Belgium’s 10 biggest marathons

In the land of warm rain, beer everyone can agree on, and small towns with disarming charm, Belgium serves up its marathons like a proper waffle: no fuss, but full of flavor. Little loud hype, even less XXL storytelling. And yet every year, thousands of runners show up next door to tick off miles between canals, medieval alleys, seaside dunes, and proud belfries. Here’s a quick lap of a calendar where pace is set as much by the clock as by the crowd’s good vibes, right at the crossroads of cheeky Dutch, chatty French, and fries that hit that perfect crisp-soft balance.

1. Brussels Marathon

✓ XXL postcard right in the heart of Europe

The European capital lays out a rolling, never-boring marathon that slides from the city center to the green parks in the south before coming back to make the cobbles hum. A cosmopolitan vibe, runners from everywhere, and a course that forces you to keep something in the tank for the long drag back up to the line.

A record edition for the Brussels Marathon in 2014, with around 12,000 participants across all formats, a peak the event keeps trying to get back within reach of. Performance-wise, Ethiopian Shura Kitata showed in 2022 just how quick this race can be with 2:13 at the finish… despite a few bumps, and fries and post-race beer strictly optional. Premium vibes, variable weather, a punchy finish. Proper stuff.

2. Bruges Marathon

✓ Canals, lace, and a clock that keeps flying

Brug e s, an open-air monument, sets a movie set backdrop for one of the country’s most seductive marathons. Calm canals, a UNESCO-listed old town, cobbles that tell centuries of trade, and that thick chocolate smell hanging over the course. The event has drawn around 6,500 participants (all distances combined) in its best years, with a marathon that runs pretty smoothly, as long as you keep the tourist-eye stops in check.

The unofficial record sits around 2:21, proof you can still lay down a proper effort in a princely setting. Bruges lights up your eyes, then your quads. A marathon you savor as much as you race.

3. Antwerp Marathon

✓ Flemish-style showtime

Head north, to the country’s biggest port stage. Antwerp rolls out its marathon in October, often under crisp light that skims the docks along the Scheldt before diving into the city’s big avenues. Modern, business, fashion: it’s all on the menu. A few days ago, Nicolas Saké lit it up on home turf, crossing the line in 2:21:16 at its fifth edition, while Loes Rönne took the women’s win in 2:47:19.

With more than 20,000 participants in total, including 5,500 in the marathon, the event was marked by an unofficial world record over the full distance, underlining the growing pull of Belgian racing. Here, you’re running between high-rises, port infrastructure, mixed communities, and cafés that never sleep. Belgium’s equation, buzzing.

4. Baloise Namur Marathon

✓ The Meuse as a quiet partner

Less famous, more intimate, the Namur race runs its marathon along the Meuse and through calm little streets. Gentle undulations invite you to run rather than fight. A great date for anyone who wants to feel the buzz without the crush of a big city marathon.

In its best editions, it has logged around 2,000 participants across all formats. The front end flirts with 2:25 at the finish, proof there’s room to express yourself without chasing an absolute time. A provincial stage that turns into a simple, welcoming playground.

5. International Marathon of Charleroi

✓ The Steel Loop

In the heart of Wallonia’s urban hub, the International Marathon of Charleroi, nicknamed the Steel Loop, turns every stride into a nod to the city’s industrial past. Launched in 2024, the race already draws close to 2,800 marathoners and 7,500 participants across all distances, proof of strong local buy-in. The course, a loop mixing city streets, former industrial districts and greener towns, demands a subtle blend of technique and spectacle: every climb is a reminder that running here isn’t just a formality.

Elites clock around 2:25 for the men and 2:50 for the women, while the marathon village atmosphere and volunteer turnout create a friendly, festive feel. Charleroi proves a marathon can be more than a sporting challenge: a true showcase for the region, where effort meets heritage, and every runner leaves feeling they’ve seen the city in a new light.

