Events are getting into full swing here, dancers are back on outdoor dance-floors, walkers have begun their country/mountain hikes, cyclists are whizzing around on their two wheels – what else is happening? And well you might ask, because other than all the usual humdrum goings-on, some very unconventional (and mucky) activities took place on Saturday in a town not far from Bedonia – the Albareto Mud Run. The initiative, a fairly new thing around these parts, and welcomed with much excitement from enthusiasts of the genre, was organised by Michael Zecca, of the “Fitness On Demand” sports association. Michael, who was born in N.Y., but has been living in Albareto since he was a child, set up the association in order to promote fitness and well-being in the Taro Valley. He, alongside his team of collaborators, did an excellent job in coordinating the event, which, given the nature of the race, could have given rise to many difficulties and even accidents. Instead, everything went smoothly with no mishaps, thanks to the careful planning and preparation of Michael and his helpers.
This was the second edition, since last year’s trial run turned out to be a huge success; the 2018 run saw 200 eager participants lined up and literally quivering with excitement at the prospect of what lay ahead of them – a 9km long course, scattered with approximately 30 obstacles of all kinds, some really messy business to get their hands (and not only!) dirty with! The race was open to trained athletes and non, with the starting point positioned in front of Albareto’s town hall at 11am. All runners were handed their vests, and although there was no obligation to get through all the obstacles, they were encouraged to give it their best shot. Another thing they were encouraged to do was help each other along the way, and have maximum respect for all those involved. Luckily, Mother Nature was smiling down on the occasion, since it was a beautiful, sunny day.
And off they sprinted, wading through muddy pools and flowing rivers, climbing up trees and rocks, in uphill and downhill routes. Then hoisting their way along monkey bars and beams, jumping from one tire to another in artificial pools and sliding under nets soaked in slushy water; all this and much more, a regular OCR (Obstacle Course Race), the kind of which has been used for decades for military training. No-one knew which difficulties they would have to face until they began, and along the way, a feeling of comraderie sprang up amongst the contestants, who were all in it basically for the fun…
And there was plenty of that, especially when the “wife carrying” race began! Sporty ladies holding on to their men for dear life whilst being held practically up-side down, as the latter did their best not to drown their other halves (not easy by any means!), cheered on by the numerous spectators.
But the fun wasn’t yet finished, because the local authorities had organised grilled kebabs and sausages washed down with beer for all, prepared by the cooks of the famous Albareto mushroom festival, accompanied by the live music of the band “Radiazioni Rock”. Coordinator Michael later expressed his huge satisfaction at the outcome of the event, since this was the only OCR in Italy which was donating all proceeds of the Mud Run to the hospital “Santa Maria” at Borgotaro, with the intention of acquiring a new scanner. A wonderful day of fun and a noble cause – it can’t get any better than that!