The sixth edition of the Athora Great Bruges Marathon will take place on Sunday 15 October. With a double passage through Bruges’ historic city centre and a loop through picturesque Damme, marathon runners can look forward to an attractive and revamped course. Sunday’s programme also features a half marathon and 8 km Family Walk. Koen Naert, who wants to shine in the New York marathon next month, is the top favourite in the half marathon. Registration is no longer possible. With more than 7,000 participants, the Athora Great Bruges Marathon is full for the first time in its history. So, Sunday will be a record edition!
Athora Belgium, specialist in savings and retirement services, is the event’s title sponsor for the fifth year in a row. At 10am on Sunday, the starting gun for the sixth edition will resound on ‘t Zand, with the imposing Concertgebouw in the background. The finish on the Markt, in the shadow of the Belfry, is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful marathon finishes in the world. In between, participants will also be spoilt for choice. The new carefully plotted course now guides marathon runners through Bruges’ historic city centre – protected as a Unesco World Heritage Site – twice instead of going in a single loop. The route along the Damme canal and through the centre of the neighbouring pleasant town of Damme is also new for the marathon runners.
The more compact course allows supporters to cheer on their favourite runner(s) more often and more easily. You can cheer on runners everywhere along the course, but definitely in the Athora cheering zones, where the organisation will provide extra entertainment. The first Athora cheering zone is in the heart of Bruges in Wulpenstraat, at Sasplein. The second Athora cheering zone will be on Damme Market on Sunday.
The Athora Great Bruges Marathon is above all a family event. The popular 8km Family Walk is tailored to families and has been fully booked for some time. The participant limit for the marathon and half marathon has also been reached as entries sold out on Thursday. The best-known participant in the half marathon is Koen Naert. The 2018 European Marathon Champion is a regular participant in Bruges. Last year, the Oostkampen native won the half marathon, and he will also start as the top favourite this Sunday. Naert recently returned from a training camp in Kenya. The training camp in Africa and Athora Great Bruges Marathon fit perfectly into his preparation for the New York Marathon on 5 November.
“I am looking forward to starting another running race in Belgium on Sunday, especially after some tough training weeks in Kenya away from family and friends,” Naert said. “It’s extra convenient that it’s in Bruges, close by for family and friends.”
Bruges Councillor for Sport Franky Demon is also looking forward to Sunday. “The Great Bruges Marathon is always one of the sporting heydays for Bruges,” said Demon. “As a Unesco World Heritage city, Bruges offers a magnificent setting for this sporting event. We are adding quite a few extra assets with Damme, historically linked to Bruges, as well as a generous portion of nature in Sint-Michiels. The new course and the double passage through the historic centre of Bruges provide more variety and an even more imaginative setting. Something that is clearly appreciated by the many national and international runners considering there are 2000 more participants than in the previous edition.”
