The Green Team: Ultramarathon in the Amazon
In the Heart of the Rain Forest

Traveling to the Jungle Marathon is a challenge in itself: after doing a day’s work, Friedhelm Weidemann boards an evening plane in Düsseldorf, taking him via Zurich to São Paulo. Then he travels on to Brasília, Manaus, and Santarém, where he rushes to the jetty just in time to catch his ship. After a good 15 hours sailing on the Amazon River and one of its tributaries –the Rio Tapajós – he arrives at his destination: base camp in the heart of the rain forest. He is given his race number, 57 – also his age – and a description of the route. “The roadbook reads like a horror novel,” he says.

The Unique Setting Has Its Pitfalls

The unique setting is nothing if not treacherous. The extreme runners will face steep, slippery slopes, swamps, and tracks that are barely visible along with searing heat and very high humidity. Before they set off, the helpers give them some vital tips. They warn against dehydration, explain which animals are dangerous, and tell the athletes how they can protect themselves. The Amazon is home to more than 4,000 species of animals and over 40,000 types of plants. “The biodiversity I’m experiencing here is unique,” says Weidemann, amazed. “Of course I did some background reading and made sure I was well informed, but this huge forest and the riverscape are having more of an impact on me than I expected.”

“The biodiversity I’m experiencing here is unique,” says Friedhelm Weidemann, amazed.

Clearing the way: With the first road, industry penetrates into the depths of the pristine Amazon rain forest.

Clear-cutting and slash-and-burn methods leave large areas deforested – for wood, minerals, grazing land, plantations, and the necessary infrastructure.

Destruction of a reservoir: The Amazon rain forest binds two billion tons of climate-damaging carbon dioxide per year. Fewer trees mean that it can absorb and convert less CO2 into oxygen. The destruction of the forest releases huge amounts of CO2.

Out of balance: With fewer trees, the forest collects less rain water. Instead of evaporating, the rain seeps into the ground, washing away important nutrients. The natural water cycle is broken, it rains less, and the soil becomes infertile.

Dried out: The rain forest gets more and more out of balance. Trees die off, plants dry out, periods of drought become ever more frequent. Rivers run dry, forest turns to desert, and fires increase.

Global consequences: The Amazon rain forest stores ten years’ worth of global CO2 emissions. Clear-cutting has disastrous consequences, and not just locally. In Europe, too, we feel the effects – in the form of storms, floods, and droughts.