A record 19,000 runners took part in the fourth edition of the Antwerp Marathon on Sunday. The marathon and the 10 km attracted 5,000 and 2,000 runners respectively in the morning, while the half marathon took the crown in the afternoon with 12,000 participants. The new, more compact city and port course and more than 50 entertainment points along the route were much to the liking of the runners as well as tens of thousands of spectators and supporters.
The Droogdokkenpark on the Eilandje was the starting point for all distances, with the Port Authority building the first iconic building to feature on the route. The marathon runners then headed straight through the city towards the Palace of Justice. Other famous landmarks along the way: Central Station, Boerentoren and Het Steen. Between the city centre highlights, there was also a port loop towards the Noordkasteel bridges. The runners finished at the foot of the MAS.
The man who finished the marathon fastest was Swede Eskil Kinneberg, in 2:24:41. He was ahead of Stan De Vleminck (2:25:40) and Sisay Cornelis (2:27:00), who had started strongly and had been in the lead for more than three quarters of the race. In the women’s race, American Hanne Christensen (2:53:17) crossed the finish line first. Next to her on the podium: Loes Rönne (2:57:04) and Evelien Moonen (2:59:05). What was remarkable is that no fewer than 182 participants finished their marathon under the magic limit of 3 hours; that too is a record for a Belgian marathon.
Until a few years back, the Antwerp Marathon was still part of the Antwerp 10 Miles in April. In 2019, the marathon moved to the autumn and added a half marathon and this year a 10 km. In just a few years, the event has grown from 5,000 to 19,000 participants. 20% of them come from abroad. On Sunday, runners from more than 50 countries made their way to Antwerp.
Popular Half Marathon, including internationally
This internationalisation is also reflected in the top 10 in the men’s half-marathon: no fewer than seven different nationalities occupied the top 10 in that event. Victory at the MAS went to American Noah Brautigam. He covered the more than 21 km in 1:07:53. In second place was Jasper Sabbe (1:09:36) followed by German Lothar Wyrwoll (1:10:01). Among the women, victory was for Sweden’s Lisa Risby (1:18:27). Places 2 and 3 were for Jolien Denis (1:18:44) and Ireland’s Barbara Cleary (1:19:20).
The half marathon was by far the most popular distance with 12,000 participants. They followed the same route as the marathon runners, but they only ran the city loop once instead of twice. For the 5,000 participants in the 10 km, organiser Golazo had mapped out a course that snaked through the port area and around the Eilandje. Julien Calandreau(0:32:38) and Katrien Verstuyft (0:38:57) were the fastest in the 10km.
The unique experience of a city marathon also always attracts some well-known runners. This year, Annick De Ridder, brand new Minister of Sport, made her appearance again as usual. Bazart front man Mathieu Terryn and Julie Vermeire also ran the half marathon.
Fantastic running atmosphere
All those thousands of runners also drew several tens of thousands of spectators to the city, which created a cosy, vibrant atmosphere, not least at the 30 entertainment points. DJs, bagpipers, brass bands and supporters gave the runners a musical energy boost. Thanks to the double city loop, the marathon runners could even enjoy 57 such musical and entertainment hotspots. On Oudeleeuwenrui, one kilometre before the finish, the runners were able to read encouraging supporter messages on a big screen thanks to Port of Antwerp-Bruges.
After finishing at the MAS, everyone could recuperate at VoltaNatura’s massage stand and have their running achievement immortalised by having their name and finish time engraved on the finisher’s medal.
Next Date
The fifth edition of the Antwerp Marathon will be run on Sunday 19 October 2025. But in a few weeks’ time, on Sunday 17 November, the Liantis Antwerp Urban Trail is the next appointment for runners in Antwerp.
