The sights and sounds of historic Florence provide the perfect athletic setting

Mark Atkinson was representing Torbay Amateur Athletics Club at the Florence Marathon, supported by his sister and cousin. This was his first road marathon and a celebration on his birthday with his new age category as a mv60.

The morning started cold, clear and frosty at a chilly -2 degrees and Mark found himself in the pink starting pen at the back of the starting waves but used the first couple of miles wisely to start making his way through the field.

The Florence marathon route took in all the famous sights, staring at The Duomo, crossing four ancient bridges in total, including the iconic Ponte Vecchio.

The course followed the Arno River for a stretch and wound its way through medieval roads and the narrow cobbled streets of the historic centre before returning to the finish line in the Piazza della Signoria in the imposing shadow of the Duomo cathedral.

Mark found the start a little crowded due to the 12,500 participants on the narrow roads but as they left the city centre streets, he was able to pick up the pace through the scenic parks and long straight stretches alongside the river. The streets were lined with enthusiastic supports and live music.

He stuck to his race plan and was able to run a negative split to finish strongly in a chip time of 03:46:02.