In the Land of the Brave, Terceira Is Queen
More than 800 elite athletes tackled the Azores Bravos Trail on the rugged island of Terceira, immersing themselves in the volcanic landscapes, traditions, and spirit of Terceira. More than just a race, it was a journey of self-discovery.
“A hundred kilometers isn’t the same as 100 meters! There are days when I don’t even cover that distance in this van!…” José Drumond spent a few years working the land and the rest of his life driving a taxi. No matter how many times he circles his island, Terceira will still have a circumference of 90 kilometers. “You’ve got to have guts!…”
It takes courage for someone, at midnight, to follow the rocket’s trail and spend more than half a day running 100 kilometers, winding through the wildest and most serene island of the Azores, treading on moss and cobblestone streets, tufts of soft grass, muddy ditches and rugged rocks, facing the wind and the shifting weather on the hilltops, with the scent of fresh figs and cow dung, with the island’s green seeping into your eyes and the red of the earth and the voices heard in the distance — for on this island, there are no secrets.
With a fiery spirit and a garden-like charm, Terceira is at the mercy of super-athletes—men and women, tall and short, young and old—who have left home to run with no end in sight, with legs of iron and hearts of cotton — for life is like a box of chocolates. The island is for those who dare. Strength in the muscles, courage in the heart. Steep climbs, healing views, no audience, no spotlights. More than 800 people set out on this Azores Bravos Trail (AzBT) —they crossedthe finish line a little more human.
“Personal growth,” replies Márcia Pavão, with the whole night ahead of her to run and think about work, family, and life. “I think, ‘What am I doing here?!’” she smiles. “It’s a sport,” sums up Bruno Matos, race director, “but it’s more than just a sport.” There are woods and forests, gigantic tunnels of cryptomeria trees, cliffs, and dormant volcanoes — Rocha do Chambre, Algar do Carvão, Mistérios Negros, Furnas do Enxofre, Angra do Heroísmo. “Every kilometer is a tribute to the beauty of Terceira Island,” says Bruno. Among the four distances (100, 65, 35, and 15 kilometers), 250 local participants are taking part. “Many are passing through these places for the first time…”
Bravos is also a tribute to the courage of the people of Terceira, to the legend of Brianda, who, during the Battle of Salga, unleashed bulls against the thousand Spanish soldiers who landed on 25 July 1581 in the Bay of Salga. It is a tribute to a people who turn narrow alleyways into celebrations, and who weave language into geography.
“Here, no one gets lost. You are always in sight of the sea.”
Between José Machado and the runners lies a labyrinth of curraletas, enclosing low, creeping vines scorched by the salt-laden air. “There is very little cultivated vineyard left because it brings absolutely no income. It survives only out of sheer passion…”
Verdelho, the only traditional grape variety of the Azores, “is disappearing.” The sea is to blame—“on days of heavy spray, I clean the window glass with a steak and it comes out seasoned”—as are those who forget this land of basaltic lava, resembling broken biscuits and scorched bread crusts, which stings the skin of anyone who passes through too quickly.
The term “biscuits” was borrowed to describe a natural characteristic which, in turn, became the name of a place by the sea. “Verdelho is fantastic,” adds Telmo Costa, amidst the grape harvest for 'vinho-de-cheiro,' also known as Isabel. “People want things transformed, and we lose the essential. These vineyards belonged to my godfather, who lived his whole life as a winemaker; today, it’s unthinkable…”
Amidst all this, there's a trail race that gets lost – and won – across the island. There are cows of all colors with right of way, and tourists looking for spots on the map of an island with growing pains, and Hugo milking goats, and festive alleys with bulls tied by rope because they are brave.
