41 ° ING New York City Marathon - First Among Europeans 
November 7, 2010 The fateful
Marathon Day began with the alarm compulsory 05 : 45 (time change included). For someone
will also be the day of his birthday to celebrate many thousands ... Numbers behind me, and will be one of the few people who will travel in my thoughts on race day.
few people, but valuable from a certain point onwards, only on ...
Since then he has started a countdown clocked a time schedule del'organizzazione NYRR such detail as precise in rhythm to every moment of our approach at the time of the fatal gunshot.
Morning
06:30 am precise (with you or without you) are among the last to leave on buses escorted by the NYPD, before taking strict control of the chip (one for each shoe) and pectoral ( back and forth) properly stapled on the top race. The quiet streets of
illuminata da un tiepido sole basso mattutino fa presagire una giornata perfetta e senza nubi all'orizzonte, resta il dubbio di quanto freddo potrà fare.
Con me nel pullmann semivuoto un giovane, anzi giovanissimo ragazzo del New Jersey con il quale inizio a scambiare qualche parola in inglese ma lui mi risponde in Italiano: è
Chris Pannone , del NYAC (New York Athletic Club nel Centro di Manhattan).
Ancora un ragazzino, a dispetto della mia ormai veneranda età degli over 30, mi racconta tutte le sue speranze e convinzioni di correre sotto il proprio personale di 2h 18' (eccellente) proprio nel difficile percorso di New York.
Non potevo che pensare fra me e me:
"Notevole!" But I was with my feet planted on the ground, in my bold scheme that I kept in mind and with all its contingency plans, A, B, C, D. ..
The truth is that since I set foot at the Hilton entering the Gods of Olympus Marathon (and this will devote a separate story), little by little I was always convinced they could do better from here
nt I had feared in the head, more in recent days, the ankle had given signs of great improvement and the very day of the race I could run at full efficiency and thrust both legs.
week of discharge had paid off every morning at 08:00 to wait in the hotel lobby good
Abderrahime Bouramdane , forte atleta del Marocco tra i grandi favoriti.
Vivere gli ultimi giorni del pre-gara con un Uomo di tale semplicità come
Matt Downin cui ringrazio di aver potuto condividere tali attimi, mi ha portato quella quiete ed ambientamento finale che forse difficilmente avrei trovato in un terreno, quello dell'Elite Mondiale, mai vissuto prima.
Il clima era molto freddo, e l'ambiente scoperto di Staten Island con a pochi passi il Ponte di Verazzano sullo sfondo dei miei passi di riscaldamento portava frequenti folate di vento freddo.
Ma per me la decisione era perentoria (conoscendo i miei "bollenti spiriti"): indossare unicamente la Maglia
Adidas Adizero Mana created especially for the event.
organization, impeccable, calls on us to deliver the bags and begin the approach to the line parteza.
We few, I look around me, I know them all now!
The Sub-Elite, with friends and
Tiberti Achmüller (dear friend of many battles in Marathon), follow us from behind but from the road that runs parallel to ours. Last
"Good Luck" and reciprocal way to the cameras now ...
The minutes of waiting before the start with the various extensions, stretching, taking off clothing to be delivered a few final moments before the start, will be the longest that I will remember.
With the presentation of the best they 5 athletes ... nothing in front, behind a mass of people incredibly incalculable ...
Moments after the National Anthem and the few words of President Mary Wittenberg, under my eyes and the "cannon shot
! "
Such was the emphasis of the sudden we were all taken by surprise to go!
This time I will not feel even a hint of "New York, New York" by Frank Sinatra as I'll be more ...
legs running, great for the Verrazano Narrows Bridge
is under study: how cold it is, how much wind is blowing (across) and is also the time for some escape to victory a few meters, but then it starts to get serious ...
Ma .. how serious?
I keep constantly in second wheel, I will not take the stage to anyone, but is still there, taking a view of the entire world on broadcast TV, except for the RAI.
Considering that Italy is now the nation with the highest number of foreign participants in the Marathon world's most important, decide to remove the users of the Public Service such an event has left me stunned ... (And not add more).
I can go with the best all two miles of the bridge, until its end, giving me probably ten minutes from the protagonist, with the strongest ... Sooner or later I'll
a registered copy of this marathon? I hope so ... At the end of the bridge
Haile and others begin to take more seriously and for me to start my race.
All Elite cry remain glued to the big group, I prefer to keep my pace more in line with the difficulty of the course until they are joined by a group led by Mexican
Odilon Rojas Cuahutle Traveler's excellent pace, around the
3'20 "/ Km .
with me alternating several athletes for the first stint I will be helpful companions, including a Spaniard by the very fresh appearance, a Swede and a pair of Ethiopians stationed in the United States with their clubs or College.
Road for the first 15 km is still very viable without major tear and the noise of the people of Downtown is heard deafening.
