Thousands of runners took part in the Brussels Airport Marathon on Sunday.
Solomon Belayneh won the 19th edition of the Brussels Marathon which saw 18,000 registrations, setting a new record.
The 28-year-old Ethiopian finished the race in 2 hours, 22 minutes, and 53 seconds.
In the women's race, American Liz Romo claimed victory, completing the 42.195 km course in 2 hours, 51 minutes, and 28 seconds.
The half marathon began at around 9:00 am in De Brouckère in the city centre under a cloudy but dry sky.
The triple 20km Brussels winner Amaury Paquet triumphed with a time of 1 hour, 5 minutes, and 28 seconds. Valentine Mathy won the women's half marathon in 1 hour, 16 minutes, and 29 seconds.
This year’s route featured significant changes, culminating in a “royal finish” at the Royal Palace.
All participants first passed through the city centre, after which marathon runners went through the long Anny Cordy Tunnel towards several green areas in and around Brussels, including the Ganshoren nature reserve and various parks in Jette.
The routes for both distances converged again on the Heizel Plateau, guiding runners through Avenue Lambermont, Parc du Cinquantenaire and Rue de la Loi towards the finish line.
There were also two other race distances: a 7-kilometre run and a 1-kilometre kids’ run, both starting and ending at the Palace Square.
The races caused traffic disruptions in and around Brussels in the morning. Several tunnels were also closed, with all streets expected to be reopened by around 3:00 pm.
