The third edition of the Antwerp Marathon will take place on Sunday 22 October. It will be a record edition thanks to over 12,000 runners already having registered, more than double last year’s figure. Participants will start from Droogdokkenweg, finish at MAS and can choose from three distances: marathon, half marathon and 8 km. Online registration is still open until Saturday.
The half marathon is the most popular distance with over 7250 participants, some 3250 runners are tackling the mythical 42.195 km of the marathon and the new 8 km distance accounts for 1500 entries. As in past years, participants can look forward to an exuberant running atmosphere in a unique setting.
Eyecatchers and entertainment
Apart from the new starting location at Droogdokkenpark, the course of the marathon and half marathon remains virtually unchanged from last year. Shortly after the start, a first highlight awaits with a section by the Port Authority building. The course then heads towards Antwerp’s city centre via the Kaaien, and past Het Steen. At the Zuid, the routes for the half and full marathon split.
The marathon runners continue south to Hoboken and start the second part of their 42.195 km run, passing Antwerp’s most famous cemetery, the monumental Schoonselhof. The Olympic Stadium (De Kiel), Antwerp Expo, the Groen Kwartier and Zurenborg are also on the route that leads the marathon runners back towards the city centre. The half-marathon runners pick up the same course again at Antwerp Expo.
In the city centre, the eyecatchers follow in quick succession: Central Station, Meir, Boerentoren, Groenplaats with a view of the cathedral, Grote Markt featuring Brabo and city hall, …
The passages over the Meir and Grote Markt will undoubtedly provide a proverbial boost: the famous shopping street has been transformed into the AG Cheering Lane for the Antwerp Marathon, and thanks to the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, supporters’ messages for participants will be projected in front of the city hall. There will be more than 30 points of entertainment along the way. After all of that, it is not far to the finish at MAS, where the 8 km runners will also finish after their run through the city centre.
After the finish, everyone can have a unique finish photo taken in the Port of Antwerp-Bruges Photobooth. All runners can recuperate from their efforts at the VoltaNatura massage stand.
Fast marathon, with Koen Naert as pacer
The favourites for the marathon? We have our eyes on a selection of top African runners. Ugandan Felix Chemongesi (30) has a personal best time of 2:05:12. Kenyans John Langat (30, 2:07:11) and Vincent Rono (33, 2:07:10) will also have a shot at victory in Antwerp. Langat previously won the Nice Marathon, Rono was the best in the Tel Aviv and Dhaka Marathons in 2022. Their young compatriots Noah Tirop (25) and Brian Kimurgor (23) are making their marathon debuts.
Some familiar local faces will also make their appearance at the third edition of the Antwerp Marathon on Sunday. Antwerp Councillor for the Port Annick De Ridder and presenter Erika Van Tielen will be at the start of the half marathon.
Koen Naert, the 2018 European Marathon Champion, will be at the start of the marathon on Sunday as a pacer. The man from West Flanders, who is preparing for the New York Marathon on 5 November, will pace the African top runners up to kilometre 20. “My personal highlight this year was obviously the Rotterdam Marathon. The field of participants in Antwerp is growing steadily, so who knows what kind of times will be set here in
future? Hopefully, I can already make a small contribution on Sunday by pacing the runners to a sharp time.”
‘Sportober‘
Antwerp Councillor for Sport Peter Wouters will be there as a supporter on Sunday. “October is a real marathon month, but in Antwerp it is also a month full of exercise and experience thanks to a festival of (top) sports events. After the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the European Open Tennis, we will close ‘Sportober’ with a fantastic headliner that will set the heart rate and decibel meter soaring. And all this on an immense and particularly beautiful stage: the city and its collection of landmarks,” says Wouters.
Safety first
In order to guarantee safety as much as possible at the event – and everywhere else in the public domain currently – vigilance by police, security and stewards will be stepped up. In addition, sports bags and rucksacks can be checked. The organisers of the Antwerp Marathon know how important dry and warm clothing is for a runner after finishing but ask all participants to limit the number of belongings, to leave as many bags as possible with family or friends and to take into account possible longer waiting times at the storage area.
