Rome Marathon
WHEN in Rome…. Aitken Hunter enjoyed the Italian hospitality when he took part in the Rome Marathon recently.
“It’s always nice to have a Spring break and running the Rome Marathon on March 16th was a good excuse to get away,” said Aitken, finished 5,129th out of a field of 10,511 runners with a time of 4hrs 1min 9sec.
Here’s Aitken’s account of his time in the Italian capital.
“We (my wife and I, plus 2 friends) arrived in Rome 3 days prior to the marathon where it was a sunny 17 degrees, quite different to the weather we had left behind.
“In the afternoon it was off to the expo to sign on and pick up my bib number etc. My England Athletics Competition Licence enabled me to take part without the need for a full sports medical, the licence and race registration conformation letter were the only ID required to sign on.
“The expo was very well organised, similar to London (only smaller!) red carpet laid out on the steps leading up to the marathon village and everyone involved did their best to make participants feel welcome.
“Friday was again sunny, our day included an open top bus tour of Rome taking in the sights, most of which were included in the marathon route.
“On Saturday we were lucky enough to obtain tickets from a group of Italian fans for the Italy vs Scotland Six Nations rugby match. Much to our relief the tickets were accepted at the gate! Once inside the ground we witnessed a display of Italian parachutists each carrying a flag of the six nations involved in the tournament, however for me, as a jock, the display on the pitch afterwards was disappointing to say the least, Scotland lost 23-20.
“Finding a restaurant that served pasta for dinner Saturday night was not a problem!
“Race day, the temperature had dropped a few degrees and the sky was slightly over cast. The race started at 9.00 however getting to the Colosseum for 8am was easy on the metro. “Bib numbers dictated which pens you mustered in and segregation was strictly controlled; unlike London the fences were 6ft tall and difficult to vault over. The positioning of these made it difficult for spectators to witness the start and finish.
“Once off, the crowds were very encouraging initially, however their numbers and enthusiasm dwindled as the kilometres passed, although sporadic pockets of support were evident in places.
“There were ample water/refreshment/sponge stations throughout. The best indication of a station or an official photographer on the route was the rapid transit of the indigenous runners to whichever side of the road these were positioned.
“Although Rome is built on seven hills, the course criss-crossed the river and was relatively flat with only a few gentle inclines, the running surface was a mixture of Tarmac and cobblestones and in some places the Tarmac was worse to run on than the cobblestones.
“Rome is a very beautiful city and running past some of the best known historic sights in Europe was awe inspiring; the Vatican, the Spanish Steps and the Trevi Fountain to name but a few.
“The last 2km of the run took us past Circus Maximus and the Palatine Hill for a second time, before leading us around the Colosseum to finish on the Via Dei Fori Imperiali; as dramatic a back drop as the Mall and Buckingham Palace.
“The first man back was Kenyan Jonathan Kiptoo in 2:09:58 and the ladies winner was Russian Galina Bogomocova in 2:22:53.
“This was my fourth marathon and even though I didn't manage to finish inside my four-hour target time, the experience of running in Rome outweighed any disappointment I felt.
“We spent a further four days enjoying the sights and delights of Rome, including cakes, ice cream and Peroni!”