The idea grew out of a very simple challenge: to ride theItaly Divide, a gravel bike race starting in Pompeii and ending in Torbole, a total of about 1,250 km, on foot instead of by bicycle. And, when the event organizers proposed it to
Stephen Gregoretti
, he responded in his own way, “we are in Italy, there are trails, there are no lions or polar bears; I don’t see a problem with that.” And then, for a person facing expeditions, there is always the desire to find that rhythm of running every day. With no routes, no ITRA points up for grabs, just the pleasure of exploration and experience.
As if that were not enough, to add a little more spice, Stephen decided to make it entirely zero-emission. Thus, starting from Riccione by bicycle and then beginning to run from Pompeii and, once reaching Torbole, returning home again by bicycle.
In the Italy Divide, the bike trail obviously follows roadway routes, so Stephen had to create “his own” route, between single-track, trails and different passages, so as to avoid traffic and be able to enjoy even more of the views and moments. In the end, the total kilometers were slightly less for a route that, however, allowed him to run Italy from south to north (followed by a camper to optimize the logistical aspect).
Physical preparation was not specific-Stephen is always prepared for running anyway; it is now part of his daily routine. In fact, no specific preparations were necessary such as, for example, pulling a sled in the Arctic.
When an athlete already has an economical and efficient running technique, he or she does not incur any particular injuries. Obviously he did a strengthening part to gain weight but-most importantly-he wanted to try a specific nutritional technique, as the logistical aspect lent itself well. He then had Alexander Bertuccioli (who also follows Federica Pellegrini) follow him in order to set out on the venture with maximum potential and be efficient from the first day to the last.
Beyond the athletic feat, what is most striking is the experience, the encounters with the people along the way and the places he saw, discovered in some ways. So much so that, from Italy Divide, Stephen turned it into, for all intents and purposes, Italy United.
Italy United
.
Let’s just start with the views. Imagine you start in Pompeii, go to Mount Vesuvius, the coast of Naples, the royal palace of Caserta, the natural dunes of Sabaudia and the history of the Romans with their villas; you get to the Roman castles, the Appia Antica and then Rome where it is almost “forbidden” to run to fully enjoy it from how beautiful it is. You then arrive at the Etruscan cities, Lake Vico, Orvieto, Civita di Bagnoregio. You enter Tuscany, continue the Via Francigena, then Siena and Florence with their wonders.
Then do the Way of the Gods on the roads of the Roman legions. You get to the Po Valley, the river system, Verona, Monte Baldo, and then you get to Lake Garda.
We could almost call it an indigestion of beauty.
“Tell me in which states of the world you can find, in about 1,200 kilometers, a variability of vegetation, history, monuments, culture, food and-consequently-people,” Stephen rightly says.
The very people are shaped by the place where they live. And to understand the place you have to meet the people who, accordingly, will accompany you and guide you in discovering the wonders of the place to which they appear.
At each point of this crossing of Italy, making contact with local riders, Stephen touched and discovered an Italy that you would not otherwise find in books and official guidebooks.
In the end, it was not only an exploration of Italy but a real experience to get to know people and experience places through their eyes.
After more than one tough year as we all experienced, Stephen proved that the right will and spirit can set you free.
Great, Stephen. We look forward to your next exploration!
