999, he came in third at the Troféu Brasil's 5km race, and won the 50 Years of Marcopolo 10.5km race held in the snow in southern Brazil. He placed 1st at the 2001 São Silvestre de Brodowski race, winning a car in lieu of prize money. The following year, Garcia defended his title by taking advantage of his competitor David Cheruiyot falling into a ditch. In 2000, Garcia was the Brazilian record holder over

5000 metres The 5000 metres or 5000-metre run is a common long-distance running event in track and field, approximately equivalent to or . It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics, run over laps of a sta ...

. Garcia won the 2005

São José do Rio Preto São José do Rio Preto () is a Municipalities of Brazil, municipality in the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, Brazil. It is located in the northwestern region of the state, approximately from the city of São Paulo and from Brasília ...

stage of the Fila Paulista Circuit, finishing the

10K run The 10K run is a long-distance road running competition over a distance of . Also referred to as the 10K road race, 10 km, or simply 10K, it is one of the most common types of road running event, alongside the shorter 5K and longer half ...

course in under 30 minutes. Training under the Funilense club, Garcia won the 15 de Fevereiro Pedestrian Race in 2005. Having won the race in 1995, it marked ten years since his last win. He retired from competition in 2007. In school, Garcia studied

physical education Physical education is an academic subject taught in schools worldwide, encompassing Primary education, primary, Secondary education, secondary, and sometimes tertiary education. It is often referred to as Phys. Ed. or PE, and in the United Stat ...

References

External links

* 1967 births Living people Athletes (track and field) at the 1996 Summer Olympics Brazilian male long-distance runners Olympic athletes for Brazil Place of birth missing (living people) Athletes from São Paulo (state) Troféu Brasil de Atletismo winners 20th-century Brazilian sportsmen {{Brazil-athletics-bio-stub