The Eindhoven Marathon continues to grow. Due to the 40th anniversary, the number of starting places has been increased from 25,000 to 40,000, and these extra places are already sold out for all components.
The half marathon in particular has been very popular for years. Previous editions had 10 thousand runners participating, but this year there are no fewer than 15 thousand participants. The full marathon has also grown rapidly, this year there are 5,500 thousand participants, which is double the number of 2023.
According to Amber Middelhoek of the marathon organisation, this growth is not surprising. “There is a real marathon trend going on, we notice that at all our events.” Nevertheless, she is also impressed by the figures: “This year is impressive, there is so much enthusiasm for the marathon.”
Motivating Eindhoven residents
The marathon is very popular among Eindhoven residents; about half of all participants come from the city. Despite this sporty behaviour, the organization wants to get even more Eindhoven residents on their feet. “Our long-term goal is that someone from every street in Eindhoven participates. There are 2718 streets in Eindhoven and this year 1571 streets are participating,” says Amber.
In addition, neighbourhoods with low participation are encouraged to participate. For example, volunteers from sports organisation More2Win went to the neighbourhoods of Vlokhoven and Woenselse Watermolen to inspire more people through activities, such as running workshops. “The challenge is to motivate people to participate in the place where the least people are moving,” Amber explains.
The Eindhoven Marathon will take place on October 12 and 13, with the proceeds from the runners going to the Dutch Cancer Society. The starting shot will sound on Montgomerylaan in Woensel, and the finish will be on Vestdijk. Registration is no longer possible, but spectators are welcome to cheer the runners on.
Source: Studio040
Translated by Yawar Abbas
