Michil's thoughts

LÜM is the theme for the 38th edition of the Maratona

Eight minutes. How many kilometres did you cycle in 8 minutes? How many heartbeats have you had in 8 minutes? How much emotion and suffering, how many drops of sweat in 8 minutes, at the top of a climb? Eight minutes. How many pedal strokes, how many rotations of those tyres on that rough asphalt in 8 minutes?

The light we see now, at this moment, was born eight minutes ago on the sun, our star. The light that illuminates us now has already passed far away. Each moment of light is, in its essence, a whisper of time, the echo of a moment that has already passed, reaching us like a work of art suspended in the sky. Like riding away on our bicycles. We leave long shadows, chasing the light. "Omnia quae sunt, lumina sunt" (All that exists is light), Ezra Pound reminds us in one of his writings. We are light because we ourselves are an emanation of a higher light.

It would be polite toward Creation if we continued to be so.
The sun will rise again on 6 July, and we will be there for the next Maratona, unconsciously kissed by the most precious gift, the light that illuminates the world.

michil costa

September 23, 2024

Umanité.

Umanité. Humanity. Being human. In the dual sense of humans and humanitarians. Perhaps we are forgetting that we are human. And that we are terrestrial beings. We should realise this now, more than ever before. Because if we don’t realise it immediately, that we are from Earth, we will disappear altogether. Not in a few million years’ time. Just a few dozen. Since we are human beings, we have the chance to choose. Who knows what we will choose? For now, in our small insignificant world, we have chosen to hold a very special Maratona. Dedicated to terrestrial beings as supportive, altruistic, empathetic, available. Human, in fact. Enjoy the ride filled with humanity.

michil costa

September 26, 2022

It’s not long now

It’s not long now. There will be lots of you and you can enjoy the landscape, actually you will be the landscape. Because the landscape only exists inside us, in our perception. Therefore, the natural landscape is a creative construction of ours and, through our actions, we determine what it is. For better or for worse. Taking part in the Maratona means constructing a beautiful landscape inside us and, for once, we switch off our car engines and switch on our desire for freedom.

May 25, 2022

Only a few months have passed since the 2021 edition but we are already busy getting ready for a new Marathon. Which will naturally be even better. Why? Because we are all nature so there couldn’t be a more suitable dedication: flora, in all languages; but we are Ladin people, so we wanted to call it Ciüf, the word for flowers in our language. Flora is beautiful, flora surrounds us and also reflects the nature of human beings. Some flowers seem to smile while others are a bit sad; some are a bit scary, like carnivorous plants, and others almost seem suspicious, just like some of us. There are simple ones, straight, curved, and fortunately also those that turn their heads to look for sunlight. And it’s those ones that we need for looking forward to another successful Marathon. To anyone dreaming of taking part, have a wonderful autumn - the larches here are yellow, some are already on fire. That’s also how the flora affirms its expression of the absolute.

michil costa

January 09, 2022

Bun Ann Nü. Happy New Year

Let us hope to learn from roots. They are otherworldly spaces for us; but they, the roots, transform the narrow into life, the underworld becomes paradise. They grow, develop and feed on what they find.

Observing roots to gain a new awareness and finally begin to feed on what we have, accepting what is because it cannot be otherwise. With lightness and not superficiality, because life, made of obstacles and hindrances and lack of light, remains an immense gift of colours, scents and beauty.

May it be a good year, with the wish to love each other.

michil costa

January 01, 2022

Welcome Maratona

Abandon hope is written over that gloomy entrance. Yes, the huge problem still exists. Small hearts understand each other, they have small problems; but big hearts have big problems, just as great minds have to address unsolvable problems. The bigger the issue, the more difficult the solution. No, the comedy does not end divinely, Dante’s task is not fulfilled with Heaven. Now it’s time to put things in practice. What can we do?

June 01, 2021

This year’s draw will be a little different than usual. The good luck of those who’ll be there, and also the good luck of those who won't - because luck doesn't give itself away, it merely lends itself. Bad luck is also just a passing thing, and not seeing each other over the last year will only increase our desire to meet up again. We must all stop waiting for our lucky day and take our lives in our own hands, putting the wind in our own sails to carry us forward. Let's hope there’s good weather along the way.

michil costa

November 20, 2020

Autumn. The season when the beautiful wind blows

by Michil Costa

Autumn. The season when the beautiful wind blows. The “in” season, not a season that we’d otherwise call “out”. The seasons are not merely a result of tourism - far from it. It would actually be much better to get rid of “tourist seasons”; at the end of the day, beauty can be found in all seasons. Autumn is beautiful, a strange one this year.

August 07, 2020