Today (12) marks six months to go until the inaugural European Running Championships which will take place in Brussels-Leuven on 12-13 April 2025.
This groundbreaking event presents a unique opportunity for the masses to join elite runners and ‘Run with the Champions’ on the vibrant and atmospheric Belgian course. Already 15,000 running enthusiasts have signed up for the event, where runners can represent their home nation in an official European Athletics Championships event.
- Register for this historic event here.
The net finish time of the top 25 runners per country - including elites - will be added up. This will form the basis for the country ranking per competition and gender. The country with the lowest aggregate time in each race and gender category are declared winners.
Speaking on the launch of the newest major event earlier this year, European Athletics President Dobromir Karamarinov said: "The European Running Championships symbolises my vision of a sport that really is for everyone. Young and old, male and female, fast and slow, big and small, elite and amateur will all compete together and simultaneously in mass marathon, half marathon and 10km races, with global and national ranking places on offer.
"For too long, athletics has been seen as a rarefied activity, the preserve of only the super-fit and the super-gifted. All children, and a growing number of adults across our continent, take part in athletics, in the form of recreational running, every day. Yet many of them do not think of themselves as athletes. I am determined to bridge this gap."
There are 10km, half marathon and marathon options for participants with individual and team medals also on offer for Europe's elite distance runners across all three events.
The marathon starts at the Royal Palace in Brussels and follows a scenic course through to Leuven. The half marathon and 10 km set off from Leuven and cross the city and wider surroundings.