Results for this week three big running events in Italy: Stramilano half Marathon, Treviso and Ferrara Marathon

During last week of March 2011, three major events are relevant for International runners willing to run in Italy.

First of all, the second largest half marathon in the country, Stramilano, takes place this morning at 10:45am from Piazza Duomo. This is the 40th edition and more than 5,200 runners participated to the competitive race, a figure that is 35% higher than previous year, where however Stramilano faced competition with Scarpadoro in the nearby Vigevano. The result was interesting from a performance perspective: 31 athletes finished before 70 minutes, and the Kenian winner Kisorio Mathew Kipkoech just reached the finish line 3 seconds after 1 hour from the start. On the other side, around 50,000 took part to the non competitive one.

Moreover, the 8th edition of the Treviso Marathon took also place. Almost 3000 runners have enrolled to this  edition, and 2186 completed the competition. Clearly Treviso has a downhill route, allowing the possibility to generate personal best. The Maroccan Nasef Ahmed won in 2h13:06 seconds, while the first Italian Francesco Bona who represents the new Italian running hope for the 2012 Olympics Games in London, arrived third and improved his personal best by 2 minutes. Finally, after 1 year stop, the Ferrara Marathon started back with a different route, inside the city that has been declared UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995. The athletes had the chance to run inside the Castello Estense, very closed to the finish line in the center of the city. 636 runners completed the 26.2 miles in Ferrara, with the Kenian Biwott Zakayo Kipsang arriving in 2h25:06 seconds.

Since few readers are interested to see the full results, you can find below this morning results:

Stramilano 2011 Ranking

Treviso Marathon 2011 ranking

Ferrara Marathon 2011 ranking

Treviso Marathon 2011: enrollments are opened

Enrollment to the 8th edition of the Treviso Marathon has started yesterday. This is indeed seven months before March 27th 2011.
The enrollment fee is very low: 25 euro, and it is valid till November 18. Foreign runners can pay 20 euro, for their first partecipation, as long as they enrol for the first deadline. Runners can enrol online to the Treviso Marathon at Active Global.
The event will take place in its original date: last week of March, as it was in 2009, but not in 2010 due to Italian regional elections.
The Treviso Marathon is known for its fast and flat course through one of the most interesting city in Italy. In 2011 the route of the marathon will link the historic centers of Vittorio Veneto, Treviso, uniting the Piave river through left and right crossing Priula bridge.
Treviso is an ideal course, not only for advanced athletes, who seek their personal best. But also for novice marathoners thanks to race conditions, the support of a unique public and presumably optimal weather conditions for racing.

2010 Treviso marathon: more than 3000 runners at the 7th edition

At the starting point of the 7th Treviso Marathon, it has been announced more than 3000 runners, representing 22 countries. This confirms the international exposure of one of the top five Italian marathons, often associated with the New York Marathon, in term of quality of organization and attendance from street audience. The oldest marathon runner is 80 years old, while the older woman is 71 years old.

The competition for the first time after several years of growth has show a 22.1% decrease over the number of runners arrived at the finish line. Still above two thousand runners crossed the 26.2 miles finish line on the 14th of March 2010: Treviso is still the fifth marathon in Italy, but deserves for sure an higher spot.

This year all along the Treviso Marathon route, there will be several musical bands to celebrate and the runners. The initiative "Space Music @ Treviso Marathon 2010” is a musical workshop organized for the Marathon: along the first five kilometers musical bands Claymore and Tachipirinha will play, the first Hard Rock music, the latter with blues and rock'n'roll. Then African music will welcome the runners at Ponte Priula, while other bands will animate the last kilometers of the race.

Since 2008, Treviso Marathon is committed to an environmental protection project. The organizers focused on the principle that runners should act in line with environmentally sound behaviors. In areas of departure and arrival, as well as along the path of the Treviso Marathon, this year will be created of the points of collection of waste (paper, plastic, dry, glass, wet) and the materials are then disposed of according to logic maximum environmental protection.
The operators at points of refreshment and sponge stations, as well as in areas of arrival, will indeed have a yellow card, which symbolically warns athletes that do not correctly use the waste containers.

For more details on how the Treviso Marathon looks like, you can take a look at the Treviso Marathon live experience.

