Verdi Places Marathon - Race Reviews

Salsomaggiore is a busy, bustling town built as a Spa resort. Being close to Parma expect lots of great local Parmagiano cheese and Parma ham! At the end of February the tourist season has not yet started and the town is sleepy and quiet. The Verdi Marathon runs from Salsomaggiore through Fidenza, Fontanellato and Soragna to Busseto. Along the way expect to see some wonderful buildings and countryside views. Guiseppe Verdi, the great composer was born close to Busseto and lived in the area. The marathon commemorates him and runs past buildings of his past. You actually get to run through (!) the house he lived In at Soragna! In order to truly appreciate the course it is advisable to spend some time reading a tourist guide on the area - it really is a fascinating historical place. Signing up for this marathon is a little tricky if you do not speak Italian. Most of the website is in Italian and the bits which are in English are poorly translated. Nevertheless, as it is a small race everything becomes self-explanatory and the organisation is extremely helpful. This is not a large race: there is a 10K, Half Marathon, 30K and full marathon. The marathon this year had some 600 finishers. It is a very fast race: the first 21k slope slightly downhill and thereafter is completely flat. As with all small marathons the administrative part is easy and uncomplicated. Everyone in town knows where you need to pick up your bib and it is all concentrated in the town centre. There is not really an expo - just one trader has his wares on display. With an 09:00 start on Sunday getting up and preparing for the race is comfortable: one last coffee at the hotel at 08:30 and then amble down to the start. The start is typically chaotic, with the pacers all bunched up. However, once the race commences on a wide, straight and open road everything solves itself. Do not expect many spectators along the course. Only where one of the races finishes are there some people. Mostly, the small villages you run through are quiet: houses have their blinds closed and gates shut. There may have been about 100 people along the full course. Instead the organisation has set up multiple sections where, over the course of 1-2 km, there are loudspeakers playing Verdi's opera's! A delightful change to the typical BOOM, BOOM, BOOM of Dance music at most races! Although the refreshment posts were amply stocked (warm, sweet tea, water, isotonic drinks, bananas, orange) they were not at the promised 5 km intervals. The second refreshment post was at 11km, the third at 17km etc. which leads to some irritation. The pacers were in a race of their own! Despite running at a 3:30 pace, the 3:30 pacers passed me at km 28! I understood from my wife they actually finished in 3:20, and the 3:40 pacers finished in 3:30! The weather during this 20th edition was perfect for running. A little chilly at the start, with a cold wind but very sunny and mid-race the temperature climbed to a comfortable 15C. The finish, in the wonderful old town of Busseto, was a shambles! After the race you immediately receive a voucher for a plate of pasta and that was it. I spotted one table with small bottles of mineral water and plastic cups of soya milk, and some buns. That's it! There were no showers close by and you had to walk 500m away from the finish area to find a shuttle bus to take you to the showers. As my family was waiting for me at the finish line I grabbed 2 small bottles of mineral water to wash myself behind our car, and change into dry clothes there. Luckily I had left some fruit bars and sports drink in the car! I also did not see anywhere to return the timing chip and so took it home. All in all - a really nice, fast, historical race on a very scenic course. The organisation is a little shambolic but for the seasoned runner (and running is a serious sport in Italy) that is easily overcome. Oh, and the medal is great!