Marathon Day 3:54:31

This morning Vincenzo's trainers (sneakers) made a path to the door to give him encouragement as he left the apartment for the Rome Marathon, a 42.195 km course through the streets of the Eternal City.

Here he is warming up near the Arch of Constantine.

This was his waiting area for the start of the race. (He is about six people to the left from the blue & white "asics" banner. He is actually behind the yellow & green sign held by another runner, so we can't see him.)

Photo by Will Hobbs.

We followed his course and cheered him on near the Temple of Hercules, the Ara Pacis (housed in a building designed by Richard Meier), and on the Via del Corso near the Spanish Steps.

Here he is, in the red shirt, just after passing the Ara Pacis.

This is the happy runner after finishing the marathon.

Photo by Will Hobbs.

Rome Marathon: Preparation

On Thursday we went to the Palazzo dei Congressi in EUR to pick up Vincenzo's race materials for Sunday's Rome Marathon.

The entry into the Marathon Village

Picking up the race materials for runner 12505.

This is the official gear bag

We are in Rome, so of course there is a Mass for the athletes.

The celebrant is chatting with some of the athletes after the Mass.

By coincidence, Sunday's second lesson is about running a race!

Brothers, I do not reckon myself as having taken hold of it; I can only say that forgetting all that lies behind me, and straining forward to what lies in front, I am racing towards the finishing-point to win the prize of God's heavenly call in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14)

After Mass we had the pre-marathon pasta dinner.

The runners will go over many sanpietrini (cobblestones) during the course of the Rome Marathon.

Here I am with Pietrino,

a walking cobblestone and the race mascot.

Vincenzo's name and number appear on the screen. There is a chip attached to the race number bib that will transmit and record data when it passes checkpoints, including the start and finish.

Vincenzo leaving the Palazzo dei Congressi

and ready for the race on Sunday!

Here are some pictures showing details of this great building designed by Adalberto Libera as part of the 1942 Universal Exposition of Rome (EUR) that never happened. The project was started in 1938 and not actually completed until 1954.

Click here for more information about EUR.