More than 31,000 people have already registered for the 42nd edition of the 20 km run through Brussels (though participants can walk), which takes place this Sunday 29 May.
The numbers were announced by Carine Verstraeten, secretary general of the ASBL Syndicat d'Initiative-Bruxelles Promotion. She hopes to reach 32,000 participants on the day of the event.
At least 135 different nationalities will be represented at the event, for which 428 teams have signed up. 945 participants are in the ‘handisport’ category for people with a disability and nearly 3,800 people opted to walk the course.
The pre-Covid editions could count on roughly 40,000 participations but the last two editions were cancelled due to the health crisis, though last year’s edition saw 20,000 registrations before it was decided to halt the event.
“This year, everyone is coming back strong!” Verstraeten enthusiastically declared. “It’s always a success story with great personal challenges for everyone.”
Accessibility and sustainability
At €25, organisers calculate that the event is the cheapest of its scale in the world. “We want to keep an active and festive spirit. Our team is doing everything to keep the race accessible to everyone.”
This year's medals are made of wood, a minor concession to sustainability. However, requests made by environmental NGOs to end the TotalEnergies sponsorship were not heeded.
STIB offers participants free travel to the competition on Brussels public transport. The organisation also provides secure free parking for bicycles.
The starting signal will be given by several politicians, including Brussels Mayor Philippe Close and President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola.