At this stage a few Italian fans that I could induce, were seen almost exclusively South American flags and the community, especially the Mexican one. All
to cheer pe r
this formidable athlete forties, Cuahutle, also Elite grind km front with remarkable ease.
I was very focused but relaxed at the same time. If
debut in 2009 chose to enjoy the public at the expense of any other result, this year, felt the weight of responsibility, I chose to concentrate on my own race, interacting with the public as little as possible or maybe just in the final race.
Given the bright day, were the fundamental Sunglasses Adidas
Adizero The LST Polarized lens where I fell into a true internal state of mind, serene and solitary, he read the messages that my body sent.
That morning there were only positive messages, never a day so spot on, the cold, which for many has been an obstacle for me to finally resulted in an organic invaluable resource as I was sweating just a few drops!
Finally I had the need to always drink was safe and muscle cramps or organic crisis, you only had a few drops (gelida) ogni tanto tra i molteplici ristori presenti ad ogni miglio per far passare la sete.
L'incognita sarebbe stata la traballante (o non perfetta) preparazione iniziata verso fine agosto quando la caviglia e tanti altri problemi stavano pian piano procedendo verso la pacifica conclusione: avrei avuto la forza muscolare necessaria per affrontare le ultime miglia, le più impervie?
Sicuramente quella forza, interiore, c'era e lo avvertivo!
Raggiunti verso il
15° K altri concorrenti andati in fuga solitaria realizzando un 10K d'effetto, si procede con un cadenzare perfetto ma sempre sul piede dei 3'20"/Km.
Il tifo della gente rendeva sostenibile tale andatura e non c'era strada dove si potesse ascoltare la propria voce tanto era il frastuono e l'entusiasmo che faceva apparire la gente!
Tutto questo accelera il proprio cammino e la gara scorre via con inaspettata celerità.
Sono in tre avanti che dettano il ritmo e nell'avvicinarsi alla Mezza Maratona sfruttano ogni salita o discesa per incrementare il passo.
Inizio a stentare, fatico a stare attaccato, ma non sento una crisi...
Molti altri componenti del gruppetto si staccano e poco prima dell'
Half Mar 
athon dopo alcune curve dislivellate rimaniamo proprio in quattro.
Il passaggio alla Mezza Maratona è silenzioso, si passa per il
Pulaski Bridge , si abbandona il
Queens ...
I look at the stopwatch:
1h 10 '20 ", good time for me!
This moment is decisive for the fate of my Marathon: forcing those three are still in a very difficult to manage and takes only a few kilometers away to see them after another small increment of speed on their part ... By
crisis for stay slightly below and not to lose their wake but I have to give up, the K 25
is at the door as the entrance to the most fascinating and spectacular of all Marathon: The
Queensboro Bridge, the giant metal.
missing almost 10 miles, begins the countdown ...
the bend of the Queensboro waiting for me as its indication
Giampiero Vicari che mi urla con tutta la sua forza "Forza Filippo, Forza Palermo!" con il conseguente effetto-eco su tutta la lunghezza del ponte, già parzialmente attraversato.
Raggiungo un corridore keniano più in crisi di me e ne approfitto per fare il punto della situazione: afferro la borraccia personalizzata che avevo consegnato al sabato e trovo l'integratore gelido, la barretta energetica attaccata con il nastro adesivo dura come la pietra...
Fa freddo ma sento il bisogno di mangiarla, un poco alla volta!
C'è silenzio intorno a me, mi preparo ad una scarica d'adrenalina che dovrò sfruttare...
Poco prima di iniziare la parte in discesa vedo accostato sul bordo del ponte il Campione European Marathon, the
Switzer Roethlin and I think ...
... "Maybe I could be the first European ?"... I find myself feeling, starts to leave the bridge and I enjoy the show: within a double curve in Manhattan and an overwhelming roar of people ... shivering with excitement! If Marathon
I usually reserve one shot from a change of pace to be able to launch or start a progessione, well, that moment had to be that although a lot away from the arrival! Feel the awesome power
brushed after those three curves feeding into
First Av and I was just ...
fans starting to feel a growing share of me.
The Italian flag sewn on the chest, the logo "Sicily" printed on the shirt Adizero Mana created for the occasion combine wonderfully with the two numbers given me by the organization.
already have on your surname returned no small satisfaction.
As I enjoyed to hear my last name misspelled: LoPiccolo, 'lpicclo, loopicolo, etc. ... but cried out with the enthusiasm of those who want to do you just go ahead.
The First is long but not contain my vehemence: it starts to cross the 60th street block and tackle with the soul of the warrior, convinced victims to collect on the street, someone found it occasionally.
The first and foremost one of those Ethiopians who had fled ahead me from that group ... it was just a great motivation.
