Was held Sunday in Scarnafigi (Cuneo), home of the brothers Damilano and home of training for many Italian and international walkers, the event “On the streets of the Champions - fitwalking - race walking” that has been a great success.
This is the second edition in which race walking and fitwalking coexist in a particular event of popular taste, but in the context that does not lose its technical aspect as regards the competitive part of race walk.
Over 150 fitwalkers and walkers who took part in the program to different distances, from 7.5 Km to the races of Piemonte Trophy (U18/J/U23/Sen/master) to Km 30 passing for 15 Km.
The charm of a "long" path, which wound around Scarnafigi for a total of 7,500 km, able to make sense of vintage event and who reported back over the years many master walkers, but that gave young people the opportunity to enjoy the pleasure of a moment agonistic less exasperated by the continuous direct comparison as they are used in the now reduced paths 500 or 1000 meters prepared for racing gear, has once again caught the favor of all the participants.
A young athlete of category U18 said at the end of his trial: "a race like this you unleashes strong emotions. Who has had the opportunity to see some footage of the past, or has a coach who has experienced race walk of years ago, which tells how the races were held in the past, here is all the charm of those stories. I also believe that for the beginning of the season a race like this is ideal. And 'less stressful that made short circuit. Make your step and if you fall you're less influenced strongly competitive in not wanting to lose meters at any cost.”
Even judges have operated using the old judging system with continuous exchanges on the course and at times following athletes by bike. They then worked in all the races using the method Pit Lane (with penalties in time) that allows these types of track guarantee excellent operation.
That of Scarnafigi was a great celebration of walking. A festival that involved in the competitions, in addition to the aforementioned fitwalkers in 15 km and 30 Km, boys of all categories, from beginners to juniors, and then seniors and masters, and over 400 walkers participating in the most "social" the day for a walk fitwalking about 10 Km.
A historic coach, Pietro Pastorini, always attentive to developments in the world of sports and especially thin connoisseur of the changes that the world of the race walking presents - besides speaker of the event - he appreciated the formula used to Scarnafigi. Race walking is popular sport, said Pastorini, this was his story and this is its nature. Those who think that everything there is evidence only in the big events, in major championships, in the world, the Olympics did not understand the true essence of our sport, made of samples and many people simply passionate walkers who are in the act of walking the expression of a sport strong and exciting. The future of our sport also involves a return to strong popular roots, with events that turn into mass participation, where the samples are walking side by side with the fans running and fitwalking. One regret then expressed: I regret that the participation of high level walkers or top, just to take the opportunity of a good training away and to promote their sport, so was numerically reduced.
See you at all for the next edition which will certainly once again will provide a strong relationship between race walking, the world in general and of the way the fitwalking in particular.