Every run is a journey, as Pietro Mennea, the eternal legend of the sport and the very embodiment of Italian running culture, used to say. And for that journey to work, to unfold successfully, especially in the one-of-a-kind context of a marathon, everything is required. Mind. Heart. Breath. Legs. All 4 One. Converging forces moving a single body forward, guiding it toward the 42 kilometers, discovering in perfect harmony the magic formula needed to conquer the most symbolic and meaningful of sporting challenges.

The Cisalfa Run Crew has begun its search, and its refinement, of this shared score in preparation for the Rome Marathon. Through a process of self-discovery and collective evolution, Lorenzo Lotti, Sofia Montagna, Giovanni Maione, and Lara Alborghetti have already started to experience, during a special training camp in Fuerteventura, the sense of wholeness required to tackle an iconic athletic feat.

Each of them comes from a different background. Different experiences. Different ambitions. A different relationship with running itself. And yet, they are all united by a single red thread: the desire to face the ultimate sporting challenge with the right respect and with preparation that is as holistic as it is scientific

“I’m deeply attached to the Rome Marathon: it holds a special meaning for me, because it was the first marathon of my life,” says Lorenzo Lotti, introducing his journey toward the cobblestones of the Eternal City. He speaks from the breathtaking landscape of Fuerteventura, where the crew he is coaching, and with whom he will share the entire journey as an athlete as well, has gathered for their first collective camp. “Back then, I wasn’t ready for a race like that. Looking back now makes me smile… I didn’t fully understand what it truly takes to show up prepared on the starting line.”

Everything is required to decode the complex language of a marathon, his experienced testimony suggests. One must analyze emotional motion and muscular motion alike, connecting and correlating every part of the self. Creating an ecosystem capable of assigning equal importance, and equal power, to elements such as mind, heart, breath, and legs: thematic pillars, but also narrative ones, on the road to Rome.

“I feel a bit nervous, but that’s completely normal,” states the least experienced member of the crew, or rather, a near newcomer to running, Lara Alborghetti, who over the past two years has found in the most democratic of sports a companion for growth. Through this process of maturation, and within what she describes as a “very personal dimension,” she is learning how to align every aspect of her body and soul in preparation for the great Roman celebration.

The same is true for Giovanni Maione, shaped by football and rope skipping before being captivated by the rhythm of pure kinetic motion: stripped of tools, yet full of meaning. “For me, running is an outlet. Actually, it’s a form of meditation,” he shares. Months away from the event in the Eternal City, he is searching for completeness across the 42 kilometers while simultaneously recovering from an injury that deeply affected him. “I missed everything during that forced inactivity,” he admits, revealing a clear philosophy of recovery: performance as the result of full health and the complete alignment of every part of oneself.

“To run the Rome Marathon, for me, means immersing myself once again in a unique, beautiful energy,” says Sofia Montagna, who has made running a way to challenge herself while also promoting a virtuous lifestyle. “I want to run it. And I want to run it well,” she adds, expressing a deeply personal goal, just as the 42 kilometers demand, yet one to be cultivated alongside her crew. Her answer to the question of what a marathon truly requires is a refrain that grows stronger with every repetition: mind, heart, breath, and legs. All 4 One.

“Running is vital to me: it’s my heart,” Sofia Montagna concludes, opening the door to the path that lies ahead. “I’m preparing everything: mind, heart, breath, and above all, legs,” Giovanni Maione echoes, highlighting another essential element on the road to Rome. “Legs, mind, and heart all depend on my breath,” adds Lara Alborghetti, placing another piece into this running-inspired mosaic. “Imagination. Rationality. In balance, it’s the mind that creates confidence,” Lorenzo Lotti finally draws together, sounding the final note of this physical, emotional, and sensory score: one that anticipates and prepares for the majestic challenge awaiting in the Eternal City. 

The same score you’ll be able to follow over the coming months on the individual channels of the Cisalfa Run Crew members and on Cisalfa Sport’s platforms.