Piazza Cavalli is dressing up for the two days of sport and solidarity promoted by the 27th edition of the Placentia Half Marathon. Dozens of volunteers have been busy setting up stages and stations in the heart of the city since the early hours of this morning. This afternoon, however, everything is ready at the Daturi Arena for the delivery of race bibs and Hakuna Matata, an initiative entirely dedicated to the little ones.
Speaking of numbers and the organizers’ objective of equaling the previous year’s figures of 1,500 registered participants was achieved. Yesterday’s official data speak of 1,436 participations, of which 284 are “pink”, but last minute registrants are expected to be able to do so also in the early morning of tomorrow, Sunday 5 May. To these must be added 150 participants in the pairs relay, new this year.
“Thanks to the hundreds of volunteers”
“I would like to thank the hundreds of volunteers who in recent days are allowing us to create a miracle that we dedicate to the entire city – the words of the organizer Alessandro Confalonieri –. Just think that right now 40 students from the Police Academy are at work together with off-duty or retired firefighters. In the space of 24 hours we transform the historic center and this is thanks to them.”
Maria Guida godmother of the 27th Placentia Half Marathon
The godmother of the event will be Maria Guida, European Marathon champion in 2002 in Munich and multiple Italian champion of the Cross, Marathon and 10,000 metres: she, together with the various civil and military authorities, will deliver cups and trophies to the first classified (three men and three women), plus the first and first of the Piacenza athletes.
As per tradition, the environmental theme is at the center of the event: “Running and walking in the open air are synonymous with health and to safeguard our health we must respect the environment around us – comments Confalonieri -. All waste produced during the preparation and running of the half marathon and collateral events will be disposed of and recycled by Iren”.
Top Runner of the Placentia Half Marathon
The list of top runners announced in recent days has been confirmed, while in the meantime the presence of a pacer (the Burundian Jean Marie Niyomukiza) has been included for the men’s race, where two young Kenyans (first experience outside their country) – Dennis Kiprop Kororia and Timothy Kibet Kangogo – will try to break the record of their compatriot Lokomwa (1 hour and 41 seconds in 2015).
Another Kenyan at the start will be Ishmael Chelanga Kalale, while the Moroccan Mohsin Foguani and the Ethiopian Adimasu Angino Asado will also arrive from Africa. The two Italians Daniele Meucci and Federica Sugamiele have been confirmed, plus Elia Generali, Antonino Liuzzo, Giuseppe Bonavita, Rachid Benhamdane, Lorenzo Barbieri and Fabio Gervasi. In the women’s field with our Sugamiele, Casetta and Grisoni, the Kenyan Rholex Jelimo Kogo makes her debut on the distance.
It is therefore legitimate to expect sparks from the men’s race with the aim of setting the race record obtained by the late Lokomwa (who passed away in 2016 following a road accident); more difficult to beat the women’s all-time time trial, recorded again in 2015 by compatriot Viola Jelagat (the Kenyan’s time was 1 hour 9 minutes and 27 seconds).
TUESDAY THE TELELIBERTY SPECIAL
On Tuesday 7 May at 9.15pm, a special curated by Marco Vincenti entirely dedicated to the emotions and smiles that will characterize the 27th edition of the Placentia Half Marathon will be broadcast on Telelibertà.
Path
This year too, the route of the Placentia Half Marathon, now in its 27th edition, will start at 9.30 from Piazza Cittadella, while the arrival is scheduled in the “heart” of our city, Piazza Cavalli, after the canonical 21 kilometers and 97 meters of the half marathon.
In the first five kilometers of the race, participants will cross some of the main streets of Piacenza. Once they have passed in the shadow of the monument to the Pontieri, the “army” of runners will head, having skirted a couple of public gardens, towards the Facsal, where there will be the exciting moment of the “roar” given by the participants in the Minimarathon Pedibus and the Association Walk.
Together with the Pedibus Minimarathon it represents a historic milestone of the collateral events of the event, even if it has very little secondary emotion and numbers. This year too, alongside the enthusiasm of the very young people, ready to make the “roar” of cheering explode on the Facsal in favor of the runners, there will also be the Walk of the Associations, with many organizations that have responded to the call this year too of the organizers Alessandro Confalonieri and Pietro Perotti.
This year too, a thousand people will gather tomorrow on the Facsal (corner of Via Alberici) around 9am where, together with the Pedibus Minimarathon, the start is scheduled at 9.40am after the affectionate greeting at the first passage of the runners on the Public Passeggio. The Walk of the Associations will lead the way with the “Banda Ponchielli Città di Piacenza” and will end at the Daturi Arena.
THE PROGRAM FOR SATURDAY 4 MAY
Among the initiatives planned is Discover Piacenza with scheduled departure at 3.15pm from Piazza Cittadella, arriving in Piazza Cavalli at 6.00pm.
The route will lead participants to discover some of the most evocative theaters in Piacenza, including the Municipal Theater which will celebrate its 220th anniversary in 2024: a historic milestone depicted in the center of the medals that will be awarded to the participants of the half marathon. The main objective of DiscoverPiacenza is to enhance and promote the activity of local associations involved in knowledge of the city and the province.
Also on Saturday afternoon, the Maratona Village will be inaugurated in the Daturi Arena where bibs and yellow t-shirts – not a coincidence given the imminent arrival of the Tour de France in Piacenza – will be delivered to all participants. And then off to sports and games for the little ones with “Hakuna Matata” for which the meeting is scheduled at 3.30 pm always inside the Daturi Arena.
From Piazza Cavalli at 5.00 pm the “100% Life Project“: a walk characterized by the presence of dozens of companies and local entities that will contribute to the projects promoted by Progetto Vita. Piazza Cavalli, the true heart of the event where the presentation of the Top Runners and Pacers will be held at 6pm on Saturday. At 6.15pm concert by the Coro dei Tasti Neri on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the foundation of Avis Piacenza.
THE PROGRAM FOR SUNDAY 5 MAY
We then arrive at tomorrow, Sunday 5 May: the start of the half marathon is scheduled for 9.30 from Piazza Cittadella. Worthy of note is the initiative of the relay between the rescued and the rescuers which will involve 21 rescued thanks to the use of a defibrillator accompanied by 21 rescuers, volunteers from the Armed Forces and local police who contributed to saving their lives. From 9.45 onwards Pedibus minimarathon for Unicef: a sports promotion party that will involve thousands of children and all athletes. The train will also leave at the same time Walk of associations because there are a thousand ways to tackle the magical event of the Piacenza half marathon.
