Northwestern econ major Mary Kate Tracy, who is studying at Syracuse Florence this fall, found out about the Firenze Marathon from her friend who is studying in Madrid and came to run the race with her. It was the 39th edition of a classic race that takes place on the last Sunday in November. “It was pretty cold in the morning, but overall pretty ideal running conditions,” says Mary.
She was surprised by how many people were there. In fact, Mary was among some 8000 runners, many who came from abroad for what has become one of the 20 most important marathons in the world.
The flat, entirely asphalted 26-mile course is particularly attractive to participants for all the natural and human-made beauty that surrounds them. “The route was so pretty,” says Mary. “It was so cool to go by all the Florentine monuments.”
It was Mary’s first marathon, and she was very happy with her time of 3 hours and 47 minutes. “I loved it! It was so much fun.”