Geografia dos corpos em movimento: feminismos e corrida de rua no município de Getúlio Vargas/RS

Abstract

This paper analyzes the development of feminist thought and its implications on the struggle of women for the right to their body, to education and to public spaces, with focus on road running as a sport practice. The study is based on a bibliographic review of classic and contemporary women authors to comprehend feminism as a movement that advocates women's autonomy against the patriarchal structures that historically have excluded women from political and intellectual life. Women’s trajectory in sport has been examined since the prohibition of female participation in the first modern Olympic Games to the achievement of symbolic milestones, like Kathrine Switzer’s participation in the Boston Marathon and Maria Lenk in national scenario. In the contemporary context of the fourth feminist wave, the research discusses how the use of digital technologies and the intersectionality perspective enhance the occupation of urban territories by women. The scenario of investigation is the municipality of Getúlio Vargas (RS), where it’s been observed an expressive increase of feminine participation in road running events, from 14 in 2016 to 153 women participants in 2025, in other words, an approximate increase of 993% in the number of women participants in 9 years. Through field observations and the author’s lived experience as a runner, the paper identifies that, despite the urban infrastructure has evolved, limitations like insufficient lighting still determine the appropriation of spaces by women in specific periods of the day. It is concluded that road running in Getúlio Vargas constitutes an act of resistance and of symbolic appropriation in urban spaces, challenging gender norms and reaffirming women’s right to the city and to bodily autonomy.