6. Ghent Marathon

✓ The quiet charm of historic Flanders

In Ghent, the Sofico Gent Marathon threads its way between canals, historic squares and modern Flemish energy. Set in spring, the event has stepped up a gear in recent years. In 2024, more than 15,000 were already hitting the asphalt; in 2025, it blew past that: sold out, with more than 20,000 runners on the start list. Among them, 5,300 marathoners tackled the 42.195 km on Sunday, while 14,700 opted for the half.

That surge confirms Ghent’s place among the country’s running heavyweights. A course known for being fast, a warm atmosphere, and a city that lives to the rhythm of footfalls… Ghent Marathon has everything to appeal to PB hunters and sport-travel lovers alike.

7. Spa-Francorchamps Marathon

✓ A big breath of Ardennes air

In the heart of the Belgian Ardennes, the Spa‑Francorchamps Marathon turns asphalt into a Grand Prix. Running the legendary Formula 1 circuit, charging up the iconic Raidillon de l’Eau Rouge, and weaving through famous corners makes for a one-off experience, far from the usual routes. The marathon is run over 6 laps of 7 km, with significant elevation that hits the legs from the very first climbs. The vibe blends adrenaline and friendliness: spectators ring the track, stands become cheering stations, and the finish line in front of the grandstands gives every finisher a podium moment.

Even if the clock isn’t the main target for most, runners leave with standout memories and a medal that says it all: here, running means thrills. In the best editions, around 1,500 to 2,000 participants (all distances combined) have jumped in. The quickest have gone roughly 2:30–2:40 despite a profile that’s less “highway” than the coast or Flanders.

8. In Flanders Fields Marathon

✓ Memory, running underneath it all

In Ypres, the “In Flanders Fields Marathon” feels almost ceremonial. You can’t cross these lands without sensing the weight of history, or ignoring how deeply World War I marked West Flanders. Every stride sits between soothing farmland and memorials scattered across the countryside.

The start is quiet, where remembrance mixes with modern athletics. Runners head out onto small open roads, sometimes wind-battered, sometimes silent, always inhabited. That perspective creates a rich contrast: sport moves forward, but it never fully shakes the past.

The marathon draws around 1,500 participants, a crowd that’s as curious as it is competitive, drawn to the history as much as the movement. The best set markers around 2:30–2:35. Here, the point goes far beyond numbers: you don’t come only to run fast, you come to read the landscape and leave with something extra.

9. Leuven Marathon

✓ The Blue and Gold Ribbon

In Leuven, the university, party-town vibe spills onto the road. After the smash hit of the first European Road Running Championships last April, with 28,000 participants and nearly 160,000 supporters, the city is keeping the momentum going: it’s launching its own big annual rendezvous from April 2026. Enter the Leuven Marathon, with three distances: 42.195 km, a half, and a 10K. It should draw several thousand runners.

The route, very close to the Euro course, combines Leuven’s historic center, its old façades and cobbled streets, with a new loop through the forests of Flemish Brabant for a half-urban, half-nature experience. Carried by student energy, live music and a dense crowd from start to finish at Parkpoort, runners drop into a real running festival. Leuven proves a mid-sized city can host a marathon that feels every bit like a major European date.

10. Maasmarathon of the Lower Meuse (Liège – Maastricht)

✓ A cross-border journey

In the southeast of the country, the Maasmarathon tells a two-country story: Belgium on one side, the Netherlands on the other, the Meuse in between. The race starts in Liège, crosses bridges and countryside, then rolls into Maastricht, a charming Dutch city. Then, as if guided by the river’s current, runners return onto Belgian soil.

That cross-border ballet gives the event a unique flavor. The scenery alternates between quiet riverbanks, tidy villages and more open rural stretches where the wind sometimes joins the party. Nothing harsh, nothing overwhelming: just a long riverside ride that rewards steadiness more than brute force.

The event draws around 2,500 participants (all formats) and sees winning times around 2:20–2:22, confirming the terrain stays sharp and runnable. The atmosphere is shared between Belgian and Dutch spectators, with that delicious mix of cultures, languages and smiles.

➔ Discover all races in Belgium

Dorian VUILLET
Journalist