“PARTY OF THE COLLABORATOR” OF THE 100 KM
Faenza, November 19, 2013
PRESS RELEASE NUMBER 3
November 16 at the Club “I Fiori” of Faenza
GIORGIO CALCATERRA SURPRISE GUEST AT THE
“PARTY OF THE COLLABORATOR” OF THE 100 KM
A donation to the “Friends of Cardiology” from the “Moneybox of the runners”
The traditional “Feast of the Collaborator” for the 100 Km of the Passatore was held at Faenza’s club “I Fiori” on Saturday November 16. Promoted by the Association that organizes the world’s most famous “100 km, the Feast was the occasion to thank the volunteers (over 200 were present) and their associations who with their passionate, unpaid and constant presence that allows the race to be run smoothly and with the necessary assistance to the runners.
The evening was conducted by Lorenzo Leoncavallo, the Association’s Vice President and coordinator of its sporting group who was accompanied by piano bar type music the duo Luca and Martino. The evening was distinguished by some high points. The athletes of the sporting group presented a video to mark the 90th anniversary of the birth of Alteo Dolcini (1923 – 2013), co-founder of the Society of the Passatore as well as of the first edition of the 100Km of the Passatore. These athletes also presented the “Moneybox of the runners of the 100Km”, composed of funds from their running activities which are donated to charities. This year the beneficiary of their activities was the “Friends of Cardiology” whose President was absent from the evening because of a medical scientific meeting in Great Britain. The cheque will be handed over to him at a special encounter scheduled for next December. Oram Giama and Gianluca Medri for the Lions Club of the Valley of the Lamone River” also presented their project “Marradi, Brisighella, Faenza, the 100 km runs the trail of Dino Campana. Lights, colours and sounds”.
The protagonist of the pivotal moment of the evening was Giorgio Calcaterra. The eight times consecutive winner of the 100 Km of the Passatore and also multiple Italian, European and World champion for the distance wanted to surprise all the collaborators by taking part in the evening in their honour. He was accompanied onto the stage by his friend Pietro Piri’ Crementi, Vice President of the “100 KM” and race director, Calcaterra gave an informal interview conducted by Mirella Pederzoli on his relationship with the race and the City of Faenza. The most emotional moment for all the collaborators was when the Roman athlete stated “my fortunate participation to the 100 Km have never allowed me to appreciate fully the work of the volunteers and all the organization of the race”. An event as we all know that has seen him always take the dominant role in the last eight years. “In fact,” explained Calcaterra, “during the approximately 6 hours (6 hours 39’59” to be precise) running the course my mind has always been very concentrated on the race, on the running speed and the distance covered, even though often running alone for most of the course allowed me to digress and appreciate the beauty of the places being passed.” Preceding him in auto as per tradition and encouraging him was always Piri’ Crementi who told some anecdotes from the 41 editions of the 100 Km run so far. It was Crementi who egged on Calacterra to speak of a recent experience when, only six days after the 100 Km of the Passatore, he went ot run another in Tokyo. “There were some difficult moments,” narrated Calcaterra, “probably due to dietary difficulties, in any case a sense of honour and respect to the invitation made me finish the race where I finished in 6th place.”
Finally, Calcaterra was asked to predict the possibility of winning 10 editions of the Passatore, an impossible target until recent years. While recognizing the difficulties and the even increasing levels of competition “my motivation and will to take part in the most beautiful race in the world are not lacking, for which,” affirmed Calcaterra, “in the mean time I will participate in the next edition and then we’ll see”.
Naturally he did not fail to thanks all the collaborators of the race who “not only allow the 100 Km of the Passatore be organized in the best possible manner, but who welcome me with much warmth” as those present at the Feast proved by making the champion feel as “one of the family”.
Press Office
- Club “I Fiori” of Faenza, “Feast of the Collaborator”.
- Pirì Crementi and Giorgio Calcaterra.
- Athlets and collaborators of “Cento” around Giorgio Calcaterra on stage of the “Feast of the Collaborator”.
