Sunday, November 28 will be run the
Florence Marathon
, one of the most important running events on the national scene, in which the Team selected by the friends of
Dorelan
thanks to the
Partnership established with RunLovers and the Florence and Bologna Marathons.
. The Florence marathon is one of the Italian marathons that can boast the GOLD title, that is, able to bring to the finish line the first three athletes with an average of less than 2h15’00” and more than five thousand athletes in the standings. In addition – but anyone who has visited the city of the Medici at least once can well imagine this – it is one of the races with the most beautiful course from the point of view of what it offers to the eyes of those who run it.
What does it mean to organize such an important competition with such high expectations? We asked Diego Petrini, project manager of Firenze Marathon.
How long have you been involved in organizing events for Firenze Marathon and your city’s marathon?
My commitment/collaboration with the Florence Marathon began about 10 years ago. I was coming from other experiences in sports marketing and event organization, but coming back and working in the city where I was born and raised was great!
How do you organize an event as important as the Florence Marathon?
Well, basically we never stop preparing for the Florence Marathon, we work on it all year long! We are already starting with specific promotions right after the event ends in December, which are very cost-effective (follow us on our social channels –
Facebook
e
Instagram
– to be informed and not to miss the opportunity!). Then starts all the promotion work both nationally and abroad: our goal is to become more and more international! Of course, we cannot forget the work of finding sponsors, without whom we could not create such an important event. Finally, all the work with the municipal offices that support us in organizing every single facet, from mobility (let’s remember that we always have to ensure movement in the city even for those who are not interested in the marathon), to public land, to the relationship with PM and offices of mayor’s secretariat and sports department, prefecture, fire brigade, sanitary, etc.
Have you had times over the years when, more than other times, you felt you were under too much stress? What about others that made you think “it’s still worth it after all”?
I admit it: since I’ve been working for the Florence Marathon a few more white hairs have appeared, but I blame it on advancing age! Joking aside, I think it is inherent in the word“event” that something unplanned might happen.
Remember, for example, the gas leak in 2019: at the 40th kilometer we had to create a detour that took away the meters to make the result official, but we still brought to the finish line nine thousand runners who otherwise would have scattered around the city not knowing where to go, with obvious issues on public order. But after all, that is also the beauty of our work: being able to handle, coolly and promptly, unforeseen situations ,
thanks to great teamwork
.
A dear university professor of mine told me: you will become a good organizer when, during the event, you allow yourself to read the newspaper while sipping good coffee, since you will have done the work previously. Now, coffee I got there-I hope the paper comes soon!
Dorelan is now a long-standing sponsor of Firenze Marathon. How did your partnership come about and what allows you to go on for years?
Historic and very important sponsor! I believe that by now not only the running world, but endurance athletes in general, are familiar with the Dorelan brand, which is present precisely in various disciplines, from running to cycling, triathlon, etc. Rest is a key component of training, and with the Dorelan ReActive we can say with certainty that he is resting well, we are very happy that they are by our side. It has been a well-established relationship for more than five years now, putting in the break of 2020, a terrible year for everyone and, of course, for us sports organizers as well.The friends of Dorelan, even on that occasion, supported us, staying close to us in virtual events.
Also, but keep it to yourself, the managers of the group confessed to me that we were one of the events, where, during the expos in recent years, many athletes became interested and then ended up buying the mattresses, a sign that the partnership is based on true and honest cooperation.
This year’s edition of the Marathon will, of course, follow the FIDAL rules drawn up to counter the pandemic, so there will be some limitations and small obligations, such as wearing a mask in the first part of the race. How will Florence be organized for runner refreshments and pre- and post-race operations?
We strictly adhere to the regulations issued by the Ministry of Health and taken from the FIDAL guidelines: we require all participants, volunteers and staff to have a green pass. Access to the race packet distribution points, bag depot and grids will be possible by using a mask, which must also be held during the first 500 meters or so after the start. Refreshments will be strictly single-serving, and of course our volunteers will all use mask and gloves, which will be replaced at regular intervals. We left nothing to chance; we want our event to be a celebration and for everyone to feel safe and pampered. The Florence Marathon wants and should be a happy day for those who actively participate by running and for the whole city.
This is a question for a nerd and avid collector, as many runners are on these occasions: what does this year’s medal look like?
Beautiful of course! Joking aside, this year we wanted to celebrate the city’s four neighborhoods, both those that are traversed by the Marathon and the key ones that are
experienced
during the event, such as Santa Maria Novella where we have set up bag storage. We will present it soon, with a live online broadcast on our social media,
STAY TUNED.
!
Registration for the Florence Marathon is still open and can be done on the
enternow site here
. We will be there and are ready to have fun and party. Will I see you there?