THE SECRET CHARM OF THE PASSATORE
What is the secret charm of this legendary race recognized internationally?
This is definitely the “refrain” which, on time, every time I return home “after the Passatore”, I place myself among the many active militants of the legendary 100 Km.
Of course, the great admiration for an impeccable organization, now precise and punctual in its many details, combined with the enthusiasm that hundreds of people (volunteers) dedicate to this event, to guarantee assistance and safety in the race; this makes her want and remember all those who were able to say “I was there too”, as the famous racing archive says, which has reached its 39th edition this year (the 7th consecutive one for myself).
But this is not the seductive essence of a competition that a few days ago also saw professionals who boast personals widely under 2h10 ‘in the Marathon.
The enchanting potion contained in the “magic lamp” of the Passatore is something else: a mix of passion and dedication, which has allowed the Organizers to put every single “Ultra Marathon Runner” in a position to tickle and unleash that potential of “challenge” (ideal) that we all carry impressed in the Mind – latent, but never dormant – ready to emerge impetuous in each of Us, to satisfy us with a crescendo of bursting emotions, as only the cutting of this Goal can give!
Paraphrasing the words of the friend Panicali, companion of many adventures, the Passatore is a “journey” of the mind, an ideal path in the thought of a runner, a path that accompanies the body for once in a physical test that borders on the limits of normality (night / day, mountain / plain, heat / cold, tiredness / pain), skillfully led by a willpower that takes over, exalting us as never before to go through any moment of suffering.
This is the story of a lived life, and it is wonderful to see in the Race how much you are not alone …, even in the depths of the night down the hairpin bends of the Apennines, accompanied only by your own rhythmic breathing and the trampling of your steps, you know you are close to you 10–100 equally motivated travel companions, and hundreds of people in tow or along the refreshment points who live with you the wonderful moment of your performance, inciting and assisting you in every way!
An itinerary in which even our thoughts are free to “escape” from the daily patterns, almost repetitive, flying “high” towards the simplicity of our most genuine feelings, letting the memory of people and situations dear to us emerge.
It is also so, with a simple thought on this wonderful night that I wanted to turn to my friend Simonazzi from Cesole, who was a passenger with me of competitions and Marathons around running Italy.
Even the ideal story of this event therefore comes to an end, but as in an exciting final sprint (punctually carried out in the race), I take my leave with an inevitable … Carpe Diem!
Mario Vioni
