I ran my first Rome marathon in its first edition, in the 1995. I remember the excitement, the desire to get to the 21 Km, near the Mosque, where my training friend was waiting for me, Giovanni; I remember the sensations of the eve, the times of the steps marked in pen on the back of the hands, the mineral salts, the arrival from Via dei Cerchi and the Fori Imperiali straight line, which I still do today - I do not know why! - I remember it with the curves!
My second marathon I ran to Florence the following year. Then I no longer wanted to prepare this distance. I have always run in one direction, the race one, with great fun and healthy competitive spirit!
Since then, for this great sporting party, I have always been, along the way, a wild fan, assuring, in all editions, my closeness to the girls and to the guys running, keeping me on the path for many hours, saying goodbye friends of my company "Villa Ada Green Runner" (1) as all the others and waiting, however, the passage of the last of our athletes, sometimes very late compared to the first, but perhaps, to think again, not enough!
I thought I knew the marathon well. I thought I knew her ... but it's not like that! In the 23 Marathon of Rome last march I had the privilege to see our talented VAGR athletes and triathletes in the race and to have raced the last 15 Km, keeping company with the friend VAGR Pasquale, called Paco. Well, he is a triathlete and is preparing, with the others in the group, the distance "Ironman" to be disputed in June.
He was very good and he arrived happy and satisfied, and I with him. When I arrived in Piazza Venezia, at the last 800 meters, I encouraged him, encouraged and greeted him. directing me, corricchiando, towards home doing the path of the Marathon on the contrary. I had to go back to the 28 Km at the "Paolo Rosi" Stadium, where I had left the car. At first I thought everything was normal: the party, the jokes between marathon runners "tapascioni", greetings in all languages. Then, at a certain point, something happened: a strange silence, no marathon runner, so much to make me think "the last one has already passed! ... Too bad, I did not see Giorgio's second round!"(2)... and instead, all of a sudden, you see the other piece of marathon, the one you do not know. You imagine it, but you've never seen it, because you never stayed on the path until the end. It is the marathon of all those athletes who, very lightly, call "the last". Here is now the feeling of guilt! But I have never expected these guys to "Rosi"!
Changing the direction of the race I began to realize that I had before a different point of observation and an incredible heritage of knowledge of other realities, with the most diverse and incredible motivations that push someone to walk the Marathon. A fascinating and unexpected journey.
At the 29 ° Km, how can we not stop and talk to the chaperones intent on covering a girl in a wheelchair? - "Are you all right?", - "Yes, of course! The rain has slowed us down, but now we are going back! " They never stopped smiling! Seeing the following day the photos on the official website of the Organization I realized that they arrived at the finish line with the same smile with which they had warmed me many kilometers before.
Among the other athletes of all ages, a girl asked me: "Have you finished for a long time? What have you done?", While another, around the 30 ° Km, after my "Courage!" said with a convinced voice, he replied, evidently satisfied with his performance, with a cheerful little voice: "Now it's done!" making me think, between me and me: "Oh my God, you still miss 12 km!".
And how do you help an athlete in a wheelchair who had a hole and only had foam?
The fact is that the marathon is a real miracle! On a single path, the same for everyone, each of us finds his own goal, not better or worse than others, but different, tailor-made for his own life. And getting in touch with these realities, as well as with their own "real time" is good. Seeing how much willpower a human being manages to have in the moment of difficulty is good.
In your next marathon, at the onset of the crisis of the 35 ° km, you will be lions only thinking back to what you can see by going through a marathon on the contrary!
Perhaps a reader not very careful (not the usual DOL) will ask: "what does the marathon have to do with military life?"
I give them one piece of advice: reread. And if it still will not be clear, read again. And finally, if nothing of the marziality that I see is visible to you, or I have to change, or perhaps my concept of "military" is too laden with values. In which case, proud of being as I am, I refer the reader to further reading and, if necessary, to other readings.
Giuseppe Sfacteria
(1) Villa Ada Green Runner is an amateur sports association, founded by Massimo Fucili, athlete and long-experienced athletic trainer and by Vanessa Ranieri, lawyer expert in environmental law runner and triathlete. It is today in its tenth year of activity. It boasts over one hundred athletes of all levels, in running and triathlon, trained respecting individual characteristics and personal goals to be achieved. (www.villaadagreenrunner.it)
(2) Giorgio Calcaterra, 43 years, Roman taxi driver-marathon runner, already world champion of the 100 km, 9 wins at the hundred kilometers of the Passatore concluded the "normal" race at the 9 ° place post (in 2h34'26). After waiting for an hour and 20 'for doping control, he completed a further lap of the entire route and cutting the finish line for the second time with Elio Lomuscio, 70enne of Barletta, his fatigue companion on the last few kilometers. (source: www.gazzetta.it/Atletica/22-03-2015/gigante-calcaterra-cuore-d-oro-fa-du ...)
