Borda International Tintori Team: Brussels Acerta Ekiden Relay a.k.a. "2 Teams are better than 1"

Brussels Acerta Ekiden Relay is the biggest relay marathon in the world. In 2012 over 1300 teams composed by 6 runners each have registered.

The term "Ekiden" has japanese origins, and originally referred to a post-horse or stagecoach which transmitted communication by stages. The first ekiden race was sponsored by the Yiomiuri Shimbun in 1917, and was run over three days between the old Japanese capital of Kyoto and the modern capital of Tokio, a distance of 508 km, to celebrate the anniversary of the moving of the capital to Tokio.

In Brussels 42.195 km were more than enough of course, for our athletes.

Meeting point was the hall of "Roi Baudoin" stadium in Brussels, which only few weeks before hosted athletics' Diamond League and the performance of our future member Usain Bolt. Stuck in jamaican traffic jam Mr Bolt lost his connection to Brussels and couldn't make it this year but he promised to be there in 2013.

B.I.T.T. is stronger than any unforeseen and that 7th October was at the starting blocks with two amazing relay teams:

Team B(orda): 1. Cristina 2. Umberto 3. Jennifer 4. Xavi 5. Camilla 6. Adam

Team T(intori): 1. Francesco 2. Kostas 3. Noemi 4. Doug 5. Kiki 6. Bogdan

12 runners, 8 nationalities, over 3 hours of pain.

Warming up in the hall of the Stadium

First runners and their "Ekiden"

Second runners: "..and the nightmare began" for Mr Umberto and Mr Kostas. Weather represented obstacle number one as dark heavy clouds poured on our athletes galloons of rain in only few minutes.

While Ms Noemi was trying to hide from paparazzi...

..Ms Jennifer gaves us a big smile just before starting the swim.

Just a minute before Ms Jennifer and Ms Noemi asked: "How can we recognize our teammates runners n.4, respectively Mr Xavi and Mr Doug, when it comes to give them the relay?"

Mr Xavi and Mr Doug had indeed the same concern, because the crowd at the relay blocks, the scarse visibility due to rain showers (and probably also the fact of not knowing each other) could have represented another insourmountable obstacle.

There came the masterpiece.. despite the accurate physical descriptions given to each of them, Mr Xavi magically turned into Mr Doug and took the relay from Ms Noemi, and viceversa did Mr Doug with Ms Jennifer, making our two B.I.T.T. teams the only ones participating in the new category "Cross-Team Exchange Relay", awarded at the finish lane by Jonathan and Kevin Borlée, belgian stars of the 400m.

"Don't panic, it's my turn" stated Ms Kiki, runner n.5, then joining Ms Camilla at the blocks while Mr Adam was "thumbing up" waiting for the final stage.

Soon it was the turn of runners n.6 , Mr Adam and Mr Bogdan, who accompanied the two teams to the well deserved finish line. Mr Kostas welcomed this final stage in a state of hypothermia.