The Cup of the Last

The winner of the “Cup of the Last” — presented for the first time at the Rome Marathon on Sunday morning, 19 March — was 69-year-old Romano Dessì. He was the last runner to pass by the Basilica, a little after kilometre 16 of the race’s 42.195. A few minutes later, after the noon Angelus, Dessì — and all 30,000 participants in the marathon — received words of encouragement from Pope Francis, who congratulated the runners for joining the Athletica Vaticana initiative in “making this important event an occasion for solidarity in favour of the poorest”. Dessì, wearing the orange t-shirt of his team, Podistica solidarietà, was welcomed by Athletica Vaticana and “L’Osservatore di Strada” at Bernini’s Colonnade, where the Vatican Gendarme Band’s music contributed to the festive atmosphere. The Cup of the Last, ...