Francesco became a runner in 2005, when he ran his first marathon in New York. Since then, he never stopped running and often ranks at the top of his age group. He has run over 50 marathons, including some finish times of under 3 hours.

His interest in running does not end with racing. During his career as a diplomat, he volunteered to help inspire other runners. He led running groups with the New York Flyers and online workout sessions and also paced training runs with the Flyers and the NYRR Pace Team. It was a way for him to share his knowledge, experience, and passion with other runners.

Q&A with Francesco

What program do you coach?
Group Training

Other than English, what languages do you speak?
French and Italian

How would you describe your coaching style?
I believe in building a partnership between the coach and the athlete. This is especially important when runners are inexperienced and need to be inspired and motivated in a positive atmosphere. The coach’s role is to help runners set their goals, work out a training schedule together, and help them meet their goals.

What is your proudest coaching moment?
It gratifies me when an accomplished runner seeks my advice on training and puts my advice into action.

What is your favorite workout to coach and why?
The 800-meter repeats. because they enable runners to experience a similar level of fatigue of a race without putting them through the stress of a race.

Where is your favorite place to run in New York City?
Central Park

What is your favorite NYRR race?
TCS New York City Marathon

What is your personal running motto?
Let's change the world through running.