It comes down the road towards the 110th meeting John Vicari see me last, it will be for the next time the Gatorade! The 30th K
approaches: the Willis Avenue Bridge
carpet is not orange but it goes the same strong, I start to get some female competitor.
always convinced I run, steady, now only overtaking sin to be lonely on the run.
a fleeting salute to the boys of
Bronx, this time "Respect" and punch in the chest with the boys in the area and beginning to enter the scene. The Japanese
peak has already been reached with ease: how to break out of his inexplicably from 2:08 a.m. 'PB
you go into the hot zone
Fifth Av ... Finally
Italians have the upper hand and for me at this stage is critical: every shout of encouragement makes me fly out but the engine is more efficient ...
begin to rise several problems including the solid toe prevents me from pushing hard, but I try to raise the same action!
now missing only 5 Miles the end, I remember the race of Poland, beginning to urge myself, as do the spectators on the streets!
I can not believe you are still so able, after all I made a partial and not so solid preparation in the gym, but I'm still fighting with myself.
think back to the blizzard of Cagliari and the crisis of heat occurred last seen by his work of 24 K Gaspar ... who knows what she is doing in the race ...
I think the few friends I have, to Francis that I could not greet the night before, my family, at decisive moments.
After a few hundred meters a young step, I turn and Chris Pannone!
E 'sadly missed, I do everything to bring it with me but does not react in any way in the face ...
As I'm sorry, really, but sometimes the gamble will pay for, and expensive!
Finally the big bend of artificial people, you comes to Central Park, like all the last few mornings, the roads that are already familiar.
I dive every down, I climb every long incline, know them by heart, I reach for a first person, then another.
The street is increasingly inaccessible because the legs are tired but not the heart and soul.
reach other two opponents in sight: an African, the other hard to reach after a little rise.
was exactly what the Mexican star of the first stage!
The missing step in trumpet and just under 1 mile ...
The Italians are the majority in Central Park is known, but it strikes me when
do one of them screaming my first name, yes! He knows me well! I
face with the same impact that I have inside And I point, I go forward. You go out again
from Central Park, Fifth reimmette you to make you reach the big bend of the entrance from Columbus Circle.
point with his eyes away from the palace of the Time Warner towers above all that, but it really looks weird now to receive the applause of the audience.
The fear that my foot cramp that's all right to cheat and try to keep the leg relaxed. The
afraid to stop because of a cramp, the damn joke that ruined everything, more and more distant as he approached the building through the double comb-shaped columns ... As usual
Podisti.net immortalizes the steps and this year the picture shows lo stato d'animo.
Già esultavo, non vedevo l'ora di arrivare e finalmente ero sicuro del risultato acquisito, buono a spanne.
I soli 400m per entrare nuovamente nel Parco, iniziare la fila di bandiere schierate ed individuare la mia, forse Primo Europeo nella testa!
Affronto la salitella con le ultime forze, provo ad individuare qualcuno nel pubblico ma è impossibile scorgere mia sorella o gli amici, poi rallento e mi godo la festa:
2h 23' 10" - 20° Posto - 1° Europeo!
La sequenza come al solito e rigorosamente ogni 5K:
16'56" (5K) + 16'38" (10K) + 16'41" (15K) + 16'29 " (20K) + 16'54" (25K) + 16'39 " (30K) + 17'25" (35K) + 17'40 " (40K) + (7'48") (42.195 K)
First Half: 1h10'20 "Second Half: 1h12'50"
Giancarlo Colombo for Omega / Fidal me take some pictures, but the Federation deems just not mentioning me in his news Site Online ...
Sign of the Cross, bac
me to the ground, and cheering as never before, in an elegant, subdued but satisfied.
The assistance of the Marathon is just me, but without knowing how much happy.
Minutes after the race meeting various friends, Hermann, Tito, Chris, Matthew and I receive compliments from
Franca Fiacconi ...
What a day to remember! Very well
Duke Francesco (Violettaclub) ,
with his 32nd place in 2h27'48 ". Hermann second Italian (but the manager is German ;-) and a fantastic 29th place in
2:26 a.m. '52 " The Shower of the post-marathon you never forget, you relax, get dressed and go up to the 44th floor of the Hilton to see the Table.
Leggo Twentieth Absolute, screams of joy with the Mario Fesi
International Castelbuono jogging around who was there.
A great day, many years of hard work paid off and the joy of having brought my land at the top of Europe's most beautiful and exciting marathon in the world.
(Thanks to Podisti.net for photo viewers and I have taken beautiful pictures of freely sharing via Flickr.com)
New York City - November 8 to 13 
Finally, walk over and over to Times Square from "our side" and see what has changed since a year now in the "gardens of the luxury" of downtown Manhattan, those palaces of 5 - 6 floors where you can find everything, but not for your pocket! 
New York City, Thursday ' November 4. 
But all without stopping, also because 'the winner has really raced well. 
