Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The Brussels-Leuven marathon received 13,000 registrations since announcing its place as part of the inaugural European Running Championships on April 12-13, 2025. Runners from both elite and recreational categories will join at the Royal Palace of Brussels to begin the marathon before finishing at Parkpoort in Leuven.
The upcoming inaugural European Running Championships in April 2025 drew 13,000 registrants, thus establishing a new participation record for Belgian running championships. The Marathon’s beginning point will be at the Royal Palace in Brussels before ending at the Leuven Ring, while runners complete 10 kilometres of the community before finishing.
Belgium is gearing up to host its largest running festival with Marathon 10k and Half Marathon races in the upcoming European Championships. The championships seek to combine elite and recreational runners in a special format that lets participants race with pro athletes.
The marathon course is designed to highlight Belgium’s landmarks, with the start at Brussels’ iconic Royal Palace and the finish at Leuven’s Parkpoort, a site previously used for the World Cycling Championships in 2021. Registrations for the race exceeded projections during the initial signup period when a total of 7,000 participants joined, including 5,000 marathon race runners.
The historic levels of public participation have established this marathon event as the largest Belgian Marathon in history. According to European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov,
“The European Running Championships symbolises my vision of a sport that really is for everyone.“
Thomas Huyberechts of sports organisation Golazo sees the uniqueness in a combined field of participants:
“It has been a tried and tested concept for marathons and street races for a long time, but for the first time, top runners and recreational runners will now also run together at an athletics championship. The elite runners will compete for the podium, but this way there will only be a maximum of 6 per country per distance.”
The organisation added a new recreational country competition that compares the running times of the 25 best participants from each country.
Mayor Mohamed Ridouani (Vooruit) does not want to limit it to 1 marathon.
“It will undoubtedly be a sporting highlight – for participants and supporters – and, as far as I am concerned, the start of an annual marathon tradition in Leuven.”
He continues.
“Top sporting events that you can also participate in as an ordinary mortal, that provides a unique experience and ambience. That was the case with the World Championships on Gravel in 2024, and now with the European Running Championships, it will be even more so.”
“With this first edition of the European Running Championships, we are putting Flanders on the map as the place where top-level sports and recreational sports come together,”
Says Flemish Minister of Sports Annick De Ridder (N-VA).
“This unique event shows our ambition to bring even more international sports competitions here. A strong sports climate inspires not only our top athletes but also 1,000s of other athletes who want to push their boundaries. Flanders invests in sports, and this championship once again confirms our status as a sports nation.”
History and significance of Running events in Belgium
The nation of Belgium hosts many international competitions, such as the World Road Cycling Championships in 2021 and the World Gravel Championships in 2024. Competitive athletics underwent an evolution through the European Running Championships, which combined professional-level competition with the participation of regular runners. This represents the inaugural formal establishment of European Championships dedicated to road races since athletics competitions traditionally resided inside stadiums.
Statistics indicate that running stands as a leading recreational pursuit in Belgium because its entry requirements remain minimal. The Antwerp Marathon from the previous year drew 5.000 participants however, the Brussels-Leuven marathon this year has already reached double that number with its 13.000 registered participants.
Johan Geleyns, Leuven’s Alderman for Sport, highlighted the event’s dual purpose: “It is very much in Leuven’s spirit that these European Championships are both a top event for the best European athletes and a sports festival in which as many sports enthusiasts as possible can take part.” The marathon pacemaker system, which spans from two hours and fifty minutes to five hours, continues to make races inclusive for different categories of runners.
