RUNNING : Marathoner Loves Beach for Training

Orlando Pizzolato, one of Italy’s top marathon runners, loves the thin early morning fog and cool air of the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

It beats training in his country, where temperatures are below freezing at this time of the year.

That’s why the two-time New York City Marathon winner has made the South Bay his training ground for a month while he prepares for the Boston Marathon.

While he’s here, he will practice speed work on the seaside course of the 10th annual Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10-kilometer race.

“The conditions here are so much better,” Pizzolato said with a heavy Italian accent. “In Italy it’s very hard to run with the snow and the heavy fog. You can’t run fast in that.”

The 29-year-old physical therapist won consecutive New York City titles in 1984 (2 hours, 14 minutes, 53 seconds) and 1985 when he finished in 2:11:34 seconds. He received $25,000 and a Mercedes-Benz for each victory.

In 1985 he also set Italy’s national record in Japan’s World Cup race by finishing the 26-mile course sixth overall in 2:10:23. Pizzolato was in 51st place at the half but surpassed 45 runners with an incredible 1:03:46 second-half performance.

The record earned him fame and popularity in his country.

“After that he was never home,” said Pizzolato’s wife, Ilaria, who travels with him. “There were so many dinners, award ceremonies, television shows, and when he went out in public everyone asked for autographs.”

The exposure didn’t change Pizzolato, though. He’s still a shy, soft-spoken athlete who loves to conquer land in the sophisticated running gear supplied by his sponsors.

“He’s very down to earth,” Ilaria said. “He doesn’t think he’s a superman. He’s very quiet and just very modest.”

Pizzolato may not like drawing attention, but it’s unlikely that he will go unnoticed Sunday in one of the largest 10-K races west of Chicago. He is the biggest name to participate in the Redondo Beach race in its 10-year history.

“We’ve had some world-class athletes in the past,” said race publicist Deke Houlgate, “but we’ve never had an athlete of this caliber. This man is an absolute hero.”

And Italians still see Pizzolato as a hero, even when he lost Italy’s marathon record to Ginni Poli, who ran a 2:9:57 in Chicago five months after Pizzolato set the record in Japan.

Pizzolato was well-known in his country before holding the record because he had won the 10,000- and 5,000- meter races in Italy’s University Games in 1984 and 1985, the best years of his career.

In 1986, he entered three marathons--Boston, New York and the European Championships--and although he had good finishes, he couldn’t manage a victory.

He placed third in New York (2:12:10) and finished three seconds behind winner Gelindo Borden in the European Championships after leading almost the entire race.

“In New York I made a big mistake,” Pizzolato said. “I started the race very, very fast. I just pushed the race and killed myself by the half-marathon.”

Last year Pizzolato entered two marathons and placed sixth in both. The first poor finish was because of an injury that hampered his training and the second because he was sick.

“It was very difficult for him,” said Ilaria. “His mood was very low and he was disappointed because he really couldn’t run. He still did the best he could, but it was not his best.”

Pizzolato twisted his ankle in the middle of July while running on the gravel roads in his home town of Ferrara. The injury forced him to miss three weeks of training for the World Cup. “I was able to train only seven weeks,” he said. “Usually I train at least two months for a marathon.

“So considering that, I was satisfied with my performance because I really wasn’t in shape.”

Then, just before the New York Marathon in October, he got the flu and ran a 2:12:50.

This year he won’t compete in New York because he wants to concentrate on the Boston Marathon and the Olympics. If he does well in Boston, his country’s federation will choose him for the 1988 Olympics.

“All I want is to impress my federation in Boston,” Pizzolato said. “I chose that race because it’s a fast course for fast times and the tradition.”

When he leaves California this week, he will go to Florida for about a month and possibly Switzerland, one of his favorite places for altitude training.

His goal isn’t much different from any other serious athlete. “I just want to win the Olympic games and set the Olympic world record.” he said, laughing.