Golazo, the organiser of the ASML Marathon in Eindhoven, hopes to welcome 40,000 participants to the 40th edition of the sporting event. The organisation is on track to reach that number.
The marathon will be held on Saturday 12 October and Sunday 13 October. The sale of starting tickets is going particularly well. For example, the marathon full distance is already sold out: there are twice as many participants as in 2023, namely 6,000 instead of 3,000 last year.
“We don’t really know why, but it is special”, Rozemarijn Heijman, of Golazo event management company, says. “Also because we see that the marathon in Eindhoven normally gets going a bit later in terms of sales”.
Bucket list
“Of course we don’t ask people why they participate, but we also see that the number of participants is increasing at other events. Running in general is very popular and perhaps it is also a bucket list thing. It is something that people want to have done once in their lives”, Heijman says.
“Perhaps it also plays a role that corona is now really behind us and no longer plays a role in people’s consideration to participate in a sporting event”.
Sold out
The other distances that can be run at the ASML Marathon have not doubled in number of participants, but here too the sale of starting tickets is going well, Heijman says. “The half marathon is also sold out and the quarter marathon is almost sold out. There are still places available for other distances such as the city run and the mini marathon. The shorter distances receive the most registrations closer to the event. These distances also require less preparation”.
Because the organisation also expects to sell many starting tickets in September, there is hope that 40,000 participants will participate. “That would be great, it would fit in well with the 40th edition and also in 040”, the spokesperson says. In 2023, 27,000 people ran in Eindhoven.
Marktplaats
Last year, the necessary starting tickets could be purchased via Marktplaats advertisement site. Something that Golazo is not happy about, but the organisation can do little about. “We can’t ask people for ID for a starting ticket. We see it happening, but we are pretty much powerless. There is simply a chance that you will be scammed by a fraudster. That is very annoying. Unfortunately, due to technical problems, we did not have a platform ourselves this year where the starting tickets could be purchased, which means that we are also dependent on sales outlets of other parties”.
KWF
Anyone who still wants to participate in the marathon but does not have a starting ticket may be better off obtaining a starting ticket via KWF (Koningin Wilhelmina Fonds, Queen Wilhelmina foundation) by participating in the campaign ‘Ren tegen kanker‘ (run against cancer). “We have been working with KWF for some time now and through them we are making around 200 tickets available, of which there are now a few dozen left. To do this, people must collect at least €500 for KWF before 13 September. If they succeed, they will receive a free starting ticket and support an important charity”, Heyman says.
For more information: ASML Marathon Eindhoven
Source: Studio040
Translated by: Bob
