Thousands brave the heat for Brussels 20k

Around 40,000 runners, representing at least 126 nationalities, defied the hot weather and competed in the Brussels 20km race on Sunday.

The 38th edition was won by Kenyan David Maru in a time of 1:00:37, while Belgian Sophie Hardy won the women’s race in 1:13:42.

Princess Astrid of Belgium fired the starting gun at around 10.00 in the presence of prime minister Charles Michel and Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur before joining the annual event as part of the Paralympics team. The race started and finished in the capital’s Cinquantenaire Park.

The Red Cross reported that it provided medical assistance for 487 runners with 23 people needing hospital treatment, although there were no life-threatening cases. The majority of these required treatment for hypothermia, dehydration, muscle cramps and injuries.

A brief downpour of rain before the start of the race brought the temperature down to 17°C to the relief of competitors, although it did rise towards midday. A temperature of 30°C had been forecast for Brussels’ flagship running event. The number of water stations along the course had been doubled due to the predicted sweltering conditions.

Many runners were competing in teams. The largest contingent was Running for Europe (1240), followed by Brussels’ mental health platform (1200), Iles de Paix (783) and the Red Cross (621).

For the first time, a mental health village organised by Brussels-Region’s mental healthcare platform was present in the park with stands, games and activities. Coordinator Olivier De Gand said the event was an opportunity to tackle discrimination and show that mental health problems should be viewed in the same light as physical health concerns.