In the Italian town of Cesena, Technogym has built a global hub for sports science and innovation, launching the first World Treadmill Championship and creating a new pathway to the 2027 World Athletics Road Running Championships.
ROME, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Several dozen kilometers from Imola, best known for hosting rounds of the Formula 1 World Championship and the FIA World Endurance Championship, lies the town of Cesena.
There are no deafening racing engines here, yet the same spirit of competition draws participants from around the world.
Completed in 2012, the Technogym Village on the outskirts of Cesena integrates a fitness center, manufacturing facilities and logistics operations, serving as the company's global headquarters.
In a laboratory space called Technogym Lab, an athlete covered with circular white sensors performs running and jumping tests on treadmills and marked testing platforms. Every landing, takeoff and arm movement is precisely captured by surrounding systems.
"This is the heart of our research and innovation process," said Silvano Zanuso, Technogym scientific research director. "Force platforms measure output, motion-capture systems track movement trajectories and sensors monitor muscle activity. Through this data, we analyze athletic performance, biomechanics and movement efficiency, allowing us to design individualized training programs."
Outside the laboratory stands a strength-training machine. "This is the first fitness machine ever produced by Technogym," Enrico Manaresi, Technogym global media relations director explained. "In 1983, company founder and president Nerio Alessandri built it in his family garage in a small village near Cesena."
The small town has remained closely linked to the sports and wellness industry for more than four decades. Each year, large numbers of athletes, doctors, researchers and wellness experts from around the world visit the site for training and study. As a long-term official supplier of the Olympic Games, Technogym provides training equipment and technological support for Olympic athletes.
On June 3, Technogym Village hosted the launch of the first World Treadmill Championship, another running-related initiative. The 5-kilometer competition allows runners of all levels worldwide to compete via connected treadmills in certified centers, with results displayed on global online leaderboards. Athletes advancing through qualification and regional stages will be invited to next March's final at Technogym Village.
"I run on a treadmill two to three days a week. Running is a huge part of our market, 90 percent of the business of athletics is running. Hundreds of thousands of people every week run on Technogym technology, I think this event will introduce younger people into our sport, and that's a good thing," said World Athletics president Sebastian Coe.
World Athletics will award wildcard entries to the respective member federations of the best overall male and female athlete, giving them the opportunity to compete in the 5km race at the 2027 World Athletics Road Running Championships in Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province. ■
