§staticmap(2269,5,450,250)Hello, on October 21th 2012, you’ll be organizing the Ecomaratona del Chianti, the Chianti Trail 18km and Ecopasseggiata 10 km . Can you tell us where it is located?
The race is located in and around an old little village, Castelnuovo Berardenga, close to Siena in the hearth of Tuscany.
How old is the race and why was it created in the first place?
The Ecomaratona del Chianti is celebrating its 6th year whereas for the Chianti Trail we’re at 5th edition.
We started out with the longest distance but we wanted to give everyone the chance to participate in this wonderful event so we created the Chianti Trail. The idea behind the race is to combine the famous culture of Tuscany with running and allow the participants to absorb this both before, during and after the race.
It’s a simple trail in the sense that no specific requirements are needed and can be performed wearing normal running shoes. Everything is off-road on straightforward trails. The focus is to give the participant an impression of the Tuscany scenery while running on the soft hills passing vineyards, olives and the characteristic cypresses. Every now and then you’ll pass beautiful castles and small villages created more than 500 years ago. The record of the race is 2h 53’ which reflects the perfect compromise between challenging trail, a beautiful scenery and a race for everyone.
How many runners do you expect on Sunday morning? What type of runners do you plan to attract?
On October 21th there will be more than 2,800 participants. The Ecomaratona will attract about 600, the Chianti Trail 900, and for the Ecopasseggiata 10km we expect more than 1,300 participants on that day!
We are the most famous and largest Ecomaratona in Italy.
At that time of the year, what kind of weather can we expect?
The weather is usually between 10-20 degrees Celsius; perfect for running!
We organize a free and incredible rich Pasta Party in true Tuscan style both on the Saturday before the race and Sunday immediately after the race. On the Saturday we organize free tourist visits to the old castle and the canteen of the village.
The race finished, what advice would you give a runner who has never been to Castelnuovo Berardenga – Siena before? A good restaurant, a fancy sightseeing?
To recover from the race we recommend trying out our famous cuisine with pasta and Fiorentina steak, our world-class wines, and then simply to find a nice place in the sun, relax and have a look at the beautiful scenery. That’s all!!
In a single sentence, what would you tell the readers of ahotu Marathons to make them register for the Ecomaratona del Chianti?
A wonderful place, delicious meals, famous wines, our history and an incredibly well-organized event will give you the opportunity to spend a fantastic weekend in Italy and to run in a fantastic place. Everyone receives a stunning Finisher Medal, a technical t-shirt and a good bottle of wine!
Interview with Christian Tozzi.