The ceremony took place at Palacio do Planalto, Brazil president's official residence.

President of the House of Representatives Aldo Rebelo delivered the medal to Santos, as President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is in an official visit to Venezuela and Vice President Jose Alencar is in the United States, where he will undergo a surgery to remove a tumor from his abdomen on Friday.

"This is the recognition from the Brazilian people, from our country of your individual effort," said Rebelo at the ceremony.

The incumbent president also pointed out that athletics is a type of sport that does not demand a high amount of financial investment, which allows the poor to take part in it.

Santos said to be happy and moved by the recognition of his career's greatest feat up to the present.

It took Santos two hours nine minutes and 58 seconds to finish the marathon in New York and become the first South American ever to win the challenge.

Until then, his most relevant achievements included races with shorter-distance courses.