45,000 participants from 90 countries braved the rain on Sunday morning to take part in the 44th edition of the Brussels 20km running race.
With the official race started promptly at 10:00, over 1,500 competitors started at 09:30 for the handisport category (for disabled participants). Meanwhile, 8,000 walkers set off on the course at 10:50. The scenic route took the participants through the tunnels of Avenue Louise, towards Bois de la Cambre, and Woluwe Park, with the final destination being the Cinquantenaire Park.
Five water refuelling stations were strategically placed along the route for runners, complete with planned areas to discard hundreds of thousands of reusable cups.
A total of 809 teams represented various businesses and associations aiming to raise funds and awareness for their causes. According to organisers, this figure is almost double that of last year.
In particular, over 200 people raced in support of the charity ‘Infirmiers de Rue’, which campaigns to end homelessness.
Whilst the majority of participants were simply doing the best they could rather than competing against others, at the front end of the race professional runners set fast times, despite the sub-optimal conditions.
In the men's category, Kenyan marathon specialist Alex Kibet crossed the line first with a time of 59 minutes and 57 seconds – 52 seconds off the course record. Kibet already won the 10 Miles of Antwerp race earlier this year.
In the women's category, Brussels local Sophie Hardy won with a time of one hour, 10 minutes, and 56 seconds. Hardy won the event in 2017 and has since had two children, one only 11 months ago.
