10 years after Pietro Mennea’s passing, the first
“Pietro’s Track”
From the recycling of sports materials and end-of-life work shoes, “Pietro’s Track” was created in Barletta in the outdoor area of Giovanni Modugno elementary school
Pietro Mennea, the “Arrow of the South,” was an extraordinary athlete. His career, studded with numerous and extraordinary world records and Olympic medals, is a symbol of perseverance, determination, and talent. Qualities that have inspired and continue to inspire generations of athletes around the world.
10 years after his passing, in Barletta, his hometown, the first athletics track dedicated to him was created with a special surface, made from recycled sports waste and work shoes (PPE) collected through the esosport and back to work projects. A project born in 2009 to combine passion for sports with the circular economy, thanks to ESO Società Benefit’s expertise in office waste management.
The athletics track is 60 meters long, has 6 lanes, and is located in the outdoor area of Giovanni Modugno elementary school in Barletta. A collaborative initiative, the result of the meeting of various business and associative entities united by the desire to remember and celebrate Pietro Mennea, keeping his memory alive in the hearts of young athletes who will run on that surface, born from a recycling and circular economy process.
From the intersection of the paths of BASE Protection, in the safety footwear production sector, the GOGREEN Association, which supports the esosport projects for the construction of sports flooring for “Pietro’s Track,” the Municipality of Barletta, with Mayor Cosimo Cannito, the Pietro Mennea Foundation, the I.P. Archimede of Barletta, and ESO RECYCLING, specialized in the treatment of sports waste and PPE, the idea was born to bring this important initiative to the territory.
“Pietro’s Track” is also the result of the meeting of other paths, those of Nicolas Meletiou, Paolo Masini, creator of the project, and Manuela Olivieri Mennea, wife of the Olympic champion in the 200 meters at Moscow 1980 and holder of the world record for 17 years, who joined the initiative by donating a pair of Pietro’s running shoes. A symbolic gesture to testify that, in every track that will be created, a portion of material from the shoes and a part of this great athlete’s dream will be present, a sort of sourdough starter that will multiply in all the tracks to come.
The inauguration of “Pietro’s Track” is scheduled for Saturday, June 24 at 11:30 AM, preceded by a charity evening for fundraising to be held at the Garden Club of Barletta at 9:00 PM on Thursday, June 22, accompanied by a lottery where you can win jerseys autographed by great sports champions.
“Sports and circular economy: a winning combination with ‘Pietro’s Track’ – say in unison Nicolas Meletiou, president of the GOGREEN Association, and Paolo Masini, creator of the project – and of great educational value for new generations. We are happy and honored to be part of this ambitious project that stems from a natural synergy that has been created with BASE Protection, the Municipality of Barletta, the Mennea Foundation, and the I.P. Archimede Institute. I wish to express my gratitude to everyone for believing in the idea and for working together to make it happen.”
“Pietro’s Track, created through the treatment and recycling of sports materials and end-of-life PPE at our facility in Tolentino – says Helga Loessl, CEO of ESO RECYCLING – is proof that together we can build a collaborative future, made of projects like this that put circular economy, solidarity, and sports at the center.”
“Pietro’s teaching was not only to be better than his contemporaries or predecessors… but rather to try to be better than himself. We, children of his city – declared Sports Councilor Marcello De Gennaro – in just a few days accepted a challenge with ourselves: to achieve a result that remembers him over time through ‘Pietro’s Track,’ his favorite playing field, with his same entrepreneurial spirit.
“An indelible mark that etches the memory of an unforgettable champion, a great Italian, an incomparable son of Barletta. An athletics track dedicated to Pietro is the most beautiful gift that He, from above, could give to the students of Modugno school and to all the young athletes of the city who I hope will want to emulate him. An experience to be replicated in all the city’s schools, so that his example can stimulate healthy enthusiasm in young people.” Also declares Ruggiero Mennea.
“Pietro’s Track is a precious gift for our city; it represents love for the environment, passion for sports, the spirit of collaboration between local and non-local companies; it is proof of the commitment of our governors and the school system in wanting to keep the memory of the great Pietro alive to encourage and trigger emulation processes by our children.” Daniela Stolfi, General Manager of Base Protection.
“Pietro’s Track in a Barletta school is the most beautiful dream come true. Pietro began his race to success right from a Barletta school, introduced to sports by Professor Alberto Autorino, his physical education teacher. Nowhere else can the alchemy reach the magical perfection it has in Barletta: we are in the city that gave birth to Pietro, in a school that is the fundamental institution that allowed Pietro to encounter sports, and here an athletics track has been created that represents the tool that allowed Pietro to find success, first in sports and then in life.
I am certain that this track will have that extra magic that will help children turn their dreams into reality, because sports are fundamental for transmitting those values that are essential for a successful life, and every child who trains on this track must always keep Pietro’s story in mind, who from Barletta began to dream, proving that the impossible does not exist.” Concludes Manuela Olivieri Mennea, President of the Pietro Mennea Foundation.