2009 Treviso Marathon: a live experience

This post describes a live experience for the March 2009 Treviso Marathon and gives you insight of what it is really look like. Below you can find a translation from the Treviso Marathon live experience.

It was supposed to be raining and indeed it was a rainy day. It was the topic on everyone's lips in the week preceding the race. I saw and heard many friends regret this before the run; it is not good to think that the work and enthusiasm of months of effort can be put into question just by the weather. The spring is late and not yet arrived. However, at the end of the day, most of the runners who have taken part at the 6th edition of the Treviso Marathon return home with a very satisfactory timing. The temperature, the route and the audience cheering runners have prompted many of them to achieve their PB.

The marathon race in my vision has three main critical moments: the waiting, which runs from the time of the gunshot, the race itself and all that happens after crossing the finish line. The expectation of the race like that was affected by weather events, after the triumphant 2008 edition he had seen three different starts with the spectacular reunion on the Ponte Priula (right) to pay homage to the Piave and the 90th anniversary of the Great War end, this year has returned to the classic path starting in Vittorio Veneto (left) going to Treviso.
The departure location is excellent, large spaces, large covered parking area you can use as a dressing room, leaving a wide, straight-line that prevents clogging. Not even the difficulties associated with rain have prevented a prompt start that the captivating speaker Mutton has indicated as usually. The only suggestion, perhaps, is to increase the number of chemical baths in the area of the locker room. The facilities at the arrival areas were influenced by the big rain, everyone to search for a space to put on dry clothes, the men's locker room was dark and forbidding, showers (except for the first arrived) a chimera, the delivery of the bags in some difficult moments (there is nothing more annoying than waiting in the crowd to "conquer" his or her bag of clothes). It should be acknowledged that all employees have done their best.

The most positive note of the event goes without doubt to the track, ideal for racing, closed to traffic and guarded at every intersection, so many volunteers to caterers all elated to be part of the event. At the last service stop, I took a water sponge and bathe the head with a gesture just to pay homage to the dedication of those who played a role in those conditions absolutely unnecessary. After some bad words that we, as runners, are often forced to endure in the various events along Italy, yesterday as always happens in Venetians marathons, there was an example of sportsmanship. During the 26 miles, close to their individual houses, several fans armed with umbrella were ready to encourage and cheer as we passed even under these conditions in which the best choice would have been to stay in bed. The Treviso Marathon deserves to be run just for that.

Finally, I want to give few words about my race. I was tense and nervous ahead, emotion tied to the affection that binds me to the marathon of the Treviso region, tension due to the uncertainty of complete recovery from the fatigue of the previous Sunday in Rome. Legs felt responsive at the beginning of the race, but the real competition starts after two hours. Fatigue could affect my performance; therefore I was embarrassed in choosing to keep pace. To take me out of trouble, my friend Marco Grimaz joined me after a few meters from the start, setting a 4min/km pace, although we continued to talk. Unfortunately after few km he was forced to stop for a pit-stop and I was left alone. Then I thought about the famous saying "Nothing ventured, nothing gained" and I kept the same pace. Switching to the half marathon in 1:25'45'', this was much faster than the last two races. Just after half distance the beautiful scenery on the Piave (left) passage that it was mentioned (but I did not need it) from a viewer with a commanding tone ordering to hold my head high in a sign of pride and honor. Of course I did not wait to be asked twice, and on that curve that bends to the left after the Ponte Priula where you see a long straight slightly downhill I unleashed my desire to run and get there. It was a continuous flow of overtaking runners ahead of me. Here and there along the way face some friends called and urged me but the sight blurred by the rain and the concentration prevented me from responding. To all: thank you.

In progressing the km I increasingly realized that it was within my reach an excellent result and this has given me more energy I spent through the exciting conclusion in the center of Treviso, where the path gets twisty and difficult because of the pavement. I raced the last 2 km in apnea, at full throttle without saving any energy. On the finish line, the speaker Brighenti paid me the tribute quoting my name. I finally got the medal around his neck after stopping the chrono on the time of 2:51'20'', having a negative split of 10 seconds. After the race, I was first of all able to assist my teammate Anna victim of the cold despite the PB and thereafter to celebrate this day. In addition to humidity and rain today we got many satisfactions.