Adrenaline is rising ahead of the 1st International Road Race Running Match u.23 10k, an event on the World Athletics calendar, organized with the support of the Italian Athletics Federation (Fidal), ahead of the Rome 2024 European Athletics Championships.
The race will start at 09:50 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 15, under the auspices of Trieste’s Miramare Castle, with the under-23 national teams of France, Greece, Israel and Switzerland competing, along with the Azzurri. Competitors will compete for honors along a breathtaking course that will also touch Trieste’s Piazza Unità d’Italia and end at San Giusto Castle, following the same route as the 7th Joma Corsa dei Castelli.
THE RACE – With the entry of France, Greece, Israel and Switzerland, there are five federations officially participating, with a total of thirty-one under-23 athletes, including thirteen women and eighteen men, bringing a wave of internationality to Trieste’s sporting scene of excellence.
The program includes the opening ceremony on Saturday, October 14 at 4:30 p.m. in Piazza Unità d’Italia, with institutional greetings and presentation of the athletes. The race will start at 9:50 a.m., followed by the awards ceremony starting at 11:15 a.m. Sunday. Rankings will be determined by assigning a score based on the total number of athletes, with a team ranking obtained by summing the scores of the top three athletes for each national team. Awards will also be given to the top three men and top three women with individual rankings, and the top three nations.
ITALY – The Azzurri will be represented by elite athletes such as Francesco Guerra (CS Carabinieri Sez. Athletics), gold medalist in the 5000m U23 at the 2021 European Championships and silver in the 10000m U23 at the 2023 European Championships. With a personal best of 28’39″04 in the 10000m on the track and 28’56” in the 10k on the road, Guerra leads the tricolor delegation, followed by Nicolò Gallo (Atl. Mondovì – Acqua San Bernardo) with a record of 30’01” in the 10k on the road, Francesco Da Vià (GS La Piave 2000) with 30’04” this year, and Konjoneh Maggi (Atl. Lecco Colombo Costruzioni) who, despite a time of 30’42”, recently recorded 29’36″46 in the 10000m, promising a heated competition.
THE OTHER NATIONS – France boasts 2018 European U18 2000m steeplechase champion Baptiste Guyon, with his record of 28’47” in the 10000m, joined by Martin Desmidt with 29’01”. Edouard Morin-Luzuy and Baptiste Cartieaux completed the quartet with times of 29’21” and 29’28”.
Switzerland, while not starting as favorites, fields Leo Lädermann (30’23”), Jonathan Hofer (30’31”) and Loris Kaufmann (31’58”), with rookie Keanu Simasotchi shining in the 3000m with 8’38″06.
Israel presents a competitive challenge with Derebe Ayele and Addiso Bitew, with very close times of 29’40” and 29’40″05 on the 10km road and 10000m track, respectively. Ateka Demisie will aim to improve on her 30’17”.
Greece, the cradle of athletics, has Nikolaos Stamoulis (30’56”), Panagiotis Petroulakis (31’05”) and Panagiotis Orfeas Giannatis (31’41”) competing.
THE WOMEN – For Italy, Greta Settino (34’14”), Isabella Caposieno (35’15”) and Rebecca Volpe (35’18”) will carry the tricolor high, with Giulia Cordazzo (35’38”) completing the picture.
France fields Ines Hamoudi (34’12”) in the front line, followed by Manon Cumy, Laure Bertrand and Camille Laurent with very close times of 34’33”, 34’37” and 34’42”.
Switzerland features 2020 National Champion in the 3000 steeplechase Shirley Lang (34’11”), accompanied by Romane Wolhauser (35’06”) and Elena Eichenberger (35’41”), with Shirin Kerber (9’44″35 in the 3000m) making her 10km debut.
For Israel, Tesera Birtukan represents the nation with a recent personal best of 36’01″26 in the 10000m, while Greece will not present a women’s team.
