Our runners beat heat and humidity and conquered the 7th place in the Piacenza team-relay
On June 13, 2002, a team consisting of eight Buzzi Unicem and Unicalcestruzzi employees ran, for the third consecutive year, the Piacenza relay dedicated to Silvano Ruffo, an athlete who was the victim of a fatal accident at work in 1996.
It was a scorching day. The relay started at 5:30 p.m. and the temperature at Piacenza’s stadium was 32 °C, with a humidity rate matching the best traditions of the Po Valley.
Our team comprised the famous marathon runner from Robilante (Cuneo), Marco Olmo, who ran in preparation of the race he would compete in on the following Sunday, June 16, from Limone Piemonte to the Côte d’Azur, which – by the way – he won in 12 hours and 27 minutes. That’s why in his 30 minutes Marco Olmo ran “only” for 18 laps (7,200 meters) instead of the 22 laps he ran the previous year.
Also Mauro Campidelli from the S. Arcangelo’s plant covered 18 laps, followed by Michele Guarino from Unical in Barletta and Augusto Mari from the Guidonia’s cement plant. Our last runner, Edoardo Sirchia from the Personnel Department in Casale, ran for 17.7 laps, while Mariano Proietti from Piacenza and Tommaso Scardini from Guidonia covered 17 laps and Sergio Romani from the Piacenza’s terminal completed 16 laps (6,400 meters).
This year we came 7th over 38 teams, which was a little bit disappointing compared to the brilliant 5th place over 35 teams of the previous year. Why such a difference from 2001? It’s easy to say: the different date in the sport calendar (June instead of April), the different performance of Marco Olmo – who last year had no other race to run within a few days – and the weather that allowed all the participants to run at least one lap more than 2002.
Our goal in 2002 was to come within the first three teams, every runner should have covered at least 20 laps. Anyway our “coach” Marco Massini, cement sales coordinator in Emilia, who never stopped supporting his athletes for the whole four hours of the race, is happy with the team performance and … is very hopeful and confident – with all of us – for the 2003 edition.