He traveled across Italy to defend animals:the feat of the vegan Olympic athlete Riccardo Bugari

The Olympic athlete Riccardo Bugari achieved a unique feat:he ran an ultramarathon a day along the Adriatic coast, crossing the whole of Italy.

From 9 to 30 September, the Olympic athlete Riccardo Bugari created a unique undertaking:run an ultramarathon a day along the Adriatic coast, crossing the whole of Italy, raising over 13,500 euros to support the legal actions ofessereanimali.“I decided to run all over Italy because I wanted to be able to do my best to help animals, I thought that combining what I do best, that is, sport, together with activism would be the winning recipe,” he told us.Riccardo is also vegan.His project took the name of Running Italy for animals. 

“In 2015 I started looking at my plate more carefully and at the same time I made the connection that what I was eating was the body of a living being that definitely didn't want to end up there, so the choice was immediate."

Riccardo Bugari

Bugari is departed from Santa Maria di Leuca in Puglia and arrived in Milan, the last stage of a journey that saw him run a total of 1140 km in just 22 days, with an average of 5'45" per km.A feat never accomplished before Italy and further confirms that vegan nutrition it does not prevent you from practicing sports even at a competitive level.

Riccardo Bugari is a multiple world champion and represented Italy at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games in ice skating.Apart from this, he is also a volunteer of Being Animals and what pushed him to run for over a thousand kilometers along the Adriatic coast was precisely the desire to concretely defend animals, raising over 13,500 euros to support the association's legal actions.His project took the name of Running Italy for animals.

Others ran with him for tens of kilometers athletes, friends and volunteers who supported the initiative.And there were numerous campsites that, having been made aware of the project along the route, hosted it for free Richard and his partner Keagan Di Ascenzo, who followed him aboard a camper.

There was no lack of support from those who participated in the welcome events organized byessereanimali in Bari, San Benedetto del Tronto and Bologna:aperitifs and benefit dinners in the athlete's company to celebrate his achievement.And many and many more have expected Riccardo's arrival in Milan on 30 September at the Arco della Pace, where after over a thousand kilometers the athlete cut the last ribbon of his extraordinary feat.

Seeing him finally reach the end of his journey was very emotional.Riccardo had to face many obstacles, the climbs, the heat, the tiredness, the muscle pain and the moments of discouragement.But despite everything he managed to do it, finding his motivation in desire to defend animals most exploited and least protected alongside Being Animals, and thus marking a milestone in the history of sport Italian.