Cosenza is preparing to welcome, on Friday 10 April, a special event dedicated to sport, memory and civil commitment. This is “La Corsa di Miguel”, an initiative dedicated to the figure of the young Argentine poet and runner Miguel Sanchez, kidnapped by a paramilitary commando, becoming one of the almost 30,000 disappeared victims of the dictatorship.
The event, promoted by the USSI (Italian Sports Press Union) in synergy with the Municipality of Cosenza, the educational institutions and the world of sports information, celebrates 130 years of the modern marathon through a rich program that will involve students, citizens and sports protagonists.
The involvement of local schools was fundamental, as they were protagonists of an educational path that included seminars, physical activities and awareness-raising moments, with the aim of also training young reporters. The project enhances the role of sport as an educational and civil growth tool, with particular attention to the issues of legality, respect and gender equality.
The program of the day
The initiative will start on the morning of Friday 10 April, at the Cosenza School Camp, with the 42X1000 relay which will see the participation of high school and university students, called to compete in the name of team spirit and sharing.
The program will be opened by the inaugural ceremony with the flash mob “No to gender violence, Yes to Co-Existence”, accompanied by musical moments.
In the afternoon, starting from 4.00 pm, the initiative will move to the Cosenza City Council Hall where the meeting, open to the public, “The marathon that makes history” is scheduled, dedicated to sports storytelling and the values of sport.
The protagonists of the meeting
Institutional greetings from the Mayor Franz Caruso, the President of the City Council Giuseppe Mazzuca and the President of the culture commission of Palazzo dei Bruzi Mimmo Frammartino are expected.
Followed by speeches, among others, by the champions Maurizio Leone and Daniele Caimmi, together with journalists and operators in the sector, including the journalist and writer Valerio Piccioni, Antonio Lopez (Rai Calabria journalist and national councilor of the USSI), the journalist and writer Fausto Narducci, Massimo Fedele, director of the Rai Calabria office, Monica Perri (vice president of the “Maria Rosaria Sessa” press club), the journalist of Gazzetta del Sud Francesco Mannarino and Don Enzo Gabrieli, director of “Parola di Vita”.
The works will be moderated by the journalist Enza Beltrone, USSI Projects manager.
The mayor’s words
«We are deeply proud that Cosenza is among the protagonist cities of the Miguel Marathon – states mayor Franz Caruso – an initiative that goes well beyond the sporting dimension to take on a civil, educational and cultural significance of extraordinary importance. This demonstration, inspired by the story of Miguel, an Argentine runner killed for his ideas of freedom during the period of the Videla dictatorship, represents a powerful reminder of the fundamental values that our administration promotes and defends every day: freedom, democratic participation, respect for human dignity, non-violence and gender equality.
Welcoming Miguel’s Marathon means for us – continued Franz Caruso – strongly reaffirming our commitment against all forms of oppression and discrimination, and in particular against gender violence, through the active involvement of schools, associations and representatives of sports information. The contribution of the USSI and the participation of the young generations make this initiative even more significant, transforming it into a real path of civic education and awareness.
At the same time – Franz Caruso reiterated – it is a high profile sporting event, capable of enhancing the most authentic principles of sport: loyalty, commitment, sacrifice and community spirit. Sport, in this context, becomes a universal language and a tool of inclusion, capable of uniting people of all ages and backgrounds around shared ideals.
We are convinced that events like this represent a precious opportunity for growth for the entire community, stimulating moments of debate and discussion that contribute to strengthening the social and cultural fabric of our city. Cosenza thus confirms itself as an open, sensitive and attentive reality to the issues of rights, memory and solidarity, capable of transforming sport into a vehicle of values and a concrete instrument of social change”.