Youngsters test their speed at '100 days to go' event in Rieti

To mark 100 days to go to the Rieti 2013 European Athletics Junior Championships, the local organising committee, in collaboration with the Cariri Student Athletics club and the Italian Athletics Federation (FIDAL), organised a youth engagement programme at a prime shopping mall in the city on Sunday.

The organisers invited local youths to test their speed over 30 metres on a specially designed mat, the same surface which will be used during the championships scheduled for 18-21 July at the Raul Guidobaldi stadium.

The initiative proved to be very popular and scores of young children from the city took part in the campaign. Guido, the mascot of the championships, distributed some Rieti 2013 merchandise to athletics fans onsite.

Some information booklets regarding the 'Free Nature' project, an initiative of the Rieti 2013 LOC in collaboration with the Forest Sports Group, were also given out. The project's main focus is to foster respect for the environment and for the entire community through sports.