Next weekend, 12 and 13 April, our country will host the first-ever European Running Championships. Both elite runners and a mass of recreational runners will cross paths at the start of the marathon, half marathon or 10 km. In total, some 28,000 runners will descend on the host cities of Brussels and Leuven. King Philippe will be the marathon’s honorary starter on Sunday.
Until now, the European marathon title race formed part of the European track and field championships. But from now on the marathon, half marathon and 10 km road race receive their own event, separate from the stadium based disciplines, at the European Running Championships. The start list consists of elite runners as well as recreational runners, as is the case in any big city marathon.
The half marathon starts on Saturday at 10:00am at Parkpoort in Leuven and Sunday at 9:30am the 10 km runners will depart for their run at the same location. Both events largely stick to Leuven soil. The start signal for the marathon will be given Sunday at 10:15 at the Royal Palace in Brussels by none other than His Majesty the King. The 12,500 marathon runners will then set course for Leuven via Wetstraat, Berlaymont, Woluwe, Tervuren and Bertem.
For each of the three distances, the last 4km cut through the heart of Leuven’s inner city; via the Vaartkom to Bondgenotenlaan, and across the Ladeuzeplein to the ring road bridging the final 600 metres to the finish at Parkpoort.
Biggest marathon ever in Belgium
Over 28,000 runners will take the start this weekend: 12,500 in the marathon, 10,000 in the half marathon and 5,500 in the 10 km. Among them 4,500 participants hail from Leuven and 2,200 from Brussels, with it becoming very clear in recent weeks just how much the running scene has been coming alive in the region as more and more people lace their running shoes preparing for their big weekend. There has also been a big push from companies to sign up their employees, with a number of them gathering at the Acerta Company Village at Sportoase.
However, these European Championships are also set to become a very international event. Around 5,000 foreign participants from as many as 84 countries will take part across Saturday or Sunday. The French, Dutch, English and Germans are the most numerous, with between 500 and 1,000 participants each.
Sunday’s marathon is by far the biggest marathon ever in Belgium, with its 12,500 participants doubling the record set recently by the Sofico Gent Marathon, which welcomed 5,300 marathon runners late last month.
Kimeli aims for gold
A total of 339 elite athletes from almost all European athletics federations are competing for individual medals, including 36 Belgians. In the 10K all eyes will be on Isaac Kimeli, who has excelled in both the 5 and 10 km this year and is therefore a definite contender for gold. In the women’s event Jana Van Lent and Lisa Rooms are the top Belgian contenders for a standout result Simon Debognies, Juliette Thomas and Chloe Herbiet are trying their luck in the half marathon, while Thomas De Bock and Hanne Verbruggen are the biggest Belgian contenders over the full distance.
International names to look out for are Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, Dutch Diane Van Es, Swiss Dominic Lobalu and Norwegian Narve Nordas in the 10K, Frenchman Jimmy Gressier and Spaniard Carlos Mayo in the half marathon and France’s Nicolas Navarro and Turkey’s Kaan Kigen Özbilen in the marathon.
Only elite runners are eligible for individual and team medals, but in the nation ranking, the best 25 results per country are taken into account, so therefore the pros will need some help from the best amateurs and recreational runners from their country to win that medal too. It’s the first time elite and recreational sports have been so closely connected in a meaningful way.
Celebrity amateurs
Among the recreational runners, there are several familiar Belgian faces. Mayor Mohamed Ridouani (10K) leads an extensive Leuven delegation including city councillors Bert Cornillie (marathon) and Lalynn Wadera (marathon) and university rector Luc Sels (half marathon). Flemish Sports Minister Annick De Ridder (10K) as well as her predecessor Ben Weyts (half marathon) will also be lacing their running shoes next weekend.
Other familiar figures from the Belgian sports scene include Cedric Van Branteghem (10K), the CEO of the Belgian Olympic and Interfederal Committee, ex-Belgian Cheetah Hanne Claes (half marathon), paralympian Martin Clobert (10K) as well as athletes Imana Truyers (marathon) and John Heymans (10K). The latter is taking part as a ‘buddy’ with Tous à Bord, an organisation dedicated to helping people with physical disabilities.
Mobility
Organiser Golazo strongly recommends everyone to travel to the event by public transport, by bike or on foot. Leuven’s train station is located on the final kilometres of the course and just a 20-minute walk from the finish and fan zones. There is a large bike park at OHL/Naamsepoort. Participants who park their bikes there and scan the QR code provided have a chance to win a free entry to one of Golazo’s autumn marathons. The start location in Brussels is also easily accessible by train (Brussels Central).
For visitors coming by car, there is a large paying car park at the Brabanthal. Use of the shuttle service to the event site is included in the price of the parking ticket. To avoid traffic congestion on the day of the event, the organiser recommends purchasing a parking ticket ahead of time using the EK website. Leuven city centre will not be accessible by car on either 12 or 13 April.
Participants are advised to pick up their race pack one or more days in advance. You can find all practical info in the Runners’ Guide that has been sent to every participant’s email address since Friday.
Where can you follow the European Championships?
The ideal spots to support the runners and enjoy the atmosphere of the European Championships on Saturday and Sunday are at the Sportoase Fanzone (near the finish at Parkpoort) and Ladeuzeplein Fanzone (in the heart of Leuven).
In both fan zones, you can watch all races live on a big screen and watch the runners pass by with your own eyes. Food and drink stalls, DJs and entertainment will ensure that you won’t be lacking anything to have an enjoyable day out. A nice extra on the Ladeuzeplein: Urban Tracks is building a mobile athletics track you can run a lap of to get even more into the European Championships atmosphere.
Can’t make it to Brussels or Leuven this weekend? All races can be watched live and in full on Sporza on VRT1, VRT max and sporza.be, and in Wallonia on Belgium Running. You can also follow the event behind the scenes via the European Running Championships’ social media channels. Some images of the head of the race are captured directly from the HD rear view camera of the Polestar 4 pacing car, adding a technological innovation to the live broadcast.
AE, the Leuven based business & ICT consultancy firm that partners the European running championships, also has an ace up its sleeve. AE is organising actual job interviews on Sunday: during the 10K, a candidate – literally while running – will have a conversation with an AE recruiter.
Do you still want to register?
If you still feel the itch to register last minute, we have good news. You can still do so! Get involved online until 23:59 on Wednesday or on site from Thursday.
PRACTICAL INFO EUROPEAN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Programme Thursday 10 April 2025:
- 12:00 – 19:00: Pick up bib number 10K, half marathon and marathon
Programme Friday 11 April 2025:
- 10:00 – 19:00: Pick up bib number 10K, half marathon and marathon
Programme Saturday 12 April 2025:
- 8:00 – 18:00: Pick up bib number 10K, half marathon and marathon
- 10:00: Start half marathon (Leuven)
- 14:00: Closing of the finish – half marathon
Programme Sunday 13 April 2025:
- 7.30 – 9.30: Pick up bib number 10K (Leuven) (note: in Leuven, bib number collection for the marathon is no longer possible on Sunday 13 April)
- 8:00 – 10:00: Pick up bib number marathon (Brussels)
- 9.30: Start 10K (Leuven)
- 10:15: Start marathon (Brussels)
- 11:30: Closing of the finish – 10K (Leuven)
- 16:30: Closing of the finish – marathon (Leuven)
Locations:
- Start half marathon and 10 km: Naamsevest, Leuven, located 100 metres from Sportoase
- Start marathon: Palaisplein, Brussels
- Finish: Geldenaaksevest, Parkpoort, Leuven, located near Sportoase
- Collect participation pack: Sportoase Leuven, Philipssite 6, 3001 Leuven
