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Running in Milan and Florence

I began my running adventure in Italy in Milano with the "Stramilano" 10k. I planned the timing of my trip around this race. It was easy enough to find as it is right in front of the Duomo. I stayed at Hotel Berna beside the train station so I could just hop on the metro yellow line to get to the race. This was the easiest race morning I ever had, because I didn't have to worry about parking and I could easily estimate how long the train would take to arrive at the Duomo.

Stramilano 10k start

This is a very popular race! It was similar in some ways, yet so different in other ways from what we have in the U.S. After the band played, the race began when they shot off the cannon. There was water and Gatorade and snacks at 5 miles, and the race ended at the Arena Civica. It was easy to find the way as there were many people. Just as in the U.S, the runners were very friendly. At the end of the race as we crowded into the arena, people seemed much more relaxed than I would expect. Everyone seemed to be having a great time, with much celebration at the end.

My next stop was Firenze - so different with narrow streets and sidewalks and many people. The advice I read was to run early before there are too many people. It was also supposed to rain so I went at 8 a.m. I started at my hotel on Via Camillo Cavour toward Piazza San Marco and past the Accademia Museum and found many streets that were not crowded. I ran around the Duomo as well and wound my way around a few times and back to the Accademia, then down past the Leonardo da Vinci Museum for a total of 4 miles. Both mornings had perfect temperatures, the last week of March.

I loved running in Italy and hope one day I can return! I found the Italian people to be extremely accommodating to visitors and enjoyed every minute of my stay here!

Emily Garrett

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