Just like last year, the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles will welcome a record number of 40,000 runners. The 10 Miles distance was already fully booked two days after registration opened in December, which is unprecedented! Registration for the Baloise Antwerp Short Run and the Persil Kids Run is still open. As always, Flanders‘ biggest sporting event is also a major crowd puller. Thanks to a new double supporters’ stand at the finish on August Vermeylenlaan, participants will be cheered on even more loudly and enthusiastically in the final stretch on Sunday.
As was the case last year, the finish arch of the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles will be on August Vermeylenlaan on Linkeroever, but the final stretch will look completely different on Sunday. The finish will move from the road to the wide, green, tree-lined central reservation of August Vermeylenlaan. It will be transformed into a 300-metre finish lane with a gigantic grandstand for supporters on both sides. It will be able to hold more than 4,000 spectators who can cheer the participants across the finish line. Goosebumps guaranteed for runners and fans alike!
32,000 runners will take part in the 10 Miles, for which registration is now closed. You can still join the 5,000 participants already signed up for the Short Run (6 km) and 2,000 participants in the Persil Kids Run (1.5 km). Organiser Golazo expects a total of 40,000 runners on Sunday, equalling last year’s record number of participants. “Everyone wants to be there because of the unique atmosphere over 16 km. More than 10,000 people were on the waiting list,” says Greg Broekmans of Golazo.
Course littered with highlights
All distances start on Gloriantlaan: the Kids Run at 10:30 am, the Short Run at 11:30 am and the actual 10 Miles in five starting waves between 1:05 pm and 3:05 pm. The 10-mile runners traditionally cross to Rechteroever via the Kennedytunnel, after which they run past the Palace of Justice, the KMSKA, Het Steen and the MAS. There is no shortage of iconic passages. The 32,000 runners return to Linkeroever via the Waaslandtunnel.
The course of the Baloise Antwerp Short Run and Persil Kids Run is entirely focused on Linkeroever. The Short Run has been given a makeover with a more compact route that initially runs along the banks of the Scheldt and the Galgenweel – with a view of the Antwerp skyline – and then makes a few loops, giving supporters the opportunity to see the runners in action several times.
Entertainment & Cheering Zones
Participants in the 39th edition of the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles benefit from around twenty entertainment points along the route, many of which are provided by Qmusic. DJs Maarten & Dorothee will be spinning at Bolivarplaats, DJs Jolien Roets and Karim Kediambiko will be at the MAS, and there will be a mobile Qmusic radio studio in the catering area near the finish, where an afterparty will kick off at 5 pm.
Supporters can watch from almost anywhere along the route, except for the tunnels. They can obviously head to the new double supporters’ stand at the finish line, but they are also welcome in the official “Cheering Zones” scattered throughout the city: the KMSKA Cheering Zone (Leopold de Waelplaats), the Desco Cheering Zone (Plantinkaai), the Thomas More Cheering Zone (Orteliuskaai), the AP Hogeschool Cheering Zone (Nassaustraat) and the University of Antwerp Cheering Zone (Oude Leeuwenrui x Van Schoonbekeplein).
Olympic Silver Medallist & Famous Runners
The Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles is the largest running party in Flanders. This attracts many top athletes to Antwerp, even from New Zealand. Hayden Wilde, silver medallist at the Paris Olympics triathlon, will be at the start of the 10 Miles together with his Belgian girlfriend Hanne De Vet. Wilde also finished second at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, New Zealand, at the end of December, where De Vet finished 15th. In 2023, De Vet sprinted to second place in the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles.
On Sunday, De Vet will have to battle it out for victory with Lore Tack, Hanne Verbruggen and Jana Van Lent. Tack won the 10 Miles in 2019 and Verbruggen finished third in 2018. Earlier this month, Verbruggen finished twelfth in the marathon at the European Running Championships in Leuven. Van Lent finished an impressive fifth in the 10 km in Leuven and is clearly also in top shape. In the men’s race, all eyes are on six-time winner Nick Van Peborgh, but Nicolaï Saké and Thomas De Bock will be up there too. Saké is last year’s runner-up, De Bock finished third in Antwerp in 2021 and sprinted to tenth place in the marathon at the European Championships in Leuven.
Among the tens of thousands of recreational runners, there are once again many well-known Flemish famous faces: Tine Embrechts, Guga Baul, Fien Germijns, Julie Vermeire, Nele Somers, Emma Bale, Robin Pront, Joris Brys, Geert Hoste, Erika Van Tielen, Saartje Vandendriessche, Steven Defour, … Federal Minister Rob Beenders and Prime Minister Bart De Wever will also be running.
Fire Brigade to run in uniform
Antwerp’s Mayor Els van Doesburg: “Last year’s record number of participants proved it: the 10 Miles is Antwerp’s popular sports event loved by tens of thousands of Flemish people. It is therefore no coincidence that this edition was completely sold out within two days. I look forward to welcoming all the runners to our city, from the most experienced veterans to the youngest in their first running shoes, and all their supporters. I myself am supporting our own fire brigade, who will be running in uniform again this year.”
“You can feel the 10 Miles fever hitting with full force,” says Antwerp Councillor for Sport Stijn De Rooster. “It feels like half of Antwerp is off for a run. On Sunday, tens of thousands of runners will be immersed in and propelled by the unrivalled atmosphere of Flanders’ biggest running festival. Finally seeing the light at the end of the Waaslandtunnel and longing for the finish line, but at the same time not wanting to leave that fantastic atmosphere and runner’s high. That’s how I experience the 10 Miles. Nowhere else do you see so many red faces, but above all happy and satisfied faces crossing the finish line. My resolution for the day and advice to all fellow runners is to go all out and enjoy this top day of running.”
Liesbeth Laureys, Director of Marketing & Development at Baloise: “We are proud to lend our name to the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles for the third year in a row, because it is a true running festival for everyone. As the main sponsor and one of the largest insurers in Belgium, we want to work with the organisers to create a holistic experience for participants and supporters alike. A running event such as the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles is very accessible and allows everyone to get to know Baloise in a pleasant and sporty way. Thanks to the ‘Onklopbaren’ programme, in which Baloise employees start an exercise programme together with patients from the UZA hospital as part of their rehabilitation, we are also trying to make a social impact. For every participant who registers via Baloise, the UZA Foundation receives €15. Many colleagues are doing their bit to make the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles a fantastic day for all runners and supporters!”
Preparation & Mobility
As always, organiser Golazo urges participants not to overexert themselves and to make sensible choices regarding distance and pace. Anyone who is focused on performance training and training at high intensity should have an annual check-up with a doctor or sports physician.
Good practical preparation is also important. “If possible, it is best to pick up your bib number on Friday or Saturday at Frederik Van Eedenplein,” advises Greg Broekmans of Golazo. “Sunday will obviously be very busy in and around Antwerp. We advise participants to be at the venue at least an hour and a half before the start of their race.”
“The best way to get there is on foot or by bike,” says Broekmans. “This is especially true for those who live in the city or on the outskirts. Those coming from further afield can use our shuttle buses, which have pick-up points throughout Flanders. There are also several trains per hour to Antwerp from various city centres, and the suburban network connects no fewer than 54 stations in the province of Antwerp to the heart of the city. If you do come by car, it is best to use the park-and-ride facilities on the outskirts of the city.”
And a final golden tip: “Our website has a handy tool that gives you customised mobility information in just a few clicks. Go to https://baloiseantwerp10miles.be/en/accessibility/.”
