Maratona notturna gratuita a Gand per protestare contro la corsa ufficiale “costosa”: “Continuare a correre alla portata di tutti”

A few months ago, Ghent resident Guus van der Kreeft expressed his dissatisfaction on social media about the high registration fee for the Ghent Marathon at the end of March. Runners have to pay €115 to participate. Van der Kreeft thought this was unacceptable and called for changes. Now, with the support of several other avid runners and organizations, he is offering a free alternative.

“On the eve of the paid version—on March 28—we are indeed organizing a free night marathon. We will start at the Vlasmarkt, where the real race also passes twice, and follow the same route. After all, organizer Golazo will already have put up signage for the following day. Participants can also run the shorter 5 or 21 kilometer routes,” says Van der Kreeft.

“Runners must provide their own headlamp and a vest for extra visibility. It has to be safe. We will provide a small supply of refreshments at the Vlasmarkt and in Gentbrugge, in collaboration with the organization there. There is a free start, everyone can start at a time of their choosing, but we want everyone to arrive around 11 p.m. Then we can toast together afterwards.”

This playful initiative is more than just a stunt. “Running is a very accessible sport. You put on your trainers and you can start right from home. We want to keep the marathon affordable for everyone. Golazo currently has a monopoly on it, which is not right in a city like Ghent. To be clear, we have nothing against the event itself. We are simply offering a free alternative.”

After informal contacts with the city, Van der Kreeft believes that the event will be able to take place. “We are aiming for a few hundred runners, which is certainly the number on a normal day in Ghent. We will make good arrangements with the police. We are used to organizing things smoothly.”

“In spirit, it seems like a nice, typical Ghent initiative, with a twist,” responds alderman Bram Van Braeckevelt (Groen). “We will examine the application once it has been submitted, only then can we respond in detail.” The administration has been considering a contribution from private organizers for some time, possibly also for Golazo. An earlier subsidy of 5,000 euros has already been scrapped.

In response to earlier criticism of the high registration fee, alderman Bram Van Braeckevelt (Groen) emphasized that the marathon is an important event. “The race generates €720,000 in economic return, with 3,500 runners staying at least one night in the city.”

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

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Thanks Guus, very cool. Golazo has too much influence at this point (or even way before today).