Bruges Marathon 2026
- Next event : Sun, October 11, 2026Date confirmed
- Last event : Sun, October 12, 2025
The event in a few words
Venice is such a famous city that many towns across Europe are compared to it: thus, Annecy is nicknamed the Venice of the Alps, Nantes was once called the Venice of the West, and Bruges goes by the nickname Venice of the North 🤓. The capital of West Flanders, it hosts in October the Athora Great Bruges Marathonin Belgium 🇧🇪. So come with us across the border, we’ll introduce you to this must-see Belgian running event 🍻.
The Athora Great Bruges Marathon takes you on a journey to discover the wonders of the city and its surroundings. No matter your level, you’ll find a distance that suits you: the marathon will delight the most seasoned runners 🏃♂️, while regular runners will flock to the half marathon 😎. If you don't feel up for tackling the challenge of these two great distances 💪, you can always opt for the 8 km walk, allowing you to enjoy the beauties of the city at your own pace 😌.
You might not know it (at least not yet), but Bruges is a city rich in its culture and heritage. The canals, which earn it the comparison to Venice, make Brugge famous (no, we didn't make a mistake: it's the Flemish name 😜). From the small boats 🛥️ that sail on the water, tourists can admire the majestic Belfries, huge towers used for keeping watch 🕶️. The one in Bruges, attached to the town hall and 83 meters high 🤯, offers those brave enough to climb its steps 😯 a splendid view of the city and its surroundings 🤩. With a good pair of binoculars and a clear sky ☀️, you can even spot the North Sea, so dear to the late Jacques Brel 🎶.
Speaking of the great Jacques, did you know that the famous chocolatier Jeff de Bruges was named in homage to a song by the famous Belgian singer? 🎤 The company's founder was a huge fan of the artist ✨. Chocolate 🍫 is the city's flagship food, enjoyed in a thousand ways 😋. Of course, you can savor the classic Belgian specialties like mussels, fries 🍟, or even waffles. The city also has a few dishes of its own, like waterzooi, the equivalent of our Marseille bouillabaisse 🍲, Flemish rabbit 🐇, shrimp-stuffed tomatoes 🦐, or Bruges-style pork fillet, where the meat is cooked in beer 🍺. Speaking of which, this alcohol (to be consumed in moderation, but you already know that 🤨) plays an important role in Brugian culture: it's estimated that 350 out of 1,500 Belgian beers come from Bruges, so it would take you a lifetime to try them all...
Does this description make your mouth water? 🤤 Then join us in October for the Bruges Marathon 🥳.
4 reasons to join this race
A distance for every taste
Marathon
Half MarathonTOP
8 km
Marathon
Road Running- Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM
- 1,000+ runners in the last edition
- 1 loopx42.195 km
A few more words
Here we go! 🎉
You will start this marathon by running along the Djiver canal. You will take a left onto Mariastraat and continue to the Katelijnepoort. You will not cross the bridge and will turn left, moving up the main canal in Bruges. You will turn left and continue until reaching the Queen Astrid park. Then you'll turn left again, go straight ahead before turning right onto Predhikerenstraat.
Next, you will cross the bridge and continue right until the main canal. You'll spend a long time along the banks of this canal before turning left when you come across a small island. You will continue a few hundred meters on Wulpenstraat before turning right onto the Komvest. You will then start a loop that will make up a big part of your journey. You will cross the canal and go back up the Dudzeelse Steenweg, then head right onto the Ronselarestraat. You will then need to take Amelingstraat to head towards the village of Damme, known for its beautiful church ⛪. Once you pass the village, you'll resume your route back to the city center 🏙️. On your way back, you'll run along the Damme canal and wander through the fields on the outskirts of the city. You'll have less than 3 km left at this point in the race, hang in there! You will pass by the small island we mentioned earlier, but continue straight before running along the canal one last time. You'll head to the Friet Museum, then back down south in the city. You will take Boeverievest and turn left to run along the train station 🚂 before using Rijselstraat, one of the largest streets in the city.
Heading south to see the magnificent Tilleghem Castle 🏰. Then you will turn left at kilometer 28 to find Rijselstraat and run alongside the Rode park. Shortly after kilometer 30, you will see another castle, that of Leysselbeek. Upon reaching kilometer 36, you may feel a sense of déjà vu. That's normal: you're passing through the streets you ran at the beginning of the race 😉! At kilometer 40, you'll find the small island (that you're getting to know well 🤓), take a left and follow the same streets as before. Arriving at the Friet Museum, heading towards the Grand Place, you will see the finish line! 🏁
- Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 10:00 AM
- 2,000+ runners in the last edition
- 1 loopx21.0975 km
A few more words
Let's go for the half-marathon!
You will start this half-marathon on the banks of the Djiver canal. You will take a left on Mariastraat and continue to the Katelijnepoort 🛥️. You won't cross the bridge and will turn left, going up the large canal of Bruges. You will turn left and run to the Queen Astrid park. Another left turn and then straight ahead before turning right on Predhikerenstraat. You will cross the bridge 🌉 and continue right to the large canal. You will spend a long time on the banks of this canal before turning left when you arrive on a small island. *
You will then continue a few hundred meters on Wulpenstraat before turning right on Komvest. You will then start a loop that will make up the majority of your route. You will cross the canal and go up Dudzeelse Steenweg, then continue to the right on Ronselarestraat. You will then take Amelingstraat and head towards the town of Damme, known for its magnificent church ⛪. Once you pass the village, you will resume your route towards the city center.
On the way back, you will follow the Damme canal and get lost in the fields on the outskirts of the city. You will have less than 3 km left at this point in the race, hang in there! 🏃 You will pass by the small island we mentioned earlier, but you will continue straight ahead before following the canal one last time. You will take a right and continue to the Friet Museum. The finish line will be on your left, at the City's Grand Square 🎉.
- Sunday, October 11, 2026 at 10:45 AM
- 1 loopx8 km
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Approximately one week before the race, you will receive an email containing practical information along with your personal race bib number. With this number, you can collect your race bib on Saturday, October 10, 2026, from 12 PM to 5 PM and on Sunday, October 11, 2026, from 8 AM to 10:45 AM at the Think Pink stand in Bruges.
Athora Great Bruges Marathon for runners starts at 10 AM
Athora Great Bruges Half Marathon for runners starts at 10 AM
Athora Great Bruges Family Walk (8 km) starts at 10:45 AM
Marathon: €110
Half Marathon: €60
8 km Walk: €31
Ideally, you should come by bike, on foot, or use public transportation. The start is located 1.5 km from Bruges railway station. If you do decide to come by car, we advise you to check the Bruges website: www.visitbruges.be/parking-2.
The marathon must be completed in under 6 hours. The half marathon has traffic restrictions, meaning you need to maintain a pace of 7 min/km or faster to safely run on the course.
There will be liquid refreshments available every 5 km.
You can check the race rules here
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