The municipality of Corigliano-Rossano was awarded the important recognition of the Blue Flag, together with only ten other cities throughout the Italian peninsula, which testifies to the commitment to promoting running and walking, with the aim of improving the well-being of citizens thanks to outdoor activities. The choice went between those municipalities that proposed the candidacy and provided guarantees on initiatives and paths, subjected to verification by the experts of the FIDAL Italian Athletics Federation and ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities).
The Blue Flag Notice of FIDAL/ ANCI aims to valorise, every year, Italian Municipalities, recognizing their the commitment to promoting the practice of running and walking and health more generally, as tools for well-being and quality of life for citizens. The project includes an evaluation procedure for the candidate Municipalities, following which the Municipalities that obtain the best score with respect to the parameters required by the Notice obtain the label. The project focuses, in particular, on walking and running activities as tools for extended practice and easy access by citizens, with each candidate city having to indicate, among other things, a specific route dedicated to these activities.
“I am very satisfied that I can personally deliver this symbol of sport and sociality to each community involved – the words of the creator and manager of the project Maurizio Damilanogold medal in race walking at the 1980 Olympics and world champion in the specialty in 1987 and 1991 – The Blue Flag is not only a reward for what has been done, but above all it is an incentive to do more and more for sport to have full citizenship. The Blue Flag is an encouragement to all people to live better, it is an incentive for young people to approach sport with awareness because, if you practice sporting activity you have already won!”.
In recent years, the complex of activities proposed by the sporting world of the city of Corigliano-Rossano has had a notable implementation also thanks to the support of the Municipal Administration, which promoted and organised, in co-planning with the associative world and the organizations and federations of the world of sport, various events of great impact and regional, national or international resonance, to the benefit not only of citizens but also of visitors and tourists, also representing a further factor of attractiveness of the City.
Furthermore, many demonstrations took place carried out widely in various urban physical spacescontributing to enhancement of neighborhoods and urban heritage, cultural and naturalistic. Among the latter, for the topic discussed here, the initiatives named deserve particular mention
The Walk of Wonders, Run and Walk for Peace, Walk among the Olive Trees, Ecological Walk in Coriglianeto, which the Municipality co-organized together with local associations. More specifically, since 2022, the first year post-covid, the City has faced new challenges, dealing with the organization of sporting events on a national scale, with an innovative approach that has promoted collaboration between public institutions, cultural associations and of civic commitment, clubs, federations and sports associations, bringing Corigliano-Rossano closer to the standards of large Italian cities.
The The official Blue Flag route is located on the city’s seafront at the Lido Sant’Angelo and is approximately 1.2 km long, for a total of 2.4 km round trip. It is made up of two distinct lanes, one for cycling and one for pedestrians, where it is possible to run or simply walk.
Running enthusiasts or citizens interested in a simple walk already take advantage of this route, enjoying the sea just a few steps away and the splendid surrounding landscape. An enhancement of the route is already underway, due to the presence of a lifesaving point (of four present in the entire territory and which will become 6 in 2024) equipped with a defibrillator, inclusive and without barriers entirely managed by the Municipality, the separate collection of waste .
Special information tables (equipped with QR code) are being assembled where you can find all the information on a correct lifestyle, approach to running and walking. “We welcome with pleasure these new eleven realities that have demonstrated their firm belief in the value of running and walking – comments the FIDAL president Stefano Meimiddle-distance runner with great career successes -.
“We are certain that in these splendid locations the quality of life of citizens will be able to improve and that sports practice can be at the center of the lives and days of young and old. We congratulate the mayors and local administrations who have embraced the Blue Flag project and we renew our thanks to ANCI for having accompanied us with enthusiasm in this edition too”.
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