Photo: Thiago Diz

Aniceto Almeida, who owns a small shop of antiques, rode his bike 3,100 miles over 85 days, from Belem, Brazil, to Atacama, Chile, with hopes of completing the Atacama Crossing, a 155-mile, seven-stage race across sand dunes, raging rivers, and hard-packed earth. He wasn’t registered for the race but felt he had a calling. Vladmi Virgilio, a blind runner from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, was registered but didn’t have a guide. So the two decided to team up. Here, Aniceto, left, gives Vlad a loop of rope to represent their partnership and to connect them during the race.