Between August 1 and August 2, several running relay events will take place in Italy, all with destination Bologna. Runners will leave from their hometown and take turns in running the whole day and night to cover the distance separating their local starting point from the central train station in Bologna. The goal of these relays, which have been hosted for the past 34 years under the coordination of the Club Ausonia running team, is to continue to remember the victims of the 1980 terrorist bombing of the station.

The "strage di Bologna" ("Bologna massacre") happened on the morning of August 2, 1980. It killed 85 people and wounded more than 200. The attack has been materially attributed to the neo-fascist organization Nuclei Armati Rivoluzionari. Suspicions of the Italian secret service's involvement emerged shortly after, due to the explosives used for the bomb and the political climate in which the massacre occurred (the so-called "strategy of tension"), but have never been proven.

If you are staying in the center of Milan, the best place to run is at the historic brick Castello Sforzesco and the adjacent Parco Sempione. This is the heart of Milan running, especially the Arena Civica, an updated 19th-century amphitheatre on the eastern edge of the 120-acre park. While casual runners cannot often run on the arena's synthetic track, the oval does serve as the start and finish of such noteworthy events as the "StraMilano", Italy's largest half marathon. For speed work, try running laps around the outside of the amphitheatre. If you run in the cement bike paths, the run is just under one kilometer per lap. For longer runs, try doing loops around the rim of this lush park. Each loop is 3.3 kilometers. Local 10km races of three laps around the park are held several times a year. The Antica Locanda dei Mercanti is a classic little hotel not far from the Castello Sforzesco. As an added attraction, you can run through or around the castle. Finally, if you are wondering about the art nouveau building with the weird fountain along the rim of the park, it is the Acquario Civico. The water comes out of the green mossy mouth of a stone-carved hippo - a reminder to keep hydrating, especially in the Summer.

BROOKS CASCADIA 9 - The Cascadia has been the key trail shoe in the Brooks line, designed for traction and responding to uneven footing. Through eight updates the Cascadia has made incremental changes, and round 9 focuses on this same intention with attention given to the fit and shaving material without losing effectiveness. The upper continues with a closed mesh, breathable but able to keep the trail on the outside. New thermoplastic overlays in the saddle have allowed the elimination of synthetic suede from round 8, shaving a couple tenths of an ounce from the overall weight of the shoe - but without losing support. Changes to the midsole in round 8 dialed in the geometry and foam formulation allowing it to continue unchanged in round 9. The outersole retains the toothy grip that the shoe has become known for, diamond shaped lugs provide equal traction on uphills as well as downhills. The bottom line is that the Cascadia remains a versatile and reliable trail cruiser.