The Cascata delle Marmore is the tallest man-made waterfall in Europe.

Terni is the capital of the Umbrian province of the same name in Italy but is more popular as the birthplace of Catholic bishop Saint Valentine, the patron saint of love and happy marriage. The theme run for love of Maratona di San Valentino 2017 pays homage to this part of the city’s history.

We flew out of Brussels South Charleroi Airport for Rome Fiumicino on the Ryanair flight at 8:50 AM of Saturday, February 18, 2017. After landing an hour before noon, we were on the 30-minute Leonardo Express train shuttle to Roma Termini station. From there, we switched to a local train bound for Terni. The ride was only an hour long and hassle-free.

We stayed at Hotel Michelangelo Palace located right across the train station.

We breezed through check-in and had time to rest before bib pick-up which was at 3:00 PM at Piazza della Republica a few minutes’ walk away. The goodie bag contained the finisher’s shirt, a bottle of olive oil, sports gel, Si & No organic corn chips, Ventura almonds, Muesli chocolate bar, a Terni postcard, sponge, Buono pasta, a heart-shaped chocolate, and some bandages.

Registration cost for this race varies from 32 to 42€, depending on the date you signed up. There is also a half-marathon category from 22€ to 27€.

An open-air weekend market was ongoing at the piazza.

We meandered along the streets close to the hotel.

Stopped for a quick libation.

We woke up early for breakfast and be ready for the race start at 9:30 AM.

It was a small race with lots of fast runners.

The volunteers were nice and some were even dressed up to cheer people on.

We ran by the Basilica San Valentino where Saint Valentine’s body is preserved.

The course highlight is the Cascata delle Marmore or the Marmore Waterfalls, at 541 feet the tallest man-made waterfall in Europe. It was the result of a canal construction in 271 BC to prevent the flooding of the city. Today, Marmore Waterfalls is used for the hydroelectric power plant Galleto. The cascading water can also be turned on and off, depending on the opening hours.

The course is indeed beautiful and scenic, showcasing the Umbrian hills in the distance and the vineyards. I took mostly photos of the houses hugging the hills.

I did take a photo of these local beauties checking out the runners.

I finished the race, got my heart-shaped medal and a rose, then took a shower back at the hotel before leaving for Rome by train.

We stayed at the Hilton Rome Airport overnight to catch the early morning flight back to Brussels on February 20, 2017.