Paralympian Cristiano Pereira smashed the world record in the T20 category in the Descobrimentos half marathon in Lisbon on Sunday, winning the title of International Federation for Athletes with Intellectual Disabilities (VIRTUS) European Champion.

In the T20 division, which includes athletes with intellectual impairments, Cristiano Pereira set a new world record for the distance when he crossed the finish line in 1:06.31 hours.

The Portuguese squad including Luís Pimentel (1:16.33, seventh place), Paulo Benevente (1:17.45, ninth place), and João Monteiro (1:18.09, tenth place) was headed by the competition champion Cristiano Pereira, the Casa do Povo de Mangualde athlete.

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A passionate Irish journalist with a love for cycling, politics and of course Portugal especially their sausage rolls.

Rory Mc Ginn