Carlo Calcagni also at the start of the Big Half Marathon in London

London is set to host one of the most inclusive and vibrant sporting events of the year: the Big Half Marathon, a half-marathon of about 21 km, organized by London Marathon Events, starting next to the famous Tower Bridge and finishing near the majestic Cutty Sark in Greenwich. The race runs with energy and color through four of the city’s emblematic districts – Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich – telling the story of a multicultural and welcoming London.

In an edition that promises to celebrate sport as a bridge of human bonds, Carlo Calcagni, world Paralympic athletics champion in the T72 category, will also take to the starting grid. Calcagni will run proudly, representing the Invictus Games Foundation, the organization that conceived and supports the Invictus Games, an international sporting event created by Prince Harry in 2014 for military personnel and veterans wounded, ill or injured as a result of their service. The event uses sports as a tool for physical and psychological recovery, creating an international community of support through the ’app “We Are Invictus”.

The idea came from Prince Harry, who attended the Warrior Games in the United States in 2013 and noted the positive impact of sports on wounded military personnel, deciding to launch a similar event in the United Kingdom. The word “Invictus” comes from Latin and means “not won”, “invincible”. The ’event demonstrates the resilience and resilience of the athletes who participate, regardless of adversity and has as its mission the unity and brotherhood among people injured or maimed in service, to foster physical and psychological healing, embodying the spirit “Invictus” of the undefeated.

Role of Honor Colonel Carlo Calcagni will be on the honor grid, symbolizing his strength, his commitment and the symbolic value of his gesture: to be there, to be visible, to be a source of inspiration and hope for those experiencing difficult loneliness. The message is strong: unity makes a difference.

This event also represents an ideally propaedeutic testing ground for Carlo, who on September 25 will be leaving, with the Italian FISPES National Team, for the World Paralympic Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India. A challenge, national and international, that reflects his sporting and human commitment.

For Calcagni, participating in the Big Half Marathon is not just a race: it is a message. It is representing a project, that of the Invictus Games Foundation, which promotes resilience and restart, after personal trauma. It is demonstrating that sport can be a vehicle for social transformation and visibility. His participation is a powerful narrative of hope and community: it shows that those who face challenges can find strength in inclusion and mutual aid.

In summary, Carlo Calcagni will be one of the most significant figures of the Big Half Marathon 2025: an elite athlete, a symbol of rebirth, a bringer of hope.With the Invictus Games Foundation in his heart and his eyes set on New Delhi, his presence will light up the London streets with a value that goes far beyond timing: it is human victory because it is his very existence and endurance that inspires us all.