Antwerp Marathon

The Race

History

The current Antwerp Marathon is an autumn event run by Golazo Sports. It began in September 2021 as the Port of Antwerp Night Marathon, became the Antwerp Marathon supported by Port of Antwerp-Bruges in 2022 and moved to October in 2023. The 2026 race is its sixth edition. The older spring marathons in Antwerp and the Antwerp 10 Miles have separate histories, and the current course is not a continuation of them.

The course has changed. In 2024 the organiser announced a redesign with an extra stretch through the port area, and later editions settled on two loops of the city that finish at the MAS in the Eilandje docks. Check the route first when reading an older report.

In 2025 the organiser reported 5,500 marathon starters among about 20,000 runners across all distances. Nicolaï Saké won the men’s race in 2:21:16 and Loes Rönne the women’s in 2:47:19. These are winning times for that year and are not described as records.

The course

The marathon starts at Kattendijkbrug in the Eilandje docks district and finishes at the MAS museum, 700 m away. It is run as two loops of about 22.6 km, so every landmark and aid station comes round twice. The first kilometres go north to the Havenhuis and back down the dock quays, then the loop turns into the old centre past the Boerentoren at km 4.5 and along the Meir at km 5.

It continues past Antwerpen-Centraal at km 5.7, out through Borgerhout to Dageraadplaats in Zurenborg at km 8, south through Berchem to the Haantjeslei at km 13, and west through the Zuid past the Zuidpark at km 16 and the Royal Museum of Fine Arts at km 16.5. It returns north along the Scheldt quays, Plantinkaai and Jordaenskaai, to the docks at about km 20. The loop closes near Oosterweelsteenweg at km 22, and the second lap repeats the city circuit, with the Meir again at km 27.5.

The ground is flat. The profile spans 14 m, from 2 m on the dock quays to 16 m on De Keyserlei at km 28, and the largest change in any kilometre is 9 m. The organiser reports 57 m of total gain without saying how it was measured. Some centre streets are cobbled, and the organiser does not publish where.

Kilometre by kilometre

Km 0 to 5: out of the docks. The start at Kattendijkbrug is on the dockside at Rijnkaai. The course runs north to Siberiastraat and the Havenhuis at km 1, then south down the Kattendijkdok quay at km 2 and into the old town on Oudeleeuwenrui and Minderbroedersrui at km 3 to 4. The Boerentoren, Antwerp’s 1930s skyscraper, is passed at about km 4.5 and the first aid station is on the Meir at km 5.1. The streets narrow once the dock roads end, so hold back.

Km 5 to 12: station, east and south. The course passes Antwerpen-Centraal at about km 6 on Pelikaanstraat, crosses Borgerhout on Zonstraat at km 7 and loops Dageraadplaats in Zurenborg at about km 8. It then turns south on Kruikstraat, Lamorinièrestraat and Haringrodestraat toward Berchem, with aid at Montenstraat (7.6) and Boomgaardstraat (11.0, with banana). The residential stretches have fewer spectators.

Km 12 to 20: the Zuid and the quays. Jan Van Rijswijcklaan at km 12 leads to the Haantjeslei at km 13 (aid at 13.2) and Sint-Laureisstraat at km 14. The Zuidpark is passed at about km 16 on Vlaamsekaai, and KMSKA at about km 16.5. The course returns to the Scheldt on Plantinkaai at km 18 (aid at Sint Michielskaai, 17.8) and runs down Jordaenskaai to Rijnkaai at km 20. Wind off the river is the main variable on the open quays, so tuck in behind other runners.

Km 20 to 22.6: back through the docks. The course goes north past the Rijnkaai start area and out to Oosterweelsteenweg, where the aid station at km 22.2 comes just after the half-marathon distance. The second lap starts here and is a loop of the city circuit again.

Km 22.6 to 42.195: the same loop again. Every landmark repeats: the Meir at 27.7, Montenstraat at 30.2, Boomgaardstraat at 33.6 with banana, Haantjeslei at 35.7 and Sint Michielskaai at 40.4. The furthest point from the start, 4.2 km away, is on Lokkaardstraat in Berchem at about km 35. The last stretch follows Kloosterstraat and the quays, and the finish is at the MAS. Use the second lap to count aid stations down.

Run the blue line where one is painted; the shortest legal line saves a measurable distance over 42.195 km. The chip is on the bib.

Course Map

Two loops from the docks through the old centre, Zurenborg and the Zuid, with the Scheldt quays on the way back. Tap a marker for the start, the finish, the 2026 number-collection site, the landmarks and the station, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the course with the elevation profile beneath it.

Pacers

An official pacer team runs with coloured flags. Target times are announced closer to the race.

Entry

Entry is open and handled online through general registration, subject to availability, with no ballot. Prices rise in four tranches at set registration counts: €95, €105, €115 and €130. At the time of writing the €130 band was the one displayed. A VAT-change note appears on the registration page, so check the checkout total. The shirt is included.

Registration for the next edition opens on 15 October 2026, and the interest form is an update sign-up and not a place. Prices for the next edition are not published. Online name changes closed in September for the 2026 race, with on-site substitutions possible for an administration charge and identification. An optional cancellation policy gave partial refunds in earlier months and none after 19 August. Deferral rules are not published.

Runners choose a start wave by target time. No fast-runner standard, good-for-age entry or official tour-operator package is published.

Fast runner standards

There is no good-for-age, qualifying or fast-runner entry. Start waves follow the target time you enter.

Race Weekend

Expo

Number collection is at Waagnatie, beside the Rijnkaai runners’ village. The 2026 hours are Friday 16 October from 12:00 to 19:00, Saturday 17 October from 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 08:00. The Sunday desk is no use for a 09:00 start, so collect on Friday or Saturday.

A friend can collect with your confirmation, personal number or e-ticket. A name change is a separate process and needs identification. Numbers are not posted. The vendor programme and street address for Waagnatie are not confirmed. For the 2027 edition, check the organiser’s collection article.

Getting to the start

The marathon starts at 09:00 at Kattendijkbrug. The half marathon starts at 14:00 and the 10 km at 09:00, both elsewhere. Follow the signed route from the Rijnkaai runners’ village to the marathon start wave, and do not use the half or 10 km start points. Wave opening times are on an image on the organiser’s page and could not be read.

Getting there. The organiser recommends public transport or a bike and says there is no parking at the start or finish. From Antwerpen-Centraal it describes tram 24 toward Frans de l’Arbrelaan to Noorderplaats, then a signed walk. Check diversions on race weekend. A rail discount and a shared-bike promotion are offers, not free travel.

Bag store and facilities. There is a bag store with matching number stickers and a number written on your arm or hand. Use is at your own risk. Toilets are provided in every start wave. Tents are provided for changing, but there are no showers.

Nutrition on course

The organiser’s 2026 table lists 11 stations across the two loops. Every station has water, ISO sports drink, wine gums and salt. Banana is listed only at 11.0 and 33.6 km, and gels are not listed anywhere, so carry tested gels. The gap between 22.2 and 27.7 km is the longest on the course.

Spectating

The two-loop layout gives a supporter repeat sightings, though timings depend on pace and street closures. The Meir, passed at about km 5 and km 27.5, is the best single place, and the finish at the MAS is a short walk from the start. A supporter of a slower runner cannot count on both a late sighting and the finish.

The plans below are proposals. No timed transit table is published.

Post-race food

Otomat Antwerp MAS, a pizza restaurant near the finish, is the easiest first meal. U Eat & Sleep, a restaurant and hotel by the MAS, is a small-scale option for a longer sit-down. Balls & Glory serves filled meatballs with stoemp or salad; its current Antwerp page gives a Theaterplein address, not the older dockside address on some listings.

Sunday hours and capacity are not confirmed, so reserve or call ahead. A familiar plate of starch and protein works better than a tasting menu straight after 42 km.

Where to Stay

Stay near the finish. The start at Kattendijkbrug and the finish at the MAS are both in the Eilandje docks district, so a room there shortens the walk before and after.

Avoid a room on the west bank of the Scheldt unless you have checked the race-day river crossing. Confirm lifts, late checkout and breakfast times independently.

Recommended hotels

Booking timeline

Registration for the next edition opens on 15 October 2026, so secure the entry first and book a cancellable room next. The official partner hotel offer expired on 30 September 2026 and should not be treated as bookable. No evidence quantifies a marathon hotel premium or a sell-out date.

Check breakfast timing, the cancellation deadline, luggage storage and late checkout directly with the hotel. Book flights and rail once the date is confirmed.

See & Do

The finish is at the MAS in the Eilandje docks, with the Red Star Line Museum half a kilometre away and the old centre within a short tram ride.

After the Race

Late October is cool and often wet, which suits museums and covered markets. Mechelen, Ghent, Brussels and Bruges are all within an hour or so by train from Antwerpen-Centraal.