Just a few hours after the last competitors had crossed the finishing line, the City of Brussels said that it was pulling the plug on the Brussels Marathon. The decision comes after the city authorities looked at the costs and benefits of the around 3,000 events it organises each year. It is has been decided that the 2025 Brussels Marathon will be the last.
In a joint statement the Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close (Francophone socialist) and the City Alderman responsible for sport Florence Frelinx (Francophone liberal) said that “The City of Brussels regrets to inform you that from 2026 the Brussels Marathon will no longer be ran within its territory”.
“The decision was taken within a particularly demanding budgetary and organisational context, with with fewer than 3,000 runners running the full 42km. The city has therefore been forced to reallocate its human and logistical resources in order to continue to provide the best possible support for the wide variety of other events it hosts each year. We would like to commend the work of the organisers and the dedication of the volunteers, that year after year have ensured that the Brussels Marathon has become a sporting highlight that shows the beauty of our capital city along its 42-km course. This decision was not an easy one, but it stems from a desire to ensure responsible and sustainable management of the City's resources”.
20,000 participants, but just 3,000 for the full marathon
Sunday's Brussels marathon had a record number of 20,000 participants. However, most of these either ran 7km or a half marathon (21km).
While the Brussels Marathon will no longer be run through the city of Brussels, Mr Close and Ms Frelinx do not rule out the possibility of a new running event being organised in other municipalities in the Brussels-Capital Region.