This year's ‘Popolana’, the sports-humanitarian event with its spirit expressed in the motto ‘With Sport from Streets and Squares to Nature and Tourism’, was held in the name of a 99 km long ultra marathon, which was, in the company of Lenart Oblak and numerous friends, run by Mirjana Kmačić Pellizzer. In the last stage from the Lim Gulf to Rovinj, Mirjana was followed by Mario Budicin, town’s deputy mayor, on a bicycle.

The youngest of Rovinj athletes, members of the Association for Persons with Special Needs and wards of the Domenico Pergolis Home for the Elderly and Infirm, to whom this year’s ‘Popolana’ is dedicated, ran down the streets of Rovinj with the marathon runners. The marathon entitled ‘1+1 = A Million Steps – Live to be a Hundred!’ was 99 kilometres long, after the age of the oldest ward of the Slava Sabol Centre. It started at two hours after midnight, and lasted till noon, when the runners arrived to the square. Bale, Krmed, Svetvinčenat, Cere, Žminj, Krničari, Sv. Petar u šumi and Sv. Lovreč were visited, places the wards come from.

Along with the hosts and their guests, Mirjana and her runners were greeted by Mayor Giovanni Sponza, who waited near the finish line. Citizens followed the ‘Popolana’ programme, the sports-humanitarian event held in Rovinj three years in a row now, in great numbers. Amongst others, the stage was filled with wards of the Domenico Pergolis Home for the Elderly and Infirm and children from Rovinj kindergartens.

Balun and modern dances were danced on stage, and the choruses of ‘Batanola’ and ‘Naridola’ kindergartens and Old Times Centre performed a series of melodies conducted by Vlado Benussi and Antonella Rocco Sugar. There was also an hour of exercise held on the square for all citizens and their guests, from where the final stage in Nordic Walking set off. Rowers held a contest on ergometers, and sports fishermen also joined in with their North Adriatic Championship.

While the athletes and recreational amateurs worked on their part of the assignment, there were shirts sold on the square with the ‘Popolana’ emblem, flowers and items made by Rovinj kindergarten children and wards of the Domenico Pergolis Home for the Elderly and Infirm. All funds will be spent on the purchase of special orthopaedic beds for Rovinj Centre.