Now imagine that the city in which the race is taking place is Florence, the capital of Tuscan and cradle of the Italian Renaissance, with countless artistic treasures and attractions, historical and artistic parks, the Arno River traversing the city and the overgrown hills that surround Florence, offering a beautiful view. Now if to the famous beauty of this historical city we add a bouquet of Urban Trail races which include night and day races of different distances along with combinations of these as well, the mixture we will have will be indeed an impressing experience!

The 3^rd edition of the Firenze Urban Trail will we held on the weekend of March 5&6, 2016, while the organizing team (Camelbag ASD) is no other than the same one that holds one of the largest and most popular ultra- trail races of Europe, The North Face® Lavaredo Ultra Trail, at the end of June every year. As Advendure, we had already spoken with Cristina Murgia, Technical Director of the races in 2014, when we had ran the race in the Italian Dolomites. Even then we were interested in the race, since it was happening in a city which is full of cultural and historical attractions, as well as being a popular tourist destination for our country.

The organization is the largest in Italy concerning Urban Trail races, and begins Saturday night at 21:00 with a race of 13 kilometers which goes through many of the historical monuments which made Florence so important culturally at an international level. On Sunday morning there are two larger races, one of 30 kilometers which reaches Settignano hill with the unbelievable north-east  view of the city, and one of 45 kilometers which has the characteristics of an ultra race. This race reaches the Fiesole and Monte Ceceri hills, starting from the central historical square of the city, the Santa Croce.

Finally, the most daring who want to see the city running both night and day can choose the combination of the night race and one of the morning races (challenge& ultra challenge), with separate awards and points. It is a truly difficult back- to- back experience in an Urban Trail race which we haven’t seen before!

The combinations of the races and the choices of the routes are such so that the athlete can “travel” to areas and monuments of huge cultural value and beautiful parks, but he will be tested- especially during the two long races of 30 & 45 kilometers- on paths which continuously go up and down the green hills that surround Florence. 

As Cristina Murgia described to us, the basic target of the races are not only the athletic competition, but moreover the solidarity between the athlete and the experience of a combination of cultural spirit which the city has plenty of, along with the effort of the athlete to reach the finish line. Athletes can see the Boboli gardens, the Belvedere fortress, the San Miniato, the marvelous Ponte Vecchio Bridge, and the paths of the Settignano, Maiano and Fiesole hills. Also, some kilometers are in the paths of the Arno riverside which traverses the Renaissance city. All of the above are a guarantee for the original experience that combines running and culture.

13 Km by Night

The Firenze Urban Trail 2016 begins Saturday night, March 5^th at 21:00 with a race of 13 kilometers, which starts at Santa Croce square. By going up and down it reaches the hill of the Belvedere fortress. The route crosses into the night with the lights of the headlamps and into the city’s humidity that is intensified from the Arno River, monuments such as the Della Signoria square, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge, the Palazzo Pitti and then climbs the San Miniato hill, the Erta Canina and the Michelangelo square until it returns to the Santa Croce square for the finish.

The race accepts up to 1000 athletes, while information for the registration, the cost of participation and the route can be found here.

30 Km Daytime

At 8:30 Sunday morning of March 6^th, the 30 kilometer race starts. It too starts from Santa Croce square and its first part follows the route of the night race. After crossing a large section on soil path and paved path along the Arno River, it reaches the Florentine Hills. Then comes some running in the pretty Albereta Park and after that follows the return parallel to the Arno River, but with a larger ascent and descent. Once the athletes have admired the view from the Settignano, they enter Florence and as soon as they cross the Pazzagli park and the Lungarno, they finish at Santa Croce square.

The race accepts up to 400 athletes, while information for the registration, the cost of participation and the route can be found here. The use of a water bag or a belt with a bottle of 500ml is mandatory.

45 Km Daytime

The longest race of the organization is essentially an ultra Urban Trail experience and is addressed to strong athletes. It starts at 8:30 on Sunday morning of March 6^th, from the Santa Croce square and passes through the Signoria square, the stunning Uffizi gallery, the Ponte Vecchio Bridge and the Pitti square, all the way to San Miniato and the Monte hill. Then, it crosses Alberta Park and moves along the riverside of Arno for some kilometers, until it reaches Girone and begins an ascent in the narrow path to Settignano.

The race continues to the castle Castel di Poggio and to the heart of Fiesole, a small traditional city 6 kilometers from Florence. From there the ascent continues on a path towards mount Ceceri, an area where Leonardo da Vinci tested his flying machines! Fortunately or unfortunately, the athletes of the race use only their legs, so that’s how they will decline mostly passing by the sandstone quarries of Maiano until they again reach Settignano. The route slowly returns to Florence, passing through Pazzagli Park and Lungarno, while afterwards it enters the historical city center for the finish line at Santa Croce square.

The race accepts up to 400 athletes, while information for the registration, the cost of participation and the route can be found here. The use of a water bag or a belt with a bottle of 500ml is mandatory.

Challenge

It is a small trial where the athlete can run both the 13 km race by night, as well as the morning race of 30 km daytime. The regulations, the routes and the mandatory equipment are the same as when running in each race separately, while the cost and details can be found here.

Ultra Challenge

The athletes who choose to run the 13 km Night race along with the ultra 45 km Daytime race will try their strength hard, but will also explore the surrounding area of Florence at the maximum degree. It is an experience for particularly strong athletes, and details can be found here.

The “moto” of the Firenze Urban Trail is “the city at your feet”, something that athletes will definitely experience, especially by running the longer Sunday races. However, the magic of the headlamps’ lights and the lighting of the monuments in Florence will certainly be a wonderful experience for those that will choose the night race. Florence is an incredibly gorgeous city that many of us have met more or less via tourism. But by running one or some of the races of March 5^th and 6^th the athletes will "see" almost every beautiful and historically and culturally important monument of the city. Finally, they will also be athletically tested on demanding routes.

Therefore, running in the heart of Tuscan… why not?

Dimitris Troupis

English Version: Angie Terzi

Photo©: David Zanardi