The 40th edition of the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles is fast approaching. On Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 April, a record number of 50,000 participants will line up at the start of Flanders’ biggest running festival. This year’s course looks slightly different. Runners will dive into the Kennedy Tunnel sooner and get extra kilometres on Rechteroever with a beautiful new section in the South.

The start and finish are in exactly the same place as last year, on Gloriantlaan and August Vermeylenlaan on Linkeroever. Naturally, the Kennedy Tunnel (shortly after the start) and Waasland Tunnel (just before the finish) still feature on the 10 Miles course. “However, we are taking a new approach to the Kennedy Tunnel, making it more than two kilometres shorter than in the past,” explains Greg Broekmans of organiser Golazo. “We are adding those kilometres on Rechteroever, mainly at Nieuw Zuid. After passing the Vlinderpaleis, runners will cross the Zuidpark for the first time. From there, the route goes via the KMSKA and Marnixplaats to the Kaaien, and we are back on the identical course of 2025, including the passage under the MAS.”

To make the 40th edition a real celebration and give more runners the opportunity to participate, this year’s event will be spread over two days. The Baloise Antwerp 5 Miles and Persil Kids Mile will be organised on Saturday. That day will take place entirely on Linkeroever. The 5 miles will go all the way around the Galgenweel and back to the finish on August Vermeylenlaan.

The 10-mile distance was fully booked in no time totalling 40,000 participants. Currently, 5,800 participants have already registered for the Baloise Antwerp 5 Miles on Saturday and 1,500 for the Persil Kids Mile. Registration is still open for both distances. A total of 50,000 runners will be crossing the city on 25 and 26 April.

Councillor for Sport Stijn De Rooster is also getting ready: “Tens of thousands of runners have been counting down and building up to this anniversary edition of the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles for a while now, just like me. From today, we are stepping up the pace and the experience a little. The run-up to Flanders’ biggest running event should also have a high run & fun factor, but a little healthy competition never hurts. With a real Virtual Challenge we are challenging the 10 districts of Antwerp to clock up as many kilometres as possible and compete for the unofficial but prestigious title of Antwerp’s running district!”

“The Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles is much more than a running race”, says Liesbeth Laureys, Director of Marketing & Development at Baloise. “It stands for perseverance, connection and positive energy. Every year, the Baloise Antwerp 10 Miles reaches a wide national audience and provides a real experience on and off the course, both for participants and supporters. That experience reflects our corporate values of cooperation, closeness and long-term commitment to brokers, employees and end customers. That is why Baloise will continue to associate its name with this fantastic event for the next six years (until 2031). Here’s to the 40th edition in 2026, which is sure to be an absolute highlight!”

Anniversary

Forty years after the very first edition on 14 September 1986, the event has grown not only in numbers but also in terms of experience. Dirk Vanderherten, winner of that first edition, still remembers the start on the Ernest Van Dijckkaai. “They were different times. The quays were still entirely cobbled back then. But despite the drizzly weather, quite a crowd had turned out to watch and cheer,” Vanderherten recalls. He had tucked himself in behind Karel Lismont — a two-time Olympic medallist in the marathon. “If I could stay with him long enough, I knew I could shake him off with one final surge at the end.” That is exactly what happened. And the rest is history …

In addition to festive decorations at the start and finish sites, numerous extras are being organised to highlight the 40th anniversary. On Saturday afternoon, the residents of Linkeroever are invited to the Burenbar Drink (they will receive the invitation together with the residents’ letter in the post). On Rechteroever, runners can visit the Garmin Running Hub from Tuesday 21 April: Café Recup Hopland will be renamed a meeting place for runners for the occasion, with a social run and much more on the programme every day.