2,220 ENROLMENTS TO THE “FLORENCE – FAENZA”

Faenza, May 20th, 2014

PRESS RELEASE NO. 16

At four days from the start of the 42nd 100km of the Passatore

2,220 ENROLMENTS TO THE “FLORENCE – FAENZA”

The favourites: Calcaterra from Rome, Glyva from the Ukraine and Achmuller from the Alto Adige Region. For the female athletes: Ceretto from the Liguria Region and Vrajic from Croatia.

At four days from the start of the 42^nd 100km of the Passatore at 3.00pm on Saturday May 24^th from via dé Calzaiuoli in Florence, the athletes enrolled are now 2,220, the highest number since the turn of the millennium.  This year the race is also valid as the 10^th round of the 2014 IUTA Grand Prix for ultra marathons and the CSEN Italian National Open title.

The enrolments include 305 female athletes and 98 foreign athletes from 28 countries outside Italy. These countries are Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Capoverde (with its whole national team), Canada, Croatia, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, Israel, Kazakhstan,  Mexico, Morocco, Peru, Rumania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, the Ukraine and Vietnam.

Amongst the athletes 899 runners will take part in the race for the first time, 1,176 are members of FIDAL, 13 will participate in the “Handbike” category and 13 will participate with in the Nordic Walking category.

The distribution of the numbers and the runners’ packs has begun at the Association’s offices at Via Cavour 7, Faenza from Monday May 19^th next from 9.00am till 7.00pm until Thursday 22^nd and on Friday 23^rd the distribution will finish at 1.00pm. On Race Day, Saturday May 24^th distribution of the remaining numbers and runners’ packs will begin at 10.30am at the association’s gazebo in Piazza degli Strozzi in Florence.

This year’s favourites? Naturally the first named is Giorgio Calcaterra, winner of the last eight editions, holder of the fastest race time (6:25:46) and world champion for the distance. The next favourites are last year’s second placed Evgeni Glyva from the Ukraine, Hermann Achmueller from the Alto Adige region of Italy (3^rd in 2013). We also wish to point out the flag bearer for the Capoverde team Adilson Fortes Spencer Varela (5^rd in 2012), Emanuele Zenucchi from the Lombardy Region, Daniele Palladino from Reggio Emilia (2^nd in 2012) and the Venetian Marco Boffo ((4^th in 2012). Amongst the female athletes the favourites are Sonia Ceretto from Genoa (2^nd in 2011) and the Croatian Veronika Jurisic. Mention must also be made of Marco Serasini from Brisighella (4^th in 2013), Massimo Poggiolini from Tredozio (7^th) and Massimo Tramacenere from Forlimpopoli(15^th), all three from the Romagna region, then Silvano Beatrici (5^th) from the Trento region and the Tuscan Enrico Bertolini from Limiti dell’Arno (16^th, but in 2012). Of the other athletes enrolled in the race we wish to point out Walter Fagnani from Padua the race veteran with 40 races completes who last year finished in 1,362^nd place with a time of 17h52’40” who will start his 41st race in 42 editions at the ripe old age of 89, the Florentine who has also completed 40 editions and also Natalina Masiero (with 31 races completed who finished last year in 779^th place, 78^th amongst the females in a time of 13h31’11”).

The world’s most beautiful “100” is organized as always by the Associazione Sportiva Dilettantistica 100km del Passatore the collaboration of the FIDAL and the administrations of the local councils of Faenza and Florence, the Province of Ravenna, the Wine Consortium of Ravenna, the Society of the Passatore, UOEI, ADMO, CSEN, the local councils of Fiesole, Borgo San Lorenzo, Marradi, Brisighella, and also benefits from partnerships with the Banca di Romagna, Banca CR di Firenze, Fondazione Banca del Monte e Cassa di Risparmio di Faenza, Antarex, Coop Adriatica, Friliever-Bracco, Decathlon, Gruppo Hera, Moreno Motor Company, Natura Nuova and, as the race technical sponsor, Saucony.

Race eve, Friday May 23^rd beginning at 6.30pm will be marked by the “Pasta Party” to welcome the athletes. The evening is organized by the Association and the Sporting Group of the “100” in collaboration with the catering section of the Autobril Group.

For the first time the Pasta Party will be held in Faenza’s Piazza della Libertà in a tent that will be set up neat the monumental fountain and Piazza del Popolo. The Party is open to all who wish to attend. The evening’s menu has been designed for the requirement of the athletes with pasta, bruschetta and biscuits to give them their full load of carbohydrates to face the challenge of the race. For those with a more refined palate there will also be other items from the gastronomical traditions of the Romagna Region. In addition to the food, the evening will be marked with entertainment and music by the piano bar duo Luca and Martino.

The evening will also see the presentation of the Tor Runners enrolled in the following day’s race and they will symbolically begin the “Faenza, Step after Step” Promenade which will its way through the streets of Faenza on an itinerary inspired bu the 100km of the Passatore.

Press Office