The Race
| Next Race Date | Sunday 11 April 2027 |
|---|---|
| Course type | Loop: start and finish about 350 m apart |
| Registration | Open online entry; fee bands rise |
| Ballot opens | No ballot |
| Start | Naamsevest, on the ring road around the old town |
| Finish | Parkpoort, with the race village at the Philipssite |
| Total finishers | Not confirmed |
| Avg race-day temp | Not confirmed |
| Cutoff time | 5 hours 30 minutes |
| Free race-day transport | To be Confirmed |
| Course certification | To be Confirmed |
History
The 2026 race was won by Pieter Dewortelaer in 2:26:23 and by Hanna Vandenbussche in 2:45:46. The organiser reports more than 3,300 registrations for the marathon that year. No founding date, record or edition number is published.
The course
The race starts on Naamsevest, part of the ring road around the old town, and finishes at Parkpoort, 300 m away, with the race village at the Philipssite. The 2026 line is three loops from the centre, so it passes the Parkpoort area at km 0, 10, 25 and the finish. The first loop runs north through Wilsele and back past the station at km 7.5; the second runs south through Heverlee and its woods; the third runs north to Wilsele again, reaching the furthest point, 6.2 km from the start, at about km 33.
This is not a flat course. The profile spans 64 m, from 16 m on the Wilsele canal side to about 80 m in the Heverlee woods at km 19, and the organiser published 243 m of elevation gain for 2026 with certificate BEL/2026/09/JFD3146 A. No 2027 route or surface detail is published.
Kilometre by kilometre
Km 0 to 10: the north loop. The start is on Naamsevest, on the ring road. The course falls 21 m down Naamsestraat and Dirk Boutslaan to km 2.3, then climbs 27 m in 1 km, 2.7 per cent, to Wilsele at km 3, the steepest rise of the first loop. It runs on through Wilsele on Albert Woutersstraat and Kolonel Begaultlaan at km 4 to 5 and returns on Bondgenotenlaan at km 7, close to the station, and Blijde-Inkomststraat at km 9. The start time is not yet published.
Km 10 to 25: Heverlee and the woods. The course passes the start area at km 10 and drops 15 m to Kardinaal Mercierlaan, then climbs 38 m over 3.9 km from km 11 to 15 through Heverlee to Dennendreef. The woods are the high ground: Grezweg at km 16, Parnassusbergdreef at km 17 and Damendreef at km 19, where the course tops out at about 80 m. It then falls 36 m over 2.2 km to the Waversebaan at km 21, runs back through Heverlee at 35 to 46 m and passes Parkpoort again at km 25.
Km 25 to 38: the north loop again. The third loop repeats the first, out along Parkstraat and Dirk Boutslaan at km 26 to 27 and into Wilsele on Kolonel Begaultlaan, Bornestraat and Guido Gezellelaan at km 29 to 33. This is the flat, low part of the day, 16 to 20 m along the canal side and the Vaartdijk at km 34, with fewer spectators.
Km 38 to 42.195: back to the centre. Havenkant at km 38 and Vital Decosterstraat at km 39 lead back toward the centre, with a climb of 25 m over 4.7 km into Parkpoort. The finish is at Parkpoort, 300 m from the start. The limit is 5 hours 30 minutes.
A 21 m fall, then a 27 m climb at 2.7 per cent to Wilsele, and back past the station at km 7.5.
38 m of climbing over 3.9 km to the woods, the 80 m high point at km 19, then a 36 m fall.
Wilsele again, flat and low at 16 to 20 m, with the furthest point 6.2 km out at about km 33.
A 25 m climb over 4.7 km back to the finish at Parkpoort. The limit is 5 hours 30 minutes.
Course Map
Three loops from the ring road: north to Wilsele, south through Heverlee and its woods, and north again before the finish at Parkpoort. The 2027 route is not published. Tap a marker for the start, the finish, the race village, the landmarks and the station, and scrub the slider or press play to move the orange marker along the line with the elevation profile beneath it.
Pacers
No pacer list is published yet. Check the organiser’s page closer to the race.
Race day is in April, when conditions in Flanders are changeable. Expect a cool start and the possibility of rain. A removable layer is useful for the wait, and a cap helps in showers. No clothing-donation scheme is published.
Entry
Entry is open online. The marathon fee runs in bands of €90, €105, €110 and €115, and €115 was live when the page was last updated. The dates of each band are not published. Refund and deferral terms, a cap and a ballot are not published either. The limit is 5 hours 30 minutes.
Fast runner standards
No fast-runner or good-for-age standard is published.
Official Leuven Marathon site →Race Weekend
Expo
The expo is at Waypoint. It is open on Friday from 11:30 to 18:00, on Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and on Sunday from 07:30. Pack collection continues on Sunday until 14:00.
Getting to the start
The start time, pen layout, transport and bag drop are not published. Collect your pack before Sunday if you can. The race village is at the Philipssite, 0.5 km east of Parkpoort. Leuven station is 1.4 km north-east of the finish, outside the ring road.
Nutrition on course
No aid-station list is published. Bring your own fuel and check the organiser’s page for the final provision.
Spectating
Start and finish are on the south-east side of the old-town ring, about 350 m apart. The plans below are proposals only.
- Watch the start on Naamsevest
- Walk to Parkpoort for the finish
- Wait at Parkpoort and the Philipssite village
- Choose a point on the route once the map is published
- Meet at Parkpoort
Post-race food
Domus, De Valck and Mykene are the places to try. Hours and menus are not confirmed, so reserve and order something simple.
Where to Stay
The old town is compact and the ring road is close. A hotel inside the ring is within about 1.5 km of the start and finish.
Old town
Close to the Grote Markt and restaurants, and to the start and finish, 1.0 km north of Parkpoort.
Station
Convenient for trains to Brussels and the airport, about 1.5 km from the finish.
Beguinage
The Begijnhof Hotel is in a quiet historic quarter close to the centre, 0.9 km from the finish.
Check cancellation terms, breakfast times and luggage storage.
Recommended hotels
A converted monastery near the centre.
A quiet historic setting. Check the rate.
North of the Grote Markt, inside the ring. Check the walk to the start.
A chain hotel convenient for trains.
A budget option near the station.
Booking timeline
Secure your entry first, because the fee rises through the bands, then book a cancellable room. No sell-out window or marathon premium is published.
See & Do
The Grote Markt is 1.0 km north of the finish, and all three places below are within about 1 km of it.
Leuven Town Hall
A Gothic town hall covered in statues, best seen from the square.
University Library
A landmark library building. Check opening hours.
Groot Begijnhof
A restored beguinage with brick houses and quiet lanes. A flat walk.
After the Race
April is changeable, and Leuven sits on the main rail line between Brussels and the east. Brussels, Mechelen and Antwerp are all within 40 minutes by train.
A capital with a Grand Place and museums close to the station.
A small city with a large cathedral tower.
A port city with a grand station and a flat centre.
Two canal cities within half an hour of each other.