The mezza maratona from Como to Laglio and back by Synlab… Here we are in the Stadio Comunale G. Sinigaglia in Como, home stadium of Como football club. We are not alone. About 1,500 sports enthusiasts are waving their arms and kicking their feet to warm up for the Mezza Maratona di Lago di Como, organized by SynLab. It’s crowdy in the corridors of the stadium to get a starting number. When it is finally our turn, one of our starting numbers appears to be already gone. The unfriendly Italian promptly waves our protest away.
Sigh, we’re going to ask a colleague of his. We traveled to Como this weekend especially for this event. We paid for plane tickets, rental car, overnight accommodation and an additional 30 euros starting fee for the marathon. Shouldn’t there be an official starting number? Fortunately, we find help and eventually they made an effort to provide us with a new starting number.
In the stadium we leave our goodie bag and spare clothes on the seats of the stadium. We walk to the starting point. We stand at the starting line in the shadow cast by the winter sun over Tempo Voltiano. What lovely running weather. Chilly, blue sky and sunny. The nostrils are fully open and healthy air fills our lungs. In the background, the beats pump out from the music boxes to warm up the audience. At half past eight, the Canto delgli Italiani, the national anthem, sounds. It doesn’t get more official than that! A dry shot in the distance and row by row the runners start moving.
A colorful line of runners passes the Aeroclub Como and speeds along the narrow boulevard to the gardens of Villa Olmo. It’s a bit of shuffling and being careful not to step on each other’s feet. In Tavernola the group fragments and everyone can find their own rhythm at their own pace. We walk run Villa Erba through Cernobbio to Villa d’Este. A first climb towards the Vecchia Regina warns not to overdo it with forces. We dive into the beautiful track. Familiar territory. It goes up and down through Moltrasio, Carate and Urio. The locals watch with amusement from the terraces of the palazzos and villas.
Water supplies are provided along the way. The signs along the sidelines indicate the distance… Kilometer eight, kilometer nine, kilometer ten and then make a U-turn in Laglio to loud applause. We can quickly wave to each other. Walk back to Como with a powerbar between our teeth. The climb from Moltrasio at kilometer sixteen feels painful. The last five kilometers are finished according to character. The legs are starting to feel a bit stiff. Gosh, that football stadium seems so far away in the distance…
But we persevere and this editor eventually crosses the finish line with a grimace after 1 hour and 53 minutes. An Italian one hangs around the neck, excuse me, hangs a nice medal around the neck. There are only winners today! And there appears with a smile the second part of the editorial team with a top time of 4 minutes 46 seconds per kilometer. Satisfied, the winning selfies are shared with those at home.
Pinocchio and his wife walk back to Palazzo Mazzini more slowly and smoothly respectively. Shower, warm clothes and of course strengthen our inner self with a pasta and a glass! Hands up to SynLab for this fantastic running race.
