QFour pedestrian races will cross Brussels this Sunday, November 3. Two short distance races will start between 8:45 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Place des Palais. The 19e edition of the Brussels Airport Marathon and Half Marathon will start respectively at 9 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. on Place De Brouckère.
18,000 people are expected for this edition which breaks all records in terms of participation: that’s 5,500 more participants than last year, according to the official website.
In addition to the Brussels Airport Marathon & Half Marathon, two other distances are also scheduled: the Brussels Airport 7K and the Persil Kids Run 1K. The start and finish of these two races will take place on the Place des Palais.
The route
The route of the Brussels Airport Marathon and Half Marathon begins in the very center of the capital: the runners will start at Place De Brouckère before crossing the city to the Annie Cordy tunnel, the main parks of Brussels and the Koekelberg Basilica. Then, participants will pass through the Heysel plateau, the Parc du Cinquantenaire and Rue de la Loi to arrive at Place des Palais.
More precisely, the route first follows the northern part of the Petite Ceinture (R20), before traveling through Ganshoren and Jette towards the Parc de Laeken and Heysel. The runners will cross the canal at Jules de Trooz to go to the North district. They will then retrace their steps, and after a second passage through Laeken, the canal will be crossed again at Van Praet. The runners will then take the Middle Belt (R21), through Schaerbeek and Woluwe-Saint-Lambert, to the Montgomery roundabout.
The disruptions
Place des Palais and Place de Brouckère are easily accessible from all directions by public transport, on foot or by bike. It is also advisable to reach the capital by train this Sunday, to avoid any disruption. You will benefit from a half-price weekend ticket this Sunday. The free Brussels Park & Rides car parks connected to the metro network are also available.
The route which crosses ten Brussels municipalities will be completely closed to traffic from 8 a.m. and systematically released after the last runner has passed (between 10 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.). In certain places, it will be possible to cross the route. All the info here.
From 7 a.m., the A12 motorway will also be closed towards Brussels, at the intersection with the Ring in Strombeek-Bever. Traffic on the Petite Ceinture (R20) towards Basilique will be diverted towards De Trooz at Porte de Schaerbeek.
