The 24-Hour Puzzle Challenge in Hannut is marking a historic edition this year, with 164 teams from around the world competing to complete as many puzzles as possible within 24 hours.
The event, organised by the non-profit “La Passerelle,” took place last weekend at the Covered Market after registrations filled up in just 75 seconds, leaving over 100 teams on a waiting list.
For this special anniversary edition, organisers increased the number of teams by 40, bringing the total to 164, according to Thomas Matelart, president of the organisation’s board.
Teams, consisting of four participants each, aim to complete as many puzzles as possible within 24 hours. The competition began at 16:00 on Saturday and ended at 15:00 Sunday due to the change to winter time.
Each team was given identical 500-piece puzzles and could move on to the next one as soon as they completed the current puzzle, continuing the process until the end of the challenge.
Beyond being a competitive event, the challenge is also a major solidarity initiative, raising funds to support “La Passerelle,” which has been helping people with disabilities for over 41 years.
What began as a local event with around 20 predominantly Belgian teams has transformed into an international gathering for puzzle enthusiasts and the general public. This year, participants travelled from countries such as France, Spain, Germany, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, and even China.
Last year, an impressive performance was delivered by a Spanish team who assembled 20,001 pieces within the 24 hours to claim victory